INCREDIBLE!!! An amazing debut, it was a book I could not put down. The writing between the two characters with two points of view was perfectly executed. Each character had their own flawed and amazing personalities. I want to recommend this book to everyone and anyone, but make sure to check the trigger warnings on the authors website, since they're are a lot. An amazing sapphic horror, well done.

What a strange, beautifully written book. It's sci-fi at first glance, but gradually evolves into a really thrilling story of friendship and discovering who matters to you most. The girls living in quarantine at the Raxter School seem to all come from complicated pasts, further complicated by the strange disease that is picking them off one by one. And yet, even as they turn wilder every day, they still hold on to their humanity enough to fight for each other's lives. I loved how the author didn't say straight from the beginning exactly what the Tox was, but gradually revealed it's effects on the girls. An extra spine here, a scaly hand there, one girl with two hearts. It just gets eerier and eerier the more you read. I only wish the ending had been a little more fleshed out (some of the explanations surrounding Byatt were a little rushed) but I still appreciated it as it was. The idea of an area taken over by an invisible disease and mutated plants and animals reminded me quite a bit of Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer, though I found Rory Power's writing to be much more accessible and enjoyable to read.

I read for pure enjoyment. Sometimes it’s an historical fiction, sometimes a teen novel, sometimes sci-fi, but never romance LOL. If a books grabs me and keeps me thinking and wanting more, then to me, it’s a great book. I write reviews based on my personal opinion and seldom “dissect” the story as some reviewers do. So for me, this book was a five star! The characters were likable, the storyline compelling! This was a story I couldn’t wait to see how it ended! I looked forward to picking it up each evening and found myself thinking about it throughout the day. Was it believable? Not really. Was it flawed? Probably. Did I feel for the characters, care about their fate and gasp a few times? ABSOLUTELY! So, yes, for me this was a five star! Thank you Netgalley for allowing me the privilege to give my input on this very entertaining novel! #Netgalley#WilderGirls

This book was a 4-star for me until the end--it's gripping and creepy, though I wouldn't say it's particularly scary. It was the first book that made me cover my eyes and wince like I was watching a gory movie, which was fun for me, though I would caution anyone who hates body horror to avoid this book. However, I found myself totally disengaged by the end. I had way more questions than answers when the book was over, and the ending was totally frustrating.

First, the cover is absolutely stunning. If this doesn't intrigue you, I don't know what will! The story feels fresh and had unexpected twists. Girls quarantined on an island. What could go even more wrong than it already has? So much more. Where the story lost me was the setting as a character. The island is very much a character. I'd argue the central character, with the animal life being an integral part of the story. However, the story seemed to drag on and was incredibly slow with all of the focus on the most minute details of the island. We don't see the hint of any action until almost 30% in. I wish the book had done a better job of balancing showing us details of the setting and actual action in propelling the story forward. I found myself bored at times. The real downside was that the book abruptly ends! No real wrap up to speak of. Just middle of the paragraph and done. It really weakened the overall novel for me.

DNF @ page 37
ARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All of my opinions are my own, and are in no way affected by the exchange.

TW/CW (taken from Author's website): 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 purely a me thing and was at no way any fault of the book itself. I have a thing about body horror/mutation that makes me real squeamish and grossed out. I thought/hoped that I could make it through this book because the cover, the synopsis and the hype got to me. I was super excited for the whole shebang but sadly I dont have a strong enough stomach. In the first 37 pages, I physically gagged several times. Which is a crystal clear indicator that I'm not going to enjoy this going forward. I'm pretty bummed about it but I love myself enough to not put myself through torture

Wilder Girls was one of my most anticipated releases of this year, and it intrigued me enough not only because of that gorgeous and stunning cover, but also because the premise sounded so unique and interesting that I knew I had to pick it up, and surely it did not disappoint. There were some minor details that didn’t make it a 5 star read, but it was such an incredible book and I’m so happy I read it.

