Into the Wild

This was one of two or three books I actually read in high school. What makes this book so compelling is that it is based on a true story of a young man's life that abandons most of his belongings, leaves behind the life he once lived to be in the wild. Alex McCandless was intelligent and had everything he needed for a successful life lived in the traditional way. McCandless, however, was not traditional by any means. He had different ideologies than many, provoking him to live a life away from civilization, within the wilderness. Jon Krakauer flawlessly describes the timeline of events of McCandless' journey. Through the stories of others who encountered McCandless, Krakauer beautifully captures the mystery to his character, his thirst for adventure, and his need to abandon society in search for a better life. The story of Alex Supertramp is unlike anything you will probably ever read or see in a movie, and the fact that it is all true makes it that much more astounding. Everyone needs to give this book a read, and it will be difficult to put down. This is not just a simple re-telling of a story, it is much more than that. Krakauer undoubtedly does justice to the life of Alex Supertramp.