Jungleland Review

Have you ever looked back at your life and wished you could go back and change some of the things you did? Well that is exactly the concept that Alton Bock entertains in his novel, Jungleland. 

Jungleland is a heart warming drama about thirty-four-year Danny who gets the chance to do just that. With a broken marriage and a baby on the way he gets the opportunity to relive a week of his life from 1995, when he was 18. 

Danny’s adventure starts when he goes to a Bruce Springsteen alone after falling out (even more so) with his estranged wife. There he meets the mysterious Becky, who tells him to close his eyes and focus on the words of Springsteen’s music. He then wakes up to discover he’s gone back in time. Danny resolves to spend his time chasing the girl of his dreams, who he met on vacation that very week but allowed to slip away, believing that getting together with her will alter his future to a better one when he returns. 

I like the concept of time travel but it is one that has been done so many times before in other books, in film and TV that if you are going to do it, you really need to bring something new to the table, which sadly, Jungleland does not. 

How Danny actually ends up in the past is different though, I’ll grant that - I never knew Springsteen’s music was so powerful! He and his millions of fans have certainly kept that one quiet. Or is it just people from New Jersey who are good at keeping secrets? 

But I digress. I liked the characters and I did like the setting for the story but I also felt that it did not go far enough with some of its ethical questions. 

For example, Danny’s sister died in 9/11 and he only tries once to try and change her fate. I understand no-one would have believed him if he told them what was going to happen in 2001 but Danny seems more interested in chasing girls and changing his own selfish future rather than trying to save the life of his sister. Who would do that? 

I appreciate 9/11 is a sensitive subject but I feel this part of the story was a missed opportunity to explore the emotions and strife of those - in this case Danny - affected by the event.

However, I did like the ending (which I will not spoil) when Danny faces up to his responsibilities.

Jungleland has a lot of good characters and some great, heart-warming moments. It’s a gentle story with a safe plot.  

It gets 6/10. 

Jungleland is available here.