In all honesty, Beware The Wild was so much better than I thought it would be and so very different from what I initially assumed it would be about. It's not so much a horror story, as it is a beautifully drawn gothic fantasy with elements of horror and supernatural. It's so rich and flavorful, so thick and layered, so sensual and atmospheric and full of southern charm and magic, it's a fabulous read through and through. 
 I went into it expecting a scary read. A creepy swamp story that would send chills down my spine. And you know what's? In a way it did. There are scenes in this book that are genuinely chilling, or, at the very least, deeply unsettling. Parker's stunningly vivid visuals help make these scenes even scarier, and also kind of poetic. But, for the most part, this book was just so.. profoundly beautiful, sad, mesmerizing and sentimental (in a good way). And so damn evocative of everything southern, you could almost taste the murky swamp water on your tongue and feel the humidity sticking to your skin like a layer of damp clothing. 
 Above all, this book was also charged with powerful feelings of love, longing, desire to protect, regret and heartbreak. And, because there are no simple truths in this story and instead of blacks and whites we get a world painted in the shades of gray, it was also a profoundly and undeniably sad read. I finished and I wanted to feel happy for those who won and got free, but instead I felt deflated and sad for those who lost. And you can't really understand it until you read the book for yourself, but just know that this story really pulled at my heart strings and hit me hard in all the soft spots. 
 I fell under the spell of this story and it held me captive until the very end. I could not resist its charm and seductive allure. I think fans of Brenna Yovanoff and Genevieve Tucholke will really like this book, especially if you're into heartfelt gothic stories set against vivid southern backdrops.