It was so good to be reunited with Juniper and Bear, to find out how they had settled in with their family after escaping the city.
And yet they knew it was so important to save their grandmother and friend from the imprisonment of life in the city.
With a possible vaccine to the disease carried by ticks Juniper and Bear return to save their grandmother. The drama and danger they face add a depth of excitement and fear to this excellent middle grade novel.

On their travels, they are united with old friends and discover new shocking truths about the city.
I read it (age 57) and loved it as did my son (age 14)

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of application and exchange for an honest review.

This story and world pulled me in from the very beginning but I soon realised that this is a sequel to another story. That didn't matter, however, as the author gave enough of a recap to pick up what had happened. I thought the themes were very relevant to today's world whilst still instilling a hope in the reader. I loved the dynamics and tension between the characters and the very real sense of urgency and peril. The descriptions of the community and wilderness were captivating and freeing. This has now made me order the first book and I will definitely be reading other books by Nicola Penfold.

This is a follow up story to 'Where the World Turns Wild', which came out early 2020, about a deadly virus that had swept the world... The prescient tale explored the ways in which humans had become disconnected from nature, fearing it and attempting to 'protect' themselves from it. The two main characters Juniper (12) and her younger brother Bear (6) escape the City to live in a community in nature with others who have a natural immunity to the virus.

'When the Wild Calls' picks up the story when Juniper and Bear discover that, despite all the extreme measures, the virus has now entered the City, leaving the citizens vulnerable and at risk of death. When they escaped, they had left behind both their beloved grandmother and their best friend. Now, the children decide that they must return to the City to rescue them and bring them to the safety of Ennerdale. To do so, they must attempt a risky journey back and somehow find a way to re-enter the City.

This is an absolute must read, and it was an absolute joy to find out what happened next to Juniper and Bear.!

When the Wild Calls is the powerful sequal to Nicola Penfold’s Where the World Turns Wild. Join Juniper and Bear in this raw and incredibly thought-provoking dystopian adventure as they travel back from the Wild to rescue those they love and bring hope to the barren city.

Cleverly told from dual point of view, readers are swept into an anxious reality with Juniper in the Wild and Etienne in the city. The threat of disease, vaccine trials, restirctions of day-to-day life and fear of strangers hits a bit close to home for adult readers and children who are old enough to have been aware of the stress of the COVID pandemic. This parrallel brings a realism to the story and pulls readers in with an emotional connection.

Utter reliance on nature in Juniper and Bear’s new community in the Wild alongside Etienne and the rebellion’s attempts to bring rewilding to the city help readers to realise the importance of our natural world. Warnings of the climate crisis and dwindling biodiversity ripple like shock waves through the pages. This is a call to action with Juniper as she risks everything to save her loved ones and the city from those in power who seek to control and destroy everything.

Nicola Penfold’s characters are empowering role models for young readers – showing how important it is to stand up for what you believe in and have courage. Often, the best choice is not the easiest but readers are sure to be inspired to play their part in helping our world.

Publishing on 11th April 2024, When the Wild Calls is the perfect class read in Upper Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 for Earth Day on 22nd April.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

How I read this book: eBook

Put a finger down if you missed the fact that this book was a sequel and ended up reading the second book first. It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me. So the reason I wanted to read this book is genuinely because the description of it looked so cool and I haven't read a dystopian novel since reading "Ready Player One" when that came out. Friends, this book was so enjoyable to read. I feel like the author gave us just enough information about what had already happened that even though I hadn't read the first book, I knew somewhat what was going on. This book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the majority of it and was just one big exciting adventure! I really enjoyed that we got the dual POV of Juniper and Etienne because we got to see how vast their two different experiences are. I was rooting for them the whole way through the book. I also really loved that this was set in the UK! I haven't yet read a dystopian set in the UK and it was nice that I could actually picture the kinds of places that Juniper was going through. I loved the character growth of both Juniper and Etienne in this book, and can only imagine what they went through within the first. The twist at the end was so good and I did not see it coming at all. I definitely will be picking up the first book on payday, as well as this book when it comes out! Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend to anyone who wants a really good YA dystopian.

My Favourite Characters:

Willow: I honestly loved how sweet Willow was to everyone and the fact that she seemed to take Juniper and Bear in as if they were her own children. We didn't get a lot of her in the book but she was still my favourite throughout the book.

