I really enjoyed this little book.

I’m trying to widen the kinds of novels I read as I’m drawn mainly to fantasy. So when I saw this story about a young boy with behavioural issues who is taken to a ‘Wild School’ in the hopes that he could be reached, I thought it might be a nice change.

I was correct in one sense: it was very nice! The characters were relatable and well built, especially the narrator Niilo. I saw myself reflected in the character, even though I have had almost the exact opposite issues than him. I could really understand through his narrative how I could be drawn do do the things he did, and that was immensely helpful from the perspective of a trainee teacher.
The writing style was very child friendly and although first person style is usually a pet peeve of mine, I found that the author really manipulated it well.

However! I still didn’t escape the fantasy genre all together.
The book is based around the mythology and ancestry of the Sami people of Lapland. And the great number of links to folk lore, mythology and magic had me very happy.

I found the book a lovely mix of both reality and fantasy, and the pace I read at really showed my how much I wanted to just keep reading about Niilo’s journey and uncover the secrets he held within himself.