Title: Out of the Woods
Author: Syd McGinley
Cover Artist: Alessia Brio
Publisher: Torquere Press
Amazon: Buy Link Out of the Woods
Genre: Science fiction, M/M
Length: Novel (290 pages, 80,300 words)
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
A guest review by Buda
Summary Review: Extraordinary world-building enhances an endearing and enthralling tale.
The Blurb:
Wild boy Tarin is determined not to be captured by the men who live in the decaying Before Times buildings on the other side of Tarin’s woodland home, but he’s just as determined to protect the younger boys in the woods.
No one remembers being a child or knows where all the women have gone or how society crumbled, but for as long as they can remember, boys have lived in the woods and are hunted by the men each Fall. Some boys believe in a mysterious Lady who protects them, while others think the men are magic. Tarin knows better – he’s met a man, and escaped by stabbing him.
Hunted through the woods as he tries to protect the weaker Cory, Tarin is trapped and claimed by the very man he knifed. All Tarin wants is to stay in the woods and not have to get ‘civilized,’ but he’s carried off into a different world of rules and discipline. Will he be able to survive now that he is Out of the Woods?
The Review:
Those of you who have read my previous reviews know that I love gritty, angst-ridden stories, usually about cops or serial murderers, with the occasional FBI agent thrown in for good measure. When I came across this blurb, I was in the mood for something different. By the time the book came to the top of my pile of books to review, I was out of that mood, so I let it sit for a while. Finally, I decided I had to clear it off the schedule, so I opened the file. I must now tell you how glad I am that I did. But first, a word of caution. Some readers may be uncomfortable with the sexual aspect, so please read the review carefully before making a purchasing decision.
Out of the Woods opens with our young hero, Tarin, sitting high in a tree, munching blackberries and nuts, staring out at where the men live. Boys like him live a wild life in the woods, foraging and hunting small game, banding together for survival. The men, though, live in buildings from the “Before Times.” Each spring, new boys appear at the edge of the woods and are welcomed into the boy community. Each fall brings hunting season, when the men capture and take boys who have spent their eighth summer in the woods. None are ever seen again. We learn shortly after Tarin is brought to the men’s village that the boys are approximately eleven when they arrive in the woods, making the seventh-summer boys around 18 and the eighth-summer boys, like Tarin, about 19.
Tarin is a precocious lad, always pushing the boundaries, both physical and community. He swims when most boys don’t. He wants to take the boys to the far side of the woods to escape the hunting season, even though the boys are sure the Lady will punish them if they go. Tarin thinks the Lady is a myth, though he wouldn’t know the word. The boys have no memory of the time before they entered the woods. They know they were somewhere, but have no idea where; nor do they know or even question why they are now in the woods. They have language skills, but some of the words are “Before Times” words that have no real meaning. In one instance, young Cory calls Tarin a monkey boy because he likes to climb, but neither of them know what a monkey is. The boys have a rather rudimentary sex life, exchanging the “gift” fluid. Some like it more than others. Cory, for example, isn’t a huge fan of receiving the “gift”. Tarin has heard that a cock will fit in his bum, but he’s sure it’s another made-up story.
One day, Tarin quite inadvertently comes across a man fishing. The man captures Tarin and they have a rather strange stroke session, with Tarin scared out of his mind, but enjoying the feeling. The man, whom Tarin dubs Beak-Face, introduces Tarin to kiss, which throws the boy into a panic because he thinks the man is eating his face. Tarin makes his escape by stabbing Beak-Face in the thigh. The man tells Tarin he will show him what happens to “twice-caught” boys come the hunt.
When it does come, Tarin tries to save his charge Cory, but they both end up captured. Tarin is already known to the men as Beak-Face (Captain Garrick to the men) has laid claim to him. And so begins the majority of the book, where the men try to teach the boys “civilization.” They’re taught everything from how to use chairs and flatware to how to bake bread and gather chicken eggs to the proper way to orally please a man. The boys are expected to become “helpmeets” (some have called them submissive lovers, but “helpmeet” is the word Sgt. Edon uses) to the men who choose them and to contribute to their small society with hard work. Tarin, our wild boy, is a laugh riot as he rebels against almost everything, more often than not to his detriment. Thankfully, most of the men find Tarin to be amusing enough not to punish him too severely too often.
One of my favorite scenes involves “silver duck.”
Tarin huffed and tried to tug off the silver duck. To his horror the duck tore out his ankle hair.
“Waaugh!” hollered Tarin. It was as bad as falling in a berry bush.
“I said ‘soak off.’ Tarin, can you try taking advice about just one thing?”
