This book is hands down one of the most engrossing hooks I have ever read! Heartbreaking, and chilling! Would recommend to everyone! 10/5 Stars!

I have mixed feelings. The first half of this book dragged a lot, but after getting past that I couldn't put it down! Based on how hard it was to get through the first half I'm giving it a lower rating, but other than that I really liked the story. It was gross and really messed up but also really really good. I love these characters, and even though I don't think a sequel is going to happen I really want to know what happens next in their story!

Rory Power's debut is haunting, poetic, and page-turning. Her sparse prose sucks you in immediately to the world of Raxter Island, where a school for girls has been infected with "the Tox." The Tox affects everyone differently, taking Hetty's one eye and fusing it shut, giving Reese a scaly silver hand, and blooming a second spine from Byatt's back. Some are killed quickly by the disease, and others slowly become wild things to be feared and put down.

Wilder Girls is a feminist answer to Lord of the Flies and a terrifying portrayal of the pain of being a teenage girl. This book is made even more special by the tense and delicate relationship between two of the main characters, putting a beautiful LGBTQ spin on the dystopian love stories we have grown to love since The Hunger Games.

While it is a little gory and contains some swearing, I can see this being a really popular teen book this year. Highly recommend!

My oh my, I did NOT expect this book to be a new all time favorite, BUT HERE WE ARE!

I’ll be honest, I wanted this book because the cover was so beautiful. Sure, being described as a feminist Lord of the Flies sure helped, but I had no idea how captivating I would find this novel. From the first page I was hooked. You know when you start a novel and before the first chapter is even over you know this book will be incredible? That was me with Wilder Girls.

The writing was so wonderful and easy to fall into. With some books there is an adjustment period to understand not only the story, but how the author writes. But Rory Power has such effortless writing that the adjustment period was nonexistent. It was such a natural way of reading and telling a story that I never had to stop and reread weird sentences or how the timeline was laid out. It flowed so beautifully with such wonderful imagery and character development that I almost felt like I was seeing the island in front of me.

Writing aside, the plot is obviously captivating and alluring in itself. The island feels like a whole new plant where nothing acts the same as you are used to. It brings a whole new mystery to the world around you, nevermind the real mystery of the Tox that was the catalyst for everything.

Honestly, comparing this novel to Lord of the Flies is only a fraction of all this novel has to offer. It is so much more than a group of girls stuck on an island fighting for their lives and battling sickness. It is a story of female empowerment and fighting for your loved ones no matter the cost. It blurs the lines between good and evil and leaves you with the understanding that people aren’t as black and white as they seem.

Yes, the plot unfolding is what kept me reading. I never wanted to put the book down - I had to keep going. However, I highly attribute that to the brilliant cast of characters Power created. Each character has such a strong personality and sense of self that no one ever got lost in the mix. It was so easy to fall in love with these characters, even the ‘evil’ ones. No matter who it was, you could empathize with all of them and understand the irrational ways they acted. None of them were perfect. They all had morally gray areas, but that’s what made them feel so utterly human.

I could go on and on of my love for this novel. I honestly don’t really have anything to complain about. Such a beautiful, captivating novel deserves to be read. I am so grateful for the breathtaking cover of this novel that got me to pick it up. And even more grateful for Rory Power and the rest of the team behind Wilder Girls. If for some reason you have yet to pick up Wilder Girls, please do yourself a favor and read it. Personally, I can not wait to read it again.

Wilder Girls is honestly a book I probably wouldn't have picked up if I hadn't heard so many people hyping it up. I was planning on borrowing it from the library after release to see if I would enjoy it, but then received an ARC through Netgalley. I'm so glad I did because I devoured it. I didn't know what to really expect going into it. I never had to read Lord of the Flies while in high school because of being out my last year of high school so I don't have that to compare it to.

Rory Power has posted a list of content and trigger warnings on her website. I was not aware of most of them before going into the story. To be concise and accurate, I will be listing them exactly as she has on her website. I appreciate that she has compiled this list of warnings and has even left a note at the bottom of the page that states the list will be updated as necessary and if someone finds something that should have a content warning or trigger warning, do not hesitate to contact her.

-Graphic violence and body horror. Gore.
-On the page character death, parental death, and animal death, though the animals are not pets.
-Behavior and descriptive language akin to self harm, and references to such.
-Food scarcity and starvation. Emesis.
-A scene depicting chemical gassing.
-Suicide and suicidal ideation.
-Non-consensual medical treatment.

Wilder Girls is told in two POVs throughout the story. I really enjoyed how the switch between points of view were done. Instead of continuously going back and forth between the two characters, we get several chapters from one character and then a switch to the other for a few chapters. Since we stuck with a character for a while, I felt like I was able to connect with each of the girls better.

There is also a unique stylistic choice in how the story was written and how certain things were portrayed. I think this ended up lending well to the creepy vibe that I continuously got from Wilder Girls.

As someone who doesn't really enjoy horror because I despise jump scares, I actually really enjoyed this story. It was more so a make your skin crawl type of horror with creepiness and bits of the story that mess with your mind.

This is definitely a story about finding out the truth about what is really happening on the island. I appreciate that Wilder Girls starts off where it did. Instead of the story leading up to the quarantine, it starts off after the quarantine has happened. We learn about the time leading up to quarantine in bits and pieces throughout the story. I liked that as the reader, you are kind of just dropped right in the middle of everything happening.

At the start of the story, there are two teachers and only a handful of students. The students each have daily duties around the school and island. There is a select group of students that are chosen to be the girls who go with one of the teachers to collect the supplies that are delivered to the island periodically. As time has gone on, the quality and quantity of the supplies has worsened. As things get worse, the girls are almost starving on the island and they ration supplies to make it to the next delivery as they each await their next outbreak.

The outbreaks were hard to read at times. They're detailed and intense. If the girls survive an outbreak, they're left with a physical reminder of it. These are things like: glowing hair, silver scales, bones protruding through the skin, or eyes fused shut with “something” growing underneath.

I found it interesting that there's a sort of rite of passage when a girl has her first flare up. There's a total our changing bodies sort of vibe. Girls are all too aware of body transformations of puberty. The Tox is even more than that. Girls continue to die and it's unclear as to what is causing it, but while affecting the girls, it's also affecting the creatures who inhabit that island. It has caused creatures like fox, bobcats, and bears to be a little larger, to be more aggressive, and to be misshapen like the girls.

I unfortunately am unable to compare it to the things that the book has been pitched to be parts of as I haven't read of Lord of the Flies. I've also seen people compare it to Annihilation, which is something else I'm not familiar with.

I absolutely loved the characters in the story and how we got multiple points of view to show different parts of the island. There's a lot of tension and some amazing authoritative moves and decisions. The ending of the book though. It left a lot unresolved for me. Many things in the story are wrapped up, but I definitely found myself wanting a little more.

I did really enjoy Wilder Girls though! This is a solid 4.5 book for me. The ending wasn't exactly what I was wanting from it which is why I knocked the book down a little bit. This had just enough horror for this newbie to the genre and definitely messed with my mind throughout the story. I absolutely can't wait for more from Rory Power in the future and can't wait for more people to read her debut novel.

Say hello to the latest in a string of new favorite books! Wilder Girls is lyrical and monstrous and captivating and I love it so much. Rory Power is definitely going to be a name to know in the future of YA.

First I want to scream about the atmosphere. The environmental horror? The body horror? Never things I thought I would enjoy, but I'm somehow addicted to them here. The descriptions of life at the Raxter School made my skin crawl, and I loved it. Power's writing alternates between intense horror and lush prose, a juxtaposition which creates a sense of dread while piquing curiosity about the island.

Parts of this novel reminded me of Sawkill Girls, by Claire Legrand, another book I adore. That sense of "don't go into the woods," that "stay where it's safe" feeling that any main character has to ignore is amplified in Wilder Girls. Certain girls, the Boat Shift, are assigned to go outside of the walls and pick up supplies left by the Navy. On the island, the girls are not the only ones affected. Animals--bears, deer, foxes--are also mutated by the Tox, and are ready to attack. I loved the sense that this island is the only place on Earth with the Tox. That aspect alone is different from almost all other dystopian/contagion novels, and created urgency and desperation for the people outside Raxter to save the girls. The tension is so delicious.

I could spend hours talking about how atmospheric and visceral Raxter is, but then I wouldn't get to talk about the characters! Hetty, Byatt, and Reese are three of the older girls at the school, and are doing their best to survive together. Something grows behind Hetty's eye, Reese's hand is silver-scaled, and Byatt has a painful second spine, but they will still fight to care for each other. I loved their loyalty and unquestionable bond. Thus, when Byatt goes missing and isn't in the infirmary, I wanted to find her just as much as Hetty did.

I only have two wishes about this book: First, that the sapphic relationship that was lauded so much in early promotion was more developed, and that the ending was a bit tighter. If Wilder Girls is getting a sequel, then this would be fine, but as it is, I have so many questions!

Regardless, Wilder Girls earns 5/5 stars from me and is on my list of Best Books of 2019.

Wilder Girls has been one of the most hyped books of the summer. I was so excited to have gotten an ARC. The synopsis sounded SO GOOD! A YA horror-mystery? I'm in! Once I started reading it, right off the bat I was so confused. There was no explanation about the Tox, about why the girls were stuck on that island in the first place and there were no real introductions to the characters. There was no backstory or world-building. But I gave it a chance with the hope that that would eventually develop throughout the rest of the book. What I ended up with were more questions.

About 40% through, I wanted to give up but I forced myself to read through the rest of it. I couldn't get past how gross this book was - gross in terms of being extremely descriptive with blood, flesh mutations, sicknesses, and diseases. That is also just not my thing and possibly another reason why I was so turned off by it.

The characters - I couldn't even develop any kind of emotional attachment to them. I just didn't care at all. Byatt was better than Hetty though, and although I enjoyed her chapters more, it still wasn't enough to save this book for me.

Overall, Wilder Girls fell short of the high expectations I had. The 1.5 stars are for the concept alone. The rest of the book was a hot, confusing mess.

This book absolutely broke my brain. Left me wide open and incapable of forming complete sentences. I want it to break everyone; I need the world to read this book and be broken completely into tiny little pieces by this book so it can build us back up again the right way. Because this book knows things. It very appropriately seems to have a mind of its own, and it will get under your skin, you can count on that. It’s a slow kind of creep, as it snakes its way through you, but this book will devour you just as you devour it.

It is worth noting that I have never in my life read a Stephen King book. This is basically sacrilege as a born and raised Mainer, but that kind of horror has never really interested me. I was absolutely willing to try a feminist YA horror though, but I was not prepared for the feeling I have now. Wilder Girls takes place on a fictional Maine island, but one so similar to many of the literal thousands of coastal islands we have that Raxter Island is basically real. I have not read any horror set in my own state before. Now, if I had read some King books previously, I’m sure I would be used to this dread that has settled in me as I look around outside. It’s one thing to read a scary story, another thing entirely to read a scary story that references places you actually know and visit. It’s definitely left an even bigger impact on me than this book was destined to make, and while it is a little freaky, I am thankful for it.

The book follows a group of boarding school girls, quarantined on Raxter Island, which is home to wilderness, the school, and now, the Tox. We jump in just over a year after the quarantine started, so the girls are pretty adjusted to this life. Their bodies are being manipulated and mutated by something, which they’ve named the Tox. It gives some of them things like a hand covered in scales, a second spine, a blind eye. And from some it only takes. And when it takes too much… let’s just say they are at about half the population they were when it all started. We read from the perspective of Hetty, who’s 16 and forgetting what it was ever like to live before the Tox. We also get a good section of chapters from the perspective of her best friend, sister of her heart, Byatt, who worms her way into our hearts without even trying. But mostly we’re with Hetty, and she is exactly as flawed and human as we need a protagonist to be. She never should have had to shoulder the things she has or make the decisions she has to make. Her life shouldn’t have been this hard. But the Tox changed everything, for all of them, forever. But they’ve found a new normal, while waiting on the CDC and Navy to find them a cure. Until Byatt goes missing after a flare-up, and Hetty knows she has to do everything she can to find her. Including breaking quarantine. And what she finds when she does flips her life upside down again, and may just destroy the little life they’ve managed to build on Raxter living with the Tox.

The plot Power has come up with here would be enough to carry this book into being one of more memorable books of the year. But her writing style is what seals the deal, what will make this one I will always remember and throw at everyone I can until the whole world has read this book. It draws you in from page one and doesn’t let go. Even after you reach the end, you’ll still be gripped by these characters, by the tragedies that visit them and the things they uncover. The consequences of humanity are brought to light and it is nothing short of terrifying. A deep and primal horror sets in while reading and it doesn’t stop when you close the book. It keeps you thinking and fearing and wanting to do anything to fix this world. And honestly, more books should leave you feeling that way.

This is an author to watch, there’s no question about that. Power came out of the gate running and I am so excited to follow her work, even if it does absolutely terrify me. I had to make sure I had enough time for at least one episode of dumb tv before bed each night after reading because it was definitely too Spooky™ and I was not prepared. But that is not all it was. It was powerful and heart-wrenching. It was filled with unexpected twists and choices to be made that will break your heart. It showcases characters that love fiercely and stubbornly, that do whatever it takes to survive in an environment that is viciously fighting back. They will grow in your heart the same way the plot grows in your bones. It will dig in and not let go, and I hope it infects everyone.

really enjoyed this one! The whole vibe was so deliciously so eerie, the author really nailed making me feel like this is an island full of awfulness. The ambiance reminded me of The Call, which is an absolutely good thing. The Tox is... well, it sounds dreadful. It has taken the lives of many, and left its survivors with a whole host of physical maladies.

The characters are appropriately desperate to survive, to save each other, to do whatever it takes to live another day. The main focus is on three surviving roommates/friends, Hetty, Byatt, and Reese, though Hetty's POV is the main one. Hetty cares deeply for those she's come to love as family, even as she fights for her own life. Hetty's blossoming relationship with Reese despite the horrific landscape around them is beautiful, and makes the world seem slightly less dismal. We even get some insight into Byatt in her own POV chapters after the girls become separated.

One of the things I found refreshing was that these young women had the same issues that others have in our current world. Fights and hurt feelings didn't end just because the world seemingly had. Sure, they became different, but in fact the worth and value of their friendships skyrocketed, making them feel even more deeply. Setting the story in an isolated school was a great choice too, as it led to further opportunity for secrets and lies , but also opportunities for familial-like closeness among the characters as a whole.

My only real qualm with the book occurs toward the end so I am spoiler-tagging it. (view spoiler)

Bottom Line: Wholly atmospheric and delightfully messed up, this tale of young women clinging to survival- and each other- will do nothing less than captivate

I loved this book. I was very skeptical because of how much hype this has received even before it's release date.

I will warn you that there are a lot of characters mentioned. I made it 17% of the way through the book and had no idea which character was which so I started over and wrote down all the characters and their traits as I came across them. I did this for the first quarter of the book and came up with 21 different characters. After that the name dropping slowed down and the story started to progress with just the main characters.

I am a sucker for boarding school with secrets trope. The main characters are very developed and felt like real people, The atmosphere of the book was so creepy and ominous. I could just picture the school in my mind like a movie. I really enjoyed the writing and the main plot of the story.

I was intrigued from beginning to end and would highly recommend this book.

Wow. What a crazy book. The writing of this was absolutely beautiful and powerful. So many passages read like poetry. This was hard to read at times, because of the sheer gruesomeness of the scenes. This book will def not be for everyone and is not for the faint of heart. There was more mystery to the story than I expected, which I totally loved. I enjoyed the character development and the feminist tones. What a powerful novel!

Read to 45% before skipping to 80% and reading the rest.

This was a book I was very excited for. I loved that synopsis and the cover and I’ve heard nothing but good things from people I trusted. Sadly, it was bit disappointing for me.

I liked Hetty and Byatt and Reese well enough. I liked their almost camaraderie and how all of the girls bonded together like packs. There’s a good amount of violence and confusion and Hetty’s inner monologue reflects that. It was a bit of a struggle to settle into her side of the story. Byatt’s chapters were much better.

Plot wise, it was boring and intriguing at the same time. The writing was choppy and disjointed. My main complaint is that I wanted to be shown things, not told. The entire narrative was tell tell tell. I will say, I loved the imagery of the things happening, especially the density of forest and the effects of the Tox.

Overall, I wanted to like this so so so much. I did enjoy the very abrupt ending and how things played out; however, it wasn’t enough to get me to go back and read the section of story I skipped.

**Huge thanks to Delacorte Press for providing the arc free of charge**

Summary
Over a year ago, a disease they call Tox took over the island - affecting both the Raxter Girls and the island itself. Now the animals, plants, and girls have morphed into something more vicious. The girls that are still left are different - they have abnormalities: second hearts, spines, scales, etc.
Quarantined to the island, they rely on each other and measly rations from the nearby Navy base. Who has promised to find a cure - as long as no breaks quarantine.

Overview
This is written in dual POV's. Mostly from Hetty's point of view with a few chapters from Byatt. The writing is this is wonderful - Power gives such unique voices/styles to both POVs.

This book is dark and gritty. It definitely gets pretty descriptive during some of the more gruesome scenes so that is something to consider before picking this up. It is however, not at all scary. So don't let the "horror" genre deter you away.

Content Warnings: Body disfigurement, Graphic violence, Gore, Death of a parent, Animal death, Suicide, Self Harm, Starvation, Non-Consensual medical research*

*Some of these were taken from Rory Power's webpage

What I Liked
1. The themes is in this are so subtle and beautifully woven throughout this story. I think this book is so important and touches on some really timely and necessary things. This book at its core, is an allegorical, feminist novel - the "liar" losing her voice, the island trying to "better" the girl's bodies but instead is slowly killing them. This story felt so much like a modern classic and is a book I could see being read and dissected in classrooms.
2. The writing in this was beautiful and absolutely captivating. I will for sure read whatever Rory Power releases next. I loved the juxtaposition of the prose in Hetty's chapters versus the disjointed, choppy nature of Byatt's. It really captured their situations and mental states perfectly. I thought it was a wonderful style choice and really drew me in.

What I Didn't Like
1. I didn't feel anything for these characters. I felt like we never really got to know any of them so as characters were dying/being killed, I felt nothing. I never got emotionally connected to anyone. Which wouldn't bother me if the plot could stand on it's own. However...
2. There was no real plot. This book meandered and became really repetitive. I just never really felt like it had a direction until the very end. Which leads me to..
3. The ending. This was hands down the most open, unsatisfying ending I've ever read. I needed something - explanation, closure, commentary, anything.
4. On their own, I don't mind an open end, or a slow plot, or unlikeable/non-relatable characters. In fact a lot of books I love contain these things. However, having all 3 at one time made this book feel underwhelming. There just wasn't anything for me to latch onto - no plot, no characters, no dramatic reveals. It was just a flat story - despite being beautifully written with important subject matter.

Overall, this fell short for me. However, I will absolutely be picking up whatever Rory Power releases next.

I'm devastated by the fact that I won't be able to finish this book & that's for a number of reasons:

1) There's ownvoices sapphic rep here and as a lesbian reader, I'm always interested in that.
2) The cover itself sold me on the book, not gonna lie, it's absolutely gorgeous & I'm in love.
3) The writing is so! good! I only managed about 5% of the book, sure, but what I have read was amazing. The narrative is in first person which usually is a turn off for me, but here it works perfectly. I already adore Hetty and it's been just a few moments.

So what's up? Why am I dropping this book instead of marveling in the great prose till the end?

Well, you see... I was aware that Wilder Girls was described from the very start as body horror, but somehow I thought "hey, that's nothing!". Somehow I thought I can handle it, while I can't even look at my own arm when I'm donating blood at the hospital.

Turns out, I really can't!!!!

It seems like a genuinely good book! I'm just a weak baby and I'm so, so sorry about that. I wish it wasn't so.

5/5 stars
I was not expecting to love this book, but I totally did. This book was super intense, and I did not expect that at all. Wilder Girls is a feminist horror that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The main mystery of the book (what is the Tox and how it appeared) is revealed in bits and pieces without you really knowing it until all the pieces snap into place at the very end. I honestly had no idea where this book was going or what was going to happen the entire time. It’s a bit of a first for me, since I can usually predict most plot points. I really liked all the characters. They were each complex and multi-faceted, and I really enjoyed their interaction. Also, all the characters in the book have super original and unique names (i.e. Hetty, Reese, Byatt) and I appreciated that. In the end, this book left me with so many questions and I hope that Rory Power revisits this world in the future, because a girl’s gotta know what happens. I NEED ANSWERS.

FULL REVIEW

Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Publication Date: July 9th, 2019

When I initially requested this book, I was interested and mildly intrigue by the unique strangeness of it all. I was not expecting to love Wilder Girls, but I totally did. This book is super intense, and I did not see that coming at all. Wilder Girls is a feminist horror that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The main mystery of the book (what is the Tox and how it appeared) is revealed in bits and pieces without you really knowing it until all the pieces snap into place at the very end. It was the most satisfying snap of the year (Avengers joke, I’m sorry). I’m going to try to keep this review on the short side, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers on accident.

What I Liked:
- THE MYSTERY. UGH. I don’t know what it is about Rory Power’s writing, but the way things are revealed is perfect. You don’t even know that you know until the very end. It was such a satisfying reveal.
- I really enjoyed the setting. The entire story takes place on an isolated island under quarantine. Since the island and its inhabitants are invested with the Tox, the same locations are used more than once, but Rory Power keeps the setting from feeling repetitive, almost like the its being altered by the Tox as well.
- This book surprised me at every turn. I had no idea how any of the pieces connected and I had so many theories. I was constantly trying to beat the book to the punch, and this time I totally failed (and I loved it). There’s nothing quite like being blind-sided by a good twist.
- I really liked all the characters. They were each complex and multi-faceted, and I really enjoyed their interactions.
-Also, all the characters in the book have super original and unique names (i.e. Hetty, Reese, Byatt) and I appreciated that.
- Rory Power’s writing is enchanting. She paints an extravagantly graphic picture on every page (more on this later), and absolutely pulls you in to the story.

What I Didn’t Like:
- The graphic writing combined with the gory subject matter didn’t always sit well with me. I do think I gagged a few times and had to skim a section or two, but it was worth it. If you have a stronger stomach than I, you’ll fly through this. (Trigger & Content Warnings for WG will be included at the end of the review.)

Recap:
Wilder Girls was a total change of pace for me, and it surprised the hell out of me. It was actually in the top spot of favorite books of the year for a few weeks before Red, White and Royal Blue bumped it to #2 (Sorry Rory). (Shouty RW&RB review here.) One thing I loved about WG is that all the imagery is so vivid and realistic that you get enraptured with the story and kind of, sort of lose track of time (well, at least I did). Ultimately, Wilder Girls is an elaborate mystery filled with damaged girls, fierce friends, grotesque mutations, and the strength to survive. I really can’t recommend this book enough. I've been shouting at people about it for months. I know Wilder Girls is a standalone, but I do hope that Rory revisits this world soon. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS, OKAY?! But honestly, I will probably read anything Rory writes from now on. I am Rory Power Trash. Ready to join the club?

5/5 stars

xoxo, bree

*Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*


Trigger and Content Warnings:
Graphic violence and body horror. Gore.
On the page character death, parental death, and animal death, though the animals are not pets.
Behavior and descriptive language akin to self harm, and references to such.
Food scarcity and starvation. Emesis.
A scene depicting chemical gassing.
Reference to suicide and suicidal ideation.
Non-consensual medical treatment.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2019, and I thought it was going to be spooky, gay perfection, but I had such a hard time getting invested in it. The short of it is that I can't seem to connect to the characters, there's not nearly enough explanation of the Tox to satisfy my little horror-fiending soul, and too much of what's gone down doesn't make sense within the parameters of the story. This will be great for a lot of readers, just not me.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was excited to read this, but right off the bat I was put off by the writing style and the vagueness about what was going on. I didn't finish it because I got bored and it didn't feel like an engaging plot was going to emerge.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power seems to be as standalone young adult horror tale, which is one reason my rating isn’t higher. When finished with this one I felt it was still missing something along the way which might slide if it was only the opener of a series.

The story is set on an island off the U.S. coast that is home to the Raxter School for Girls. This isolated boarding school had become overran with a virus a few years before the beginning of the book leading them to be quarantined by the CDC and the Navy with only just enough supplies dropped to maintain those left on the island.

Three of the students left at the school have become extremely close friends with two of the girls, Hetty and Byatt, swapping the point of view a few times during the story. After two years of isolation the girls have come to be familiar with the Tox and horrors of the island so when one of their own is taken they go to any length for answers.

I have to say there are a lot of others out there rating this one rather high so I may just be a case of it’s more me than the book that was at a three. Starting out I thought the beginning could have done a better job with the backstory. Instead of just telling the now I would have preferred being shown and pepper in some more details to the past. The horror side is one of shock and awe at the events instead of a scarier vibe which is fine but again I wanted a tad more. And then, I also felt that overall if you change the details I could have read this a few times before in other books and wanted the characters and story to stand out on their own a bit more.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have had an eARC of this book for a while now, but recently I have started to see this book everywhere, so I decided it was time to read it. I don't read a lot of dystopian or horror novels, but I am really glad that I wound up reading this one. Wilder Girls is set at an all girls boarding school, which is a setting that I really love in books. I really enjoyed the relationships between the girls in this story as they take care of each other and fight just to survive. It is a novel about a deadly contagious disease that they call the Tox, but it also focuses on female relationships and loyalty.

The idea behind this story really fascinated me. I have watched many movies and read several books where a contagious disease breaks out and people either get sick or have to struggle to stay alive in the world after. A lot of these kinds of stories wind up being about zombies and feel like fiction or they are about real diseases. Wilder Girls felt like a fresh take on an idea that is used a lot in science fiction or dystopian novels. The Tox is a unique disease where each of the teenage girls suffers different side effects. One girl has webbed hands, another grew a second spine, one has blisters all over and another grew silvery scales on one hand. The disease itself feels wild and is vividly described in a way that is both fascinating and horrifying.

The characters were pretty well developed. Bits of them are revealed by the things that they share and the things that they keep to themselves when they are isolated and only have each other. I love the close friendships between Hetty, Byatt and Reese and how they take care of each other and depend on one another through rough times. As a main character I found Hetty to be admirable because she was so loyal to her friends. The world in the book is so harsh, yet these girls know they can depend on each other and I absolutely loved reading about their relationships.

The writing also really made this book shine. The descriptions of the different ways the Tox effected people were so vivid that I could easily picture them. There wasn't non-stop action, but I didn't want to set it down and devoured it in less than a day. The ending was so intense that I couldn't read it fast enough. Wilder Girls was so different and interesting. This is a book that I know will stick with me for a long time just because of the descriptions. I was completely shocked to find out that this was Rory Power's debut novel, but I will watch out for anything she comes out with next.

I’ll be up-front with you about this one: horror fiction is not my thing. I can count on my fingers how many horror movies I’ve enjoyed, and that list would literally just be Pan’s Labyrinth and, like, What We Do in the Shadows because I generally don’t like horror.

However, I recognize that this is a genre preference and try not to let my reviews for queer horror reflect that. That being said, this is a well-written novel. If you love horror stories with feminist themes a la The Yellow Wallpaper, this is definitely one to check out. It has a dark, atmospheric aesthetic and involves just as much psychological horror as it does jump scares.

And this book is truly scary. The girls don’t know what’s causing the toxin – whether it’s a disease, poison, or radiation – but it’s almost better for those infected to die rather than stay alive. Their bodies and minds change in ways that are both unsettling and somewhat allegorical. I thought this would be a zombie apocalypse book when I first picked it up, but it’s much more devastating and complex than that.

A lot of promos I saw for this book pitched it as a sapphic take on Lord of the Flies. I would say that’s a fair description. The setting is a girl’s boarding school and features several LGBT characters. Though if you’re looking for a happy queer rom-com, this definitely isn’t it.