Cam: Honestly, the moment Cam came into the story I did not stop smiling. I'm excited to see what he was like in the last book and I love him so much!

Gael: I love having good father figures in books. Gael is no exception.

My Least Favourite Characters:`

Morgan: Morgan isn't even that much of the book but I thought she was such a mean character especially considering the characters she was being cruel to are children.

Abbot: I LOATHED him and I think he should rot.

(If you'd like to see more of my reviews please go to my blog:
https://doesden.blogspot.com/)

If you haven’t already read ‘Where the World Turns Wild’ by Nicola Penfold, do so immediately. This sequel will be even more outstanding if you, like we, are already invested in the fates of the main characters of this thrilling, dystopian call for change.

We start in Ennerdale, with Bear and Juniper settling into their new life with the family they had no idea that they had. Juniper can not rest easy whilst her beloved Annie-Rose and best friend, Etienne, are still trapped within Portia Steel’s fortress and when new refugees appear in their Eden with stories of disease returning to the cities, she is galvanised to retrace her treacherous journey and bring them to safety. This is compounded when she hears talk of a vaccine against the deadly ticks that spread the disease that drove everyone into two separate worlds in the first place.

Meanwhile, Etienne and Annie-Rose are facing danger and as nature finds its way back into the city, those in charge are becoming more dictatorial to ensure that power does not slip from their grasp. Etienne is part of a clinical trial but there is no transparency about the results and he decides to take matters into his own hands, joining the Polecats who are leading a rebellion against the authorities. With the threat of the Institute hanging over him, he starts to rewild the city but ends up paying a hefty price.

As the city burns, can Juniper reach those she cares so deeply for and administer the vaccine? Will she manage to escape again or will she be trapped in this perilous place? Now go, The Wild is calling….

We absolutely love this book and would recommend it for anyone over the age of 9.

Thank you to Net Galley and Little Tiger Books for sending us this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

Wow! I’ve just finished When the Wild Calls- I read all but about the first 30 pages in one accidentally late night.
It starts off in Ennerdale; enough time has elapsed for Juniper and Bear to settle and to have welcomed their new half-sibling. Rumours are rife that something in the city they left behind is changing: the regime seems rattled but also there are terrifying tales of further disease spreading, which mean something has to be done if Juniper and Bear are to see their loved ones again. In the wild, talk of a vaccine in development sparks hope and raises suspicions.

The use of multiple narratives here is an excellent way to maintain pace as well as widening the perspectives. It works brilliantly.

Once we hear from Etienne, it is confirmed that the government, in terminal decline, is lashing out all over the place; they are now not even masking their intentions and directly quoting 1984. We also see the first seeds of rebellion…

A fantastic to-ing and fro-ing of Juniper’s and Etienne’s narratives builds the tension so well and allows the action to hurtle along apace despite Juniper’s lengthy journey.

Will Juniper arrive in time and what will remain of those she loves if she does? What lengths are the government willing to go to in order to hang on to power?

What an incredible story. I have not read a Nicola Penfold story before but boy she jumps straight to the top of my list. Incredible. I can just picture our class of year 6s clamouring to read this. Beautiful storytelling entwined with knowledge and so much more. Wish I could give 10 stars out of 5

When The Wild Calls by Nicola Penfold
Out on the 11th of April 2024

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

When The Wild Calls is a children's dystopian tale set in the aftermath of a pandemic caused by ticks. You follow Juniper as she hatches a plan to go back to the city she and her brother Bear once escaped to rescue Annie-Rose and her friend Etienne. Also, parallel to this storyline, you follow Etiennes' as he is trying to be free from the city he is trapped in, in order for a better life.

When I started this book, I didn't realise it was a sequel to Where The World Turns Wild. With that in mind, I don't feel like I missed out on not reading it first, I feel this story stands up on its own. You learn about parts of Juniper and Bears' previous adventure throughout the book.

Nicola Penfold has written a beautiful story that draws you into its world so easily that you get completely lost inside it. Even though this is for 8-12 year olds, at times, it didn't feel like I was reading a children's book. This is an interesting and compelling story, full of hope and wonder. The characters are engaging, thoughtful, resilient, and brave in their nature. I also love how this story touches on how we need to nurture and protect nature and all that it is.