“Tarin was always stubborn, Captain Garrick.” Mart stepped out of the steam and smiled shyly. “His first winter, I told him snow was cold, and he jumped in a drift.”
Tarin made a fart noise at his friend. “Was not stubborn. Just need to check things.” He paused. “And,” he added indignantly, “You didn’t say what cold meant!”
Syd McGinley builds such an incredible world, it is easy to get lost in it. The cast of characters is quite large, but due to Tarin’s propensity to nickname people and things, they are quite easy to keep separate. One of my favorite characters was Ofer, a boy who suffered greatly at having been chosen by a brutish man, Major Jadon, from whom he tried to run away. Ofer is held up as an example of what not to do. Despite his horrific punishment, he is still genuinely sweet and loving.
With all that happens to Tarin as he learns the ways of the men, it is easy to forget their strange circumstances. Where do the men come from? None of the boys become “men” once they’ve grown up, at least from what I can tell here. Where do the boys come from? Where are the women who birth these boys? Frustratingly, none of these questions are answered in the book. Thankfully, a sequel is due out late this year. If the indications in this book hold true in the second book, this story could make a major sociological statement (which I would love), or it could just be a really well-told story. Either way, I’m all in.
I await the sequel to find out what happens not just to Tarin and Garrick, but also to Ofer, Perry, Mart, Lt. Cale, Sgt. Edon, Cadet Kenan, and Major Jadon. I might even muster up a little curiosity about Cory, too. There is no typical romance in this book. Tarin and Garrick bond for sure. Each develops a genuine affection for the other, but it cannot be called love at this stage.
If you are in the mood for a truly captivating book that is outside the parameters of the ordinary, this fantastic book may well be your ticket to a truly unexpected world. I finished the second read last week and still cannot get these characters out of my head. Highly recommended.
Hi Buda, great review!
From how you describe it this book reminds me of the old Graecian Erastes/ Eromenos concept. Is it like this or rather more lie master/ slave?
Sounds enticing either way. Like you, I’m sometimes in the mood for something completely out of my comfort zone. I might give this a try.
Thanks! :wave:
Hi, Feliz. You’re right, the relationships are more often than not of the Eros/Eromenos persuasion. Ofer’s situation is a cautionary tale, though, showing that not everything is unicorns and rainbows. I hope you do give this book a try. I think you’ll really enjoy it. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I loved this book. Read it again right away.
Hi Shanne! Thanks so much for chiming in. I can’t stop thinking about Tarin and what might be happening next. I’m glad you loved it, too.
So glad to see this reviewed here. I’m a McGinley fan anyway, so I may have been prejudiced when I read it, but it’s very, very different from anything I’ve read before, including McGinley’s own work. Post-apocalyptic, but not dark and depressing. Very funny in spots, thanks to a character (Tarin) who’s intelligent and quirky. I can’t wait for the sequel.
Hi, Catana. McGinley is a new-to-me author, so I had no idea what I was getting into. I’m so pleased I took a chance on this book. It is fantastic. You hit the nail on the head, in that the book is not dark and depressing, which, given its subject matter, it could very easily be. Thanks for the comment!
The character of Tarin is brilliant. It takes a great deal of talent and work to convince the readers that a half-feral young man is actually highly intelligent. I loved him, he was hilarious at times. Ofer broke my heart. And you are right, I hated the entire situation – the lack of choice, the control, etc. But, I still liked the book a lot. And, of course, we don’t know everything yet, so I can’t wait to read the sequel. Hopefully, it will be finished SOON.
Hi, LadyM! Thanks for commenting. 🙂 I didn’t go into the choice or control bits because I want readers to find them out on their own like we did. I am so absolutely fascinated by this world and the characters. Rarely do I get impatient waiting for sequels (the Cut & Run series being the obvious exception), but I want book 2 now if not sooner! 🙂
Tarin is an awesome character. He just cracks me up all the time. McGinley did a fantastic job, you’re right.
I loved this book and have threatened Syd that there’ll be a bunch of people camping out on her front lawn waiting for the sequel. 😀 Tarin’s a hoot, and I’m definitely eager to find out what’s going on with the larger social organization. Awesome worldbuilding.
Angie
Hi, Angie! I’m ready to pitch a tent in McGinley’s yard. Shall we go? lol At that one point where it all starts to come together, I thought, “This is Twilight of the Golds material. Maybe. Or something.” I can’t wait to see where book 2 takes us. Thanks for commenting. I’m glad you loved the book, too.
