Historical Fiction; Coming of Age
The Wild Children is a killer piece of historical fiction that uses Alex's coming-of-age story to paint a picture of 1920s Russia.
First, the novel is a textbook example of historical fiction. Although all of the book's characters and situations are fictionalized, the backbone of the book is all true, from the shady actions of the Soviet secret police to the chaos that followed the death of Vladimir Lenin, one of the country's early leaders.
But we're also tracing Alex's growth to adulthood throughout this historical drama. At first, Alex is your average twelve-year-old kid, but circumstances force him to grow up faster than you would believe. By the end of the book, he reveals himself to be a smart, mature, and responsible young man—thanks in no small part to the absolutely insane historical circumstance he was born into.