The beginning was a bit slow and it took me a few chapters to get into the story and the writing style (maybe my reading slump was to blame for that), but once I kept reading it was such a gripping and fast paced book, full of action packed scenes and twists and turns that kept me at the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next. It was shocking for me to finish it in one sitting, because despite me being quite a fast reader, it’s quite unusual for me to finish an entire book in a go, but because of the pacing it was pretty easy to me to get carried away with the story.

Despite me being a bit thrown off by the writing style at the very beginning of the novel, I soon fell in love with it. The descriptions of places and landscapes were so incredibly detailed I could picture them clearly in my mind and it almost felt as if I was being inside this world, and I also really loved the friendship and the slow burn romance that started to happen in the middle of Wilder Girls.

When it comes to the characters, I have to say I was pretty impressed. Though their backstories weren’t super complex and there were some parts that I wish I’d known about them and their families, I adored the interactions between Hetty and Reese. Their dynamics throughout the story were so smooth and well written, and also their chemistry was incredible. I also really enjoyed Byatt’s POV, and I think she added a lot of insight of what was going on. Plus I think her perspective was pretty different from Hetty’s (not only in the writing style used, but also in her personality), and you could definitely feel that despair and hopelessness throughout it, which I appreciated a lot because it added such realism to the novel.

My only complains were that I think it was a pretty short book. Wilder Girls felt more like a prologue, and I honestly would be pretty disappointed if it was just a standalone, because that ending made me believe otherwise. I was also quite confused with the flashbacks, because there wasn’t anything that made it different from the actual plot, and it took me a few paragraphs to realize I was reading a memory.

Overall, I really enjoyed Wilder Girls. The plot was super interesting to follow, and I liked the take the Tox had in the story. I’m so interested to see the oath the story will take in the sequel (if there will be any) and see the journey that awaits these characters.

this is an intense read that drops you right in the horror setting immediately. I liked the premise and I kept reading because I wanted to know what was happening.
however, this book just didn't end well for me. I couldn't understand why the CDC was unable to diagnose the Tox and if the main characters were truly going to survive the end of the story, and some of the emotional arcs were really muddled and didn't resonate.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for sending me a free advanced reader copy of this book for an honest review. Wilder Girls debuts July 9th.

This is one of those books that grips you hard from the first sentence, sinks its teeth into you, shakes you around, then has you gasping for air on the floor by the time you hit the last page. Seriously, Wilder Girls is an insane, intense ride, and I hope beyond hope that it ushers in a flood of YA weird fiction and body horror. When I picked it up, I already had a sneaking suspicion that this book was going to be my kinda thing because Jeff VanderMeer, king of the weird, is one of the blurbers. I was not disappointed; this is a book to buy on release day and devour in twenty-four hours.

The premise of the book is that a bizarre, unprecedented plague called the Tox has infested an island home to an all-girls boarding school. The Tox causes those it infects to mutate, perhaps by growing gills, claws, an extra spine, etc. The schoolgirls and the sparse crew of staff members remaining on the island have developed a system of survival, but when one girl goes missing and her friend determines to find her, everything is thrown into chaos.

Wilder Girls pulls no punches. The prose is raw and has so much forward momentum that it is a very difficult book to put down. I will say that the discovery and explanation at the end of the hows and the whys of the Tox was a bit disappointing to me. It came a bit out of left field; I was hoping for something less scientific and more just “this weird, inexplicable thing is happening and we can’t figure out why and now we just have to deal with it.” My opinion when it comes to weird fiction is that explanations take away from the mystique.

But even so, I basically adored this book and would hope for a movie version if I weren’t so sure Hollywood would fuck it up. Unless maybe we can get a return to practical effects à la John Carpenter’s The Thing… How amazing would that be? A girl can dream…

I’ll definitely be awaiting this author’s next book, whether it’s a sequel to Wilder Girls (would actually be satisfied with there not being a sequel, just to preserve some ambiguity in the story) or something else.

Bio-horror is typically not my thing. Too gross. And this book is indeed super, super gross, but it’s also an exceptionally good story, one undoubtedly worth stomaching all the yuck moments for.