Isn´t Tarin the best? 😀
As for Ofer… *shivers*
Looking forward to the sequel: the end of the year is too far away :yes:
Thank you for your review 😎
Hey, Helena! Tarin is a trip. I enjoy him a lot. I worry for Perry, though. And I’m afraid Ofer might not get what he wants and deserves. Thanks for the comment. I’m thrilled you loved the book, too. :happydance:
I know Jenre loved this as well and I’m torn. I’m not a huge fantasy fan and I had many of the same questions you did about where the boys came from and how could all the men be gay. LOL I suppose as you said, a sequel would answer those. You have tempted me a bit more. We’ll see if I go for it.
Tam, I’m not a fantasy reader either. I think the last one I read was Clive Barker’s Imajica, way back in 1996. That one required much more suspension of disbelief than this book does. Towards the end of the book, the reader is provided a glimmer of understanding about those questions, but the answers are locked away in a future book. I don’t know if McGinley is planning a series or just a 2-book deal. I think if you give yourself over to the book for the first chapter or two, you’ll be totally caught up in it. If you give it a try, let me know what you think. Thanks for the comment!
grabbing this now. 😀
Yay! Come back and let us know what you think of it!
I’ve been waiting for a review on this one. 🙂 A new author for me, and a rare impulse buy. Think I read an excerpt somewhere and enjoyed the writing style…then it arrived I realized it’s man/boy, a genre that often squicks for me.
By the time I realized where the storyline was going, it was too late and I was firmly hooked :yes: It’s a good story, but IMO the characterizations are the strength of this book. Charming, fun, and easy to recommend. :bravo:
I agree, if there’s a sequel I’d auto-buy!
Hi, Denni! Thanks for the comments. I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive about the man/”boy” scenario, too. But, like you, I was hooked early and hard. I also agree that the characterizations are brilliant. With a cast so huge, it shows a lot of talent to make each one of them stand out. So glad you are ready to jump into book 2 with me!
I have to read this one! I have already read some of the authors other stories and loved them.
Hi, Christina! If you’re already a fan of the author, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this book. I haven’t read her other stuff, but I know I loved this one. Let us know what you think! 🙂
Great review, Buda. I absolutely adored this book, and can’t wait for the sequel. The characters are so well-drawn and weighed on my mind long after I finished reading.
Thank you, Eden. I always figure if I’m thinking about characters randomly a week or more after I’ve finished the book, they must’ve been done right. Tarin definitely was. So glad you loved this one, too. Let’s meet back here as soon as book two is out, shall we? lol
I am with the others. I can’t wait for part two. That glimpse into the world outside the camp made me wonder, how and why. I love to see the answers in the sequel!
Ingrid, the glimpse outside keeps tumbling around in my head. There are so many possible answers to the questions, I can’t wait to see what they actually are! So glad you enjoyed it, too! Thanks for commenting!
Buda
Great review! I love fantasy so you hooked me with the “world” and the characters. This is definitely going on my immediate TBR. I’m not as concerned about the man/boy scenarios because it is, after all, a fantasy. 🙂
Hi, Wave. Thank you. 🙂 Angie (below) is right. It’s not fantasy, but science fiction. But still the author creates a world out of ruins and writes a fantastic tale. The man/boy thing didn’t bother me, but I know it would some others. I look forward to your thoughts on the book!
Actually it’s science fiction, but close enough, right? At any rate, I didn’t see anything in it that looked magical or supernatural to me, but there were certainly things that looked like tech. The subgenre is definitely speculative, though.
Angie
Angie, you’re right. I’m so used to reading only contemporary or law & order that I don’t even think to differentiate between labels like fantasy/paranormal/supernatural, etc. This one is firmly in the science fiction category. Quite frankly, I don’t even know what a speculative subgenre is. At first, I wanted to call the book a post-apocalyptic tale. But is it post-apocalyptic? Hmm. Therein lies one of my questions for book 2! Thanks for correcting me. 🙂
Speculative fiction is anything that has speculative (that is, non-real-world) elements in it. It was originally used during the New Wave SF movement of the 70s to mean only SF, and was considered a bit pretentious as an “upper class” term used by people who thought science fiction was just too pulpy for them. Now it’s used to refer to anything speculative — SF, fantasy, paranormal, most horror. Any story that has a “Wait, what if this thing that doesn’t really exist were actually true…?” element to it. As such, it makes a great umbrella term for when you don’t want to write out “SF or fantasy or paranormal or traditional horror.” 🙂
Angie
This sounds like such a fresh, sharp read! INstant purchase… 🙂 Many thanks for the thoughtful review, Buda!
OMG!
Loved this book. Can’t wait for part 2.
After this review I kept looking at it but put it off. I bought it yesterday and could not put it down,
Love Tarin and his heart. I also hope Ofer gets his HEA.