ZoÙ, eleven and wild, comes to live with her half-uncle Henry when her mother dies. Henry, a doctor turned metal sculptor, is the only reliable adult in ZoÙÆs life. Unlike ZoÙÆs mentally ill mother and her string of no-good boyfriends, Henry works steadily and is able to provide ZoÙ with basic needs like new clothing and clean shelter. For the first time in her life, wise-beyond-her-years ZoÙ must attend school regularly, even though she considers herself too smart for school in everything except math. Interspersed with ZoÙÆs story are passages centering on a feral cat that lives under HenryÆs porch, which is supposed to parallel ZoÙÆs life, show her passion for animals, and explain some of her familyÆs history. Full of hokey dialogue and flat characters, this book is best enjoyed by adults who want to reassure themselves of childrenÆs wisdom and need for solid adult guidance. There are no children in the book save for ZoÙ until about the midpoint, and they serve only to antagonize. The adults are all fonts of wisdom, especially ZoÙÆs teacher, who gives her a journal in which to write. Rounding out the bookÆs long list of flaws are slow pacing, long descriptions that do little to move the book forward, and the completely unintriguing mystery of a boy living in a nearby woods.ùCarlisle K. Webber.

After the death of her mentally ill mother, Zoe—tart-tongued and valiant—is adopted by her paternal uncle, artist Henry Royster, and with his help moves toward a more conventional life. The structure is complex, alternating Zoe's first-person commentary with narration from the point of view of the cat living under Henry's porch—a technique that provides information and builds suspense without creating spoilers. Girl and cat follow parallel journeys to trust in their present safety and comfort. Strongly drawn characters—Zoe, Henry and the people in their small town—come alive on the pages of this debut novel. There are resonances and echoes of the children's books important to Zoe— The Secret Garden , Because of Winn-Dixie , The Golden Compass and, a story integral to this tale, The Boy Who Drew Cats . A tribute to the power of story, this is ultimately a tale of hope and redemption. Zoe Royster, peer to the literary heroines she so loves, is as memorable in her own way as the Great Gilly Hopkins, Opal Buloni and Anne Shirley. (Fiction. 9-12)

Bright, articulate, neglected Zoe goes to live with her uncle after her mother's death. Zoe's amusing and poignant middle-grade cynicism is appealing, as is a crisply realized North Carolina setting, but the crowding of too many elements--the solace of art, a feral cat, wild boy, rediscovered family--overwhelm the emotional potential of the story.

Eleven-year-old Zoë is a survivor. Her fiery independence has seen her through a series of adults who "don't stick," and she trusts no one, including Uncle Henry, who has just taken her in after the death of her neglectful mother. Henry is a renowned sculptor of what Zoë skeptically calls "wild things." Other wild things slip through Henry's North Carolina woods unnoticed until Zoë's arrival catapults them into the spotlight, with life-changing consequences for everyone. In her debut novel, Carmichael gives a familiar plot fresh new life in this touching story with a finely crafted sense of place. Zoë's first-person narration alternates with the observations of a feral tomcat who provides hints to the past, and an array of well-drawn eccentric characters add additional sparkle to the magic-touched story. Zoë's fierce, funny voice is compelling, whether she is describing tense standoffs or moments of rare vulnerability that go straight to the heart. Carmichael uses a sure, light touch to portray the gradual blooming of trust among the story's many wild things in this satisfying tale.