Wilder Country

`A page-turner told in an unaffected, Australian voice.' -- Joy Lawn * Australian * `Satisfying.' * NZ Listener, 50 Best Books for Kids * `Mark Smith writes in a taut style that keeps the pages turning...Absorbing entertainment, this is what most young folk would look for in reading.' * Magpies * `If you love dystopian narratives with nail-biting life-and-death situations, then Mark Smith's Wilder Country is for you. My only regret is that I have to wait until book three hits bookstore shelves.' * Kids' Book Review * `Issues of survival, trust and honour make this a great book for reading groups...A much anticipated sequel that reminds me of the Tomorrow When the War Began series.' * Lamont Books * `The sequel to Mark Smith's The Road to Winter is a page-turner with a heart and soul, tightly packed with exquisitely rendered action and nail-biting scenes of peril, all layered with emotional authenticity.' * Written by Sime * `A rip-roaring story-gripping and compelling, I couldn't put it down. Mark Smith creates this dangerous, lawless new world and manages to champion the decency of youth. Very timely. And what makes it so powerful is that it's frighteningly believable.' * Robert Newton * 'The superb pacing, natural dialogue, and vivid descriptions of a country and people ravaged by disaster make this a pulse-pounding read...A strong addition to the genre.' * Kirkus Reviews * `Smith skillfully maintains an underlying tension. Whenever I put the book down, I felt as if I'd been holding my breath...The world Smith creates is convincing, perhaps because he takes real-world scenarios and kicks them up a notch.' * New Zealand Listener on The Road to Winter * `A beautiful and intimate story...Like the best YA fiction, The Road to Winter is sure to appeal just as much to an adult audience, and I can easily see it being discussed as passionately by a local book club as a high-school English class.' * Otago Daily Times on The Road to Winter * 'Mark Smith's debut novel is assured, gripping and leaves you wanting more.' * Sydney Morning Herald on The Road to Winter * 'It's easy to see why Mark Smith's dystopian thriller has been compared with John Marsden's Tomorrow When the War Began. I barely came up for breath as the pages flew. So strap yourself in for a high action ride.' * Kids Book Review on The Road to Winter * `A riveting story of survival that questions the prices of freedom and safety as well as the value of an individual life...A breakout new series full of romance, danger, and a surprisingly engaging world.' * Kirkus, Starred Review for The Road to Winter *