Rating: 5 out of 5

Genre: Non-fiction

Age Recommended: 15 and up

I really liked this book because it is a true story about a boy who died in the Alaskan wilderness written by the man who spent his entire life trying to defend the boy’s actions. My AP English Language class had some really intense discussions about whether or not the main character’s actions were defensible, and I think that this book gave us some fantastic talking points and paved the path for discussions on broader topics like capitalism and societal duties.

Chris McCandless wants to take a break from society.

Since his teenage years, Chris has felt at odds with the people around him; not knowing what he wants to do with his life and never quite fitting in. After graduating from Emory in 1992, Chris decides to spend the next few years of his life hiking around the United States, completely off the grid.

While traveling through the wild, Chris meets several people, with whom he forms bonds, but he never stays in one place. He also assumes a new identity, going by the name Alex Supertramp, as to avoid being found by his parents and their hired private investigator.

In 1996, Chris dies of starvation, and after his body is found in the Alaskan wilderness, it seems that everyone has an opinion about his life and what he should have done. Jon Krakauer, a man who sees himself in Chris, realizes that Chris may have died from poisoning, and decides to pursue an investigation into Chris’ death.

What he reveals in this memoir will shock us all…

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If you would like to read this book, you can purchase it here: Into the Wild

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