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Racing the Wild is a raw, emotionally charged coming-of-age story set on the outer fringes of Melbourne. Fourteen-year-old Chris Franklin survives under the shadow of a powerful racehorse trainer—his father—where silence masks abuse and pressure overshadows hope. When he's expelled from school and thrown into a rougher environment, Chris discovers unexpected friendship and trust in a group of misfit classmates.
Art is his escape. Horses are his lifeline. And when he steals a racehorse marked for slaughter, it sparks a desperate journey into the Australian bush. Guided by animals, unlikely allies, and the healing power of nature, Chris begins to reclaim his voice.
Told with grit, tenderness, and moments of quiet beauty, Racing the Wild is a story of survival, friendship, and the freedom to run toward your own future.
“RACING THE WILD” MARKS ROSANNA FEEKEN’S STUNNING LITERARY DEBUT, ROOTED IN ART, MEMORY, AND THE CALL OF THE NATURAL WORLD - VORAKA
Writer: VORAKA MAGAZINE
VORAKA MAGAZINE
Jul 21
4 min read
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN VORAKA
Article Published on 21 July 2025 by Suzume Naoko | www.vorakamag.com
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful young adult story that will interest adults as well!
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2024
Racing the Wild is a young adult story that will resonate with readers and have them sympathizing with and rooting for the main character.
Chris Franklin is a typical adolescent ........ Family secrets become known, and Chris is faced with leaving on a desperate journey through the Australian bush to preserve his own safety and the safety of the horse he cares about.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 for the readability and relatable themes. Readers will be eager to keep reading this heart-wrenching story about a caring young man who loves animals and the lengths he goes to protect them and himself. Each chapter also includes a beautiful sketch.
Jim & Jennifer Gendron
Adventurous, Heartwarming
Reviewed in India on 25 August 2024
"Racing the Wild" is an exhilarating tale that beautifully captures the essence of adventure and the deep bonds of friendship. Rosanna Andrea Feeken weaves a narrative that’s both heartwarming and thrilling, taking readers on a journey through the wilds of nature and the human spirit. The characters are relatable, and the story leaves a lasting impression of the freedom that comes from embracing life's challenges.
Tejaskoli (Amazon)
Following the events of Racing the Wild: A Journey of Freedom and Friendship (finalist in the Able Golden Book Awards for Best Fiction and named one of DeMode Magazine's Seven Best Books of 2025) — Chris's story takes a new turn.
Fifteen-year-old Chris arrives in Sydney to get to know his father Michael, only to find himself surrounded by unfamiliar faces: Michael's wife Amber, their lively young daughter Skye, and Elise, a vindictive aunt whose complicated family casts long shadows. In this uneasy world, Chris discovers fragile friendships but also stumbles into webs of judgement and deception. Between rodeos, dirt bikes, and the clang of junk-metal sculptures, he pushes himself to prove his worth — perhaps even to himself. But the wild terrain of South Western Sydney has its own trials, and when Chris is driven to his limits, he must reckon not only with the harshness of the world around him, but with the turmoil within: loyalty, pain, and a quiet hunger for redemption. Of Judgement and Deception is a powerful story of resilience and reckoning — about breaking free from the weight of the past, and the slow, fierce courage it takes to choose who you will become.