Esme is annoyed and braced for boredom when she’s sent to stay with her gran for the weekend, until she discovers a terrible mistake. Cora, the abandoned kitten Gran found on the Rothiecraig Estate, is in fact a wild lynx kit and she is growing—fast!
Suddenly, Esme finds herself on a dangerous mission to rewild Cora, along with Callum Docherty for company, the school’s ‘bad boy’, and Shug, the worst guard dog in the world. The situation takes a terrifying turn when the children pitch their tents on a bleak Highland moor and hear wolves howling outside…
My Thoughts
This cracking story keeps you turning the pages while cleverly weaving in important and thought provoking issues.
The characters are brilliantly drawn. Gran and her friend Sadie are funny and full of mischief and Shug - the worst guard dog in the world - is great fun. Esme, the main character, is complex, struggling with internal and external demons in the form of shame, friendship issues, and bewilderment at the task she is faced with. The author successfully intertwines Esme's emotional and physical journey, cleverly leading her to a satisfying conclusion.
Esme and Callum have both been either involved in, or victim of, bullying, and the story invites the reader to consider this important issue from both sides, including the pressure a bully can exert over their extended, and sometimes reluctant, peers.
Cora, the Eurasion Lynx, exists in the shadows as is appropriate for a wild animal,. She is, of course, the main driver of the plot and her presence provides an opportunity to review the pros and cons of rewilding indigenous species. The author offers the reader balance, with characters considering all points of view and there is a lovely author's note at the end, providing context and factual information about this important issue.
I can imagine The Rewilders would make a good classroom read, and an excellent starting point for interesting and lively debate on many of its important themes.