I’ve been off dystopian novels for a while now. The genre is flooded with books that are at best nothing new and at worst unreadably bad. So I’m not sure what possessed me to give Wilder Girls a shot. But I’m glad I did.

I’ve seen this described as feminist horror by other reviewers. Not quite how I would have labeled it, but also not wrong. The frequent Lord of the Flies comp isn’t far off the mark either, though this felt less *mean* than Lord of the Flies, if also harsher and more grotesque.

In all this book was a pleasant (can I even use that word to describe this carnival of horrors?) surprise, one well outside my general areas of interest but that I liked very much in spite of that. Just don’t read it while you’re eating.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for sharing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I chose this book because if the cover and the title. I am a sucker for covers and this one intrigued me. The swirling of the face, it looking like someone was being unraveled (I had just read Unwind by Shusterman) and then a title about “wild girls” made me pause to read the description of this book. Once I read it, I knew this was a book for me. I am a huge fan of dystopian novels that focus on powerful women and friendships. If you enjoy those books or are looking for one that fits that description, then you need to grab a copy of this book. Once I dove in to this story, I was hooked. Powers left me guessing until the very end and I could not predict anything. The setting was beautifully, and horrifyingly, well-written. Her character development was strong. Her plot was engaging.

Go read this book.

Let me start by saying that this book is like nothing I've read before. People are describing it as the Feminist Lord of the Flies, but even in comparison to that, it's nothing like anything I've read.

I think what got me was that I blindly read this book. I saw the cover and was all about it. The book started out slow, with VERY long chapters. But as I got to know the characters, I found myself staying up late to read the next long chapter. I'm not a big sci-fi fan, but this had just enough elements to make it interesting without over the top.

One thing I will say is that this is not for anyone who gets queasy or nervous about books that could happen. The Tox, the reason these girls are quarantined on the island is extremely disturbing and finishing the book makes you think we could be not that far off from it. Some of the Tox side effects of the girls in this book are not easy to read. I also found some scenes to be very intense and vividly described, something that is not for the faint of heart.

Read this book if you enjoy reading some sci-fi, don't mind gore, and love original work.

Wilder Girls was a bizarre and extremely interesting read. I was shocked at how much I liked this book.I think that young adults and regular adults would really enjoy this book.

I mostly liked this. But there was simply too much weird things that had zero explanation or purpose, given the way the book ended. It kind of petered, rather than tying everything together in a satisfying, chilling way like I was expecting. But I am here for this new trend of feminist horror circling the YA spheres right now.

Well that was just amazing. I’ve been needed a good dystopian kind of read and this is what I was looking for. I will point out that I am usually very much into a good ol’ disease spreading kind of story but this was such a good one with a YA twist. I also love gore and this has to be one of the goriest YA books I’ve ever read. I also had an extreme fascination with the disease. It was very unique. Also, all I have to say is, YAY FOR GAY. What a fantastic book. It’s released on July 9,2019!

I really like the writing style of this one, but I had to DNF because I just wasn't in the mood for dystopian before it expired. So it's a me-not-you situation!

Almost two years ago, the Raxter School for Girls was placed under quarantine after a mysterious disease, the Tox hit. The Tox hits everyone differently. One girl grew gills, another bio luminescent hair, and one grew a second spine. Plagued with terrible pains, bruises, and sometimes death, the girls are largely left alone. All but two of the adults have died, their bodies unable to handle the invading Tox. The local navy base delivers supplies across the island. Hetty, chosen to join the boat girls, treks across the island, only to uncover a horrible secret.

This was a bizarre, hard to put down book. I found myself reading late into the night. The characters were extremely interesting. They were also very realistic. I would love to read more from this author. Overall, highly recommended.

Feminist horror, yes please and thank you, may I have some more?