It was an absolute pleasure to read, I recommend this book to both children and adults. I will be reading the first book to know where Juniper and Bears' story began.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Tiger Group.

When I read Where the World Turns Wild, it instantly became my book of the year and, like many others, I was desperate for a sequel. Well, here it is and it doesn't disappoint!

Juniper always said that she would go back for Annie-Rose and Etienne. After some visitors to her new home prompt her father to reveal some vital news, she decides it's time. The return journey is very different from the fraught and dangerous one Juniper made with her younger brother, Bear, to find their father but this trip is not without its own challenges.

Parallel to Juniper's story, we also hear from Etienne, still trapped in Portia Steel's deteriorating city, trying to survive and determined to make a difference, whatever the cost.

I absolutely loved it and can't wait to share it with the class.

I did not know that this is a sequel but it is still relatively easy to pick up the storyline. The author's writing is exquisite and both the storyline and message are relevant to what we have experienced over the past few years. I will definitely buy the first book and this one with my next monthly order. I will definitely try to fit this book into my courses. This is really an incredible book.

In April 2020, I read and reviewed Nicola Penfold’s debut middle grade title, Where the World Turns Wild, the story of Juniper (Ju) and Bear – a sister and her young brother brought up in a dystopian society that has been irreparably damaged by a disease spread by ticks. That story, in which they flee the barren city that is free of the illness to seek their parents in Ennerdale, a settlement hidden away in the distant countryside, blew me away and with it being released during the first Covid lockdown – entirely by coincidence – it is a read that stayed with not just me, but a great many of its readers.

Since then, Nicola Penfold has written two other fabulous books, both of which I have thoroughly enjoyed, and yet I am sure that I am not alone amongst those of us who read that first book in wanting this sequel, not just to continue Ju and Bear’s story but to tell us what happened to those left behind and in particular their friend Etienne and the siblings’ grandmother, Annie-Rose.

It is of Annie-Rose that Ju has been dreaming when we meet her once more, having just woken up in the shelter she and Bear share. Making her way to the cabin in which her father lives with his new family, she finds Bear already there and shares in the breakfast that her dad prepares for them all ahead of that day’s weekly council meeting.

Heading to the meeting along with everyone else, Juniper is surprised to see three strangers sitting amongst the settlement’s residents – strangers who raise the subject of helping those escaping from cities like she and Bear did, and the rumours they have heard of Ennerdale having vaccines against the tick disease. Discovering from them that disease has got into the city she left behind, a worried Juniper decides that the time is right to return to rescue both Annie-Rose and Etienne and together with Bear, their father and Ennerdale resident Jay she sets out to make the journey back.

At the same time, and totally unaware of Ju’s intentions, Etienne yearns to flee the city too and starts to form plans of his own to join the resistance movement that is slowly gaining traction within the city to support them as they battle against its corrupt leadership. Having struggled to get out of the city, will Juniper be able to find her way back in and if she can, just what will she find waiting there?

Although, as an adult, the events of 2020 seem a very long time ago now, it occurs to me that those children at whom the book is aimed are those most affected by the lockdowns and whose memories of the pandemic are likely to influence what they take from this book. Currently enjoying their freedom to the full after having spent time both in isolation at home and in bubbles at school, young readers will be able to empathise with Juniper and Etienne all the more fully as a result, and will most definitely root for both of them as their stories unfold. As the children’s narrative threads unwind in parallel to one another, those reading will undoubtedly be wondering what choices they and their loved ones would make if they were in their positions, making this a very powerful and thought-provoking read.

This would work perfectly well as a standalone title but I really wish I had reread the first book before I sat down to read this as I would have got more from it had the first part of Juniper and Bear’s story been fresher in my mind. Whether or not you do the same is, obviously, down to you but if you have read any of the author’s books and are already familiar with the incredible quality of her storytelling, I am sure you will be only too glad of a reason to refresh your memory or to enjoy an initial read of Book 1 in readiness for this sequel’s release. I loved it and am sure that fellow fans will be very happy when they read this too.

As always, my huge thanks go to publisher Little Tiger and to Net Galley for my advance, virtual read. When the Wild Calls publishes 11th April.