Book Review: The Wild Truth by Carine McCandless

Title: The Wild Truth

Author: Carine McCandless

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Adult

Pages: 278

Publisher: HarperOne

Year Published: 2014

Format: Audiobook

"The spellbinding story of Christ McCandless, who gave away his savings, hitchhiked to Alaska, walked into the wilderness alone, and starved to death in 1992, fascinated not just New York Times bestselling author Jon Krakauer, but also the rest of the nation. Krakauer's book, Into The Wild, became an international bestseller, translated into thirty-oen languages, and Sean Penn's inspirational film by the same name further skyrocketed Chris McCandless to global fame.

But the real story of Chris's life and his journey has not yet been told- until now. The missing pieces are finally revealed in The Wild Truth, written by Carine McCandless, Chris's beloved and trusted sister. Featured in both the book and film, Carine has wrestled for more than twenty one years with the legacy of her brother's journey to self discovery, and now tells her own story while in the blanks of his.

Carine was Chris's best friend, the person with whom he had the closest bond, and who witnessed firsthand the dysfunctional and violent family dynamic that made Chris willing to embrace the harsh wilderness of Alaska. Growing up in the same troubled household, Carine speaks candidly about the deeper reality of life in the McCandless family. In the many years since the tragedy of Chris's death, Carine has searched for some kind of redemption.

In this touching and deeply personal memoir, she reveals how she has learned that real redemption can only come from speaking the truth."

My Rating: 3/5

I do rate nonfiction based on writing and how it met my expectation of where the story was going. I thought that this book would centre a bit more on Chris's life and loves before he left, but it makes sense that it followed the childhood experience that Carine and Chris shared. I was surprised to see how much detail this book went into about the affairs and abuse that took place between parents. I would recommend if you are interested in Into the Wild or have follow-up questions about how Chris McCandless ended up where he did, or if you are curious about his family life. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny