Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, is based on top student and athlete Christopher McCandless. After graduating from Emory University in 1992, McCandless abandoned all his belongings, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska, where he went to live in the wilderness. Four months later, McCandless died of starvation. The book is based off of the stories told in his diary, letters, and two notes that were found at a remote campsite where he was living. The book gets intense as readers learn of McCandless's desperate efforts to survive.

The novel also focuses on McCandless's personal issues dealing with his anger towards his father. Into the Wild also looks into author Jon Krakauer's personal experience in the wild. Krakauer reflects on his near death experience in 1977 when he climbed Devils Thumb - a mountain on the Alaska-British Columbia border. His experience is parallel to that of McCandless's because he resented his father as well.

This novel is very unforgettable and almost haunting as it has some readers questioning McCandless's character. Some will finish this book feeling as though McCandless was naive and ignorant while others will finish feeling McCandless was a hero. Either way, Krakauer is unbiased in his novel that tells the story of this young man. After looking into the mystery of McCandless's death, readers will eventually learn how McCandless failed to survive in the wilderness.

At a little over 200 pages, this book is for anyone looking for a quick, unforgettable read. You don't need to be an outdoors person to enjoy Krakauer's novel. Into the Wild was made into a film in 2007 starring Emile Hirsch.