Brenda Hasiuk has previously published two YA novels, Where the Rocks Say Your Name (2006), and Your Constant Star (2014), books which received notices like this one in Kirkus Reviews: “a superb novel by a rising Canadian literary star…” Boy Lost in Wild is Hasiuk’s first published collection of short stories. The book focuses on the lives of eight teenagers, one per story, and how they cope with their own unique situations during a confusing or difficult time in their lives. They all come from distinct cultural backgrounds, ranging from Aboriginal, Icelandic, to Ukrainian and more, but all live in the cold city of Winnipeg (where Hasiuk herself hails from). The book takes you on a journey through the characters’ high points and low points, through their good and bad decisions, as they try and figure out how to live their lives.
My quickie review: A great read that introduces scene after scene that will make you think: what the hell would I do in that situation? The stories are interesting and the inner turmoil and psychological events that the characters go through are simply riveting. The writing in some places is masterful and shows real understanding of the characters. Hasiuk’s use of imagery and alliteration really helps not only paint a physical image in your mind, but helps guide you to the same wave-length the characters are on.
One of my favourite examples of this is in the second short story, “Back Lane Lullaby,” about a young Ukrainian-Canadian girl whose relative Alexi comes from Ukraine to live with her family for a while. She had heard that Alexi was a bright up and coming businessman with the whole world ahead of him. As the story unfolds, a girl who used to sleep soundly every night begins to toss and turn uncontrollably as she ponders the fact that her loving family isn’t all she thought they were, and that Alexi is not at all what he seemed. Here is an excerpt of how Hasiuk conveys these revelations:
Trish couldn’t stop thinking about things, like how someone who looked so hot could turn down iced tea. Or what Alexi must have thought when he stood smoking by their pool and the rock garden and the cedar gazebo that Baba Dudek called “that fancy, screened shack.” Or why, when her parents whispered about how wonderful it was that Alexi had miraculously raised enough money to escape the corruption and political chaos of Ukraine, and that he seemed like a nice boy with ambition, it felt as if they were trying to convince themselves that this was true. Gradually, though, these thoughts became merely words running through her head, like bad, bad breath, and blue, blue eyes, and the next thing she knew, it was Saturday morning and she was gasping for air.
Hasiuk has found a way through all these stories to draw you in through her use of literary elements, and makes you want to read story after story until, sadly, you have already finished all eight.
If I had to gripe about something it would be the prologues to each story. These prologues take the form of five facts about the cultural background of the character, sometimes followed by a quick passage related to the facts. When a short story is only ten to fifteen pages long, a one or two page prologue doesn’t seem necessary. What bothered me more was that the five facts had nothing to do with each story itself. For example, in the third short story “life on ice” (one of my favourites), one of the five facts is: “Icelanders are known for going to the movies more often than any other nation.” That’s a nice piece of trivia, but the characters never once go the movies or bring up their love of movies in the piece and so it doesn’t seem related to the story.
But if my biggest complaint is about a couple of weird prologues, it’s safe to say that I think Boy Lost in Wild is a great read. The imagery was top notch, the inner monologue and emotional struggle within the characters’ minds was stunning, and it seems Hasiuk has found a new literary talent: writing smart, compelling short stories.
Turnstone | 160 pages | $19.00 | paper | ISBN # 978-0888014979
‘Boy Lost in Wild’ by Brenda Hasiuk
Book Reviews
Brenda Hasiuk has previously published two YA novels, Where the Rocks Say Your Name (2006), and Your Constant Star (2014), books which received notices like this one in Kirkus Reviews: “a superb novel by a rising Canadian literary star…” Boy Lost in Wild is Hasiuk’s first published collection of short stories. The book focuses on the lives of eight teenagers, one per story, and how they cope with their own unique situations during a confusing or difficult time in their lives. They all come from distinct cultural backgrounds, ranging from Aboriginal, Icelandic, to Ukrainian and more, but all live in the cold city of Winnipeg (where Hasiuk herself hails from). The book takes you on a journey through the characters’ high points and low points, through their good and bad decisions, as they try and figure out how to live their lives.
My quickie review: A great read that introduces scene after scene that will make you think: what the hell would I do in that situation? The stories are interesting and the inner turmoil and psychological events that the characters go through are simply riveting. The writing in some places is masterful and shows real understanding of the characters. Hasiuk’s use of imagery and alliteration really helps not only paint a physical image in your mind, but helps guide you to the same wave-length the characters are on.
One of my favourite examples of this is in the second short story, “Back Lane Lullaby,” about a young Ukrainian-Canadian girl whose relative Alexi comes from Ukraine to live with her family for a while. She had heard that Alexi was a bright up and coming businessman with the whole world ahead of him. As the story unfolds, a girl who used to sleep soundly every night begins to toss and turn uncontrollably as she ponders the fact that her loving family isn’t all she thought they were, and that Alexi is not at all what he seemed. Here is an excerpt of how Hasiuk conveys these revelations:
Trish couldn’t stop thinking about things, like how someone who looked so hot could turn down iced tea. Or what Alexi must have thought when he stood smoking by their pool and the rock garden and the cedar gazebo that Baba Dudek called “that fancy, screened shack.” Or why, when her parents whispered about how wonderful it was that Alexi had miraculously raised enough money to escape the corruption and political chaos of Ukraine, and that he seemed like a nice boy with ambition, it felt as if they were trying to convince themselves that this was true. Gradually, though, these thoughts became merely words running through her head, like bad, bad breath, and blue, blue eyes, and the next thing she knew, it was Saturday morning and she was gasping for air.
Hasiuk has found a way through all these stories to draw you in through her use of literary elements, and makes you want to read story after story until, sadly, you have already finished all eight.
If I had to gripe about something it would be the prologues to each story. These prologues take the form of five facts about the cultural background of the character, sometimes followed by a quick passage related to the facts. When a short story is only ten to fifteen pages long, a one or two page prologue doesn’t seem necessary. What bothered me more was that the five facts had nothing to do with each story itself. For example, in the third short story “life on ice” (one of my favourites), one of the five facts is: “Icelanders are known for going to the movies more often than any other nation.” That’s a nice piece of trivia, but the characters never once go the movies or bring up their love of movies in the piece and so it doesn’t seem related to the story.
But if my biggest complaint is about a couple of weird prologues, it’s safe to say that I think Boy Lost in Wild is a great read. The imagery was top notch, the inner monologue and emotional struggle within the characters’ minds was stunning, and it seems Hasiuk has found a new literary talent: writing smart, compelling short stories.
Turnstone | 160 pages | $19.00 | paper | ISBN # 978-0888014979