Wildheart – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: World-building, betrayal, magical, spirits.
Children’s book title: Wildheart.
Children’s author: Bec Manser.
Genre: Children’s fiction.
Published by: Puffin.
ISBN: 9780241753194.
Recommended for children aged: 8+.
First published: Paperback June 2026.
This children’s book is ideal for: exploring the fantasy genre and how building new worlds allows an author to approach everyday and individual problems in a relatable way.
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Our review:
Nettle Sourbud, aka Nervous Nettle, lives in Twigswick with her mother, brother Grimswold and sister Fern. Her dad was killed by the spirits when she got lost in the Dryda Forest aged six. Her sister Fern is brave and outgoing, a rule-breaker who is about to join the Wildheart Rangers, something Nettle knows she will never be confident enough to do.
Something goes wrong for Fern, however, and she is branded a traitor. Nettle knows that can’t be true and, gathering what little courage she does have, Nettle heads into the forest herself to find out what’s going on. Taken in by the Rangers, Nettle lies about her age so she can stay, but can only find one person who wants to talk positively about Fern. No one believes her sister was coerced into joining the Shadow Stalkers, a group that wants the spirits and ghouls to take over Dryda for themselves, meaning Nettle will have to prove her innocence alone, but Fern is now a poison witch, dangerous and selfish, so could she be wrong?
Discovering how to rid the forest of its evil spirits, Nettle begins to weave her own special magic, but Fern is waiting, determined to have her sister join her in the shadows. Only one of them can succeed, but Nettle knows she is still scared and alone, so how can she possibly win?
Our verdict:
The world-building in Wildheart is detailed and just familiar enough to enable the reader to paint a picture of the forest Nettle finds herself in. The Wildheart Rangers are an organisation known to the general population, but how they operate is cloaked in secrecy.
There are powerful LGBTQIA+ elements to this story, which is both fast-moving and action-packed, with protagonists who are carefully written to appeal to those in the suggested age range for this book. The antagonists, although scary, are shown to have reasons for their actions and ultimately are dealt with in a manner designed to make the reader think. Fern is the most complicated but loyal of the main characters, who wants Nettle to join her on her quest for freedom from the rules and regulations which have plagued her life so far. Nettle is far easier to sympathise with. She too wants to save her sister, but by staying within the rules as much as possible.
The changes Nettle experiences are covered in great detail here, while Fern remains more of an enigma, loyal only to herself and her sister, which leaves her both vulnerable and confident in her own abilities. There is a second book in this series due out next summer, which will, hopefully, give a little more insight into Fern’s objectives and her reasons for striking out alone.
Wildheart is an excellent book. The storytelling and world-building provide an extremely satisfying reading experience while providing many questions to ponder for the reader.
Teaching points and book club discussion ideas:
- Nettle found her courage when she needed it most. Do you agree with her that you can be brave and fearful at the same time?
- The new friends Nettle made believed in her and helped her whenever they could. How did this differ from the way Fern behaved?
- Do you think Nettle was right to stay with the Wildheart Rangers rather than joining the Shadow Stalkers?
- Now that the spirits and the Oak Man have been defeated, what will the Wildheart Rangers do next?
- There are similarities between Nettle lying about her age to become a Ranger and young men doing the same thing at the beginning of the 1st and 2nd World Wars. How brave do you think that is?
- Even when an author builds a new world, there have to be similarities to our own towns and cities. What did you think about the way Nettle and her friends lived compared to you?
- Does having a map help you picture the locations in the story, or do you prefer to imagine it all yourself?
- Nettle and Fern are sisters. They are both similar and completely different. Their special talents are also similar and different, but both come from the forest and its plant life. How strong do you think Fern would have been if Nettle hadn’t taken her staff back?
Many thanks to Puffin for the review copy.
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