** Trigger warning for suicide. **

The Tox didn’t just happen to us. It happened to everything. […]

The way it happened is that the woods got it first. That’s what I think, anyway. Even before the wilderness reached inside us, it was seeping into the earth. The trees were growing taller, new saplings springing up faster than they had any right to. And it was fine; it was nothing worth noticing, until I looked out the window and couldn’t see the Raxter I knew anymore. That morning two girls tore each other’s hair out over breakfast with an animal viciousness, and by afternoon the Tox had hit us.

***

“We’ve been studying them,” Paretta says, crouching down in front of me. “The irises, and the blue crabs too. All of this is something we’re calling the Raxter Phenomenon.”
A phenomenon. Not a sickness, not a disease. It burns through my heart—that’s the word I’ve been looking for—but there’s something about the way she says it. The name too familiar, too easy on her tongue.

“Did they teach you about Raxter Blues at school?” she asks. “About what makes them special?”

I nod.

You mean the lungs

“And the gills,” Paretta says. “It’s pretty amazing, right? So it can survive anywhere. And I think it’s pretty amazing, too, that you girls are part of it now.”

Part of it. The way our bodies alter and bend. The way our fingers darken just before we die, pure black spreading up to our knuckles.

***

I think I have been a problem all my life. Here I am where problems go. First Raxter and now here, and I have always been heading here, haven’t I, haven’t I. Too bright and too bored and something missing, or perhaps something too much there.

***

The several hundred tweens and teens who attend the Raxter School for Girls run the gamut. Some, like Hetty Chapin, were admitted on scholarship when her father, a Navy man, was stationed at nearby Camp Nash. Others are warehoused there by parents who didn’t know how to deal with them; this would describe Hetty’s bestie Byatt. And then there’s Reese, the third point in this particular triumvirate (just one of many cliques at Raxter), who grew up on the island and whose father, Mr. Harker, works as a groundskeeper and general caretaker at Raxter.

Aside from the occasional tour group, he’s also the only cis man to walk Raxter Island on the regular. (That we know of! Dun dun duuuun!)

Raxter was already home to several biological anomolies – the Raxter irises, which bloom all year long; and the Blues, crabs that sport both gills and lungs for all-terrain survival – so perhaps it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when the Tox hit, altering the landscape of Raxter in ways both horrifying and wondrous. The flora took over, transforming Raxter into a forested backdrop from so many Grimm fairy tales. The nonhuman inhabitants grew to monstrous sizes. Predators became vicious and unpredictable, and even herbivores like deers sprouted canines better suited to ripping flesh from bones than leaves from trees.

And the girls.

The girls were either reclaimed or transformed by the wild, depending on your point of view; made a part of Raxter’s savage, shifting ecosystem, or else metamorphosed into something new. Something better. By which I mean something better suited to its environment; something with more favorable odds of survival. Their old environment or new one, you ask? Both. Neither. All of the above.

When the Tox hit, it changed everyone, though not in the same ways. One of Hetty’s eyes fused shut. Byatt grew a second spine and, eventually, her voice became a weapon capable of inflicting great violence. Reese’s skin turned silver and scaly, one of her hands grew lizard claws, and her hair took on an ethereal aura. Some girls grew teeth inside of them and coughed them up at night; one started to feel a second heartbeat in her chest. Blisters, boils, bruises, sores, scars. Webbed fingers and gills. No one bothers to hide their anomalies anymore; what’s the point?

Most of the adults dropped dead, save for Ms. Welch and the Headmistress. Mr. Harker started acting erratic and then disappeared into the woods. Some of the girls succumbed as well; the rest live in constant dread of the next flare-up.

Raxter Island is under quarantine; the school, already surrounded by an imposing iron fence, has become a prison/sick ward. Already isolated, internet service to Raxter was cut off pretty quickly. The regular supply drops help, but it seems that there’s never enough food to go around. Camp Nash, along with the Navy and CDC, implores the girls to stay alive and wait for help to come.

But it’s been a year and a half. How long can they hold on?

Spoiler alert: not much longer. When Byatt falls ill – by which I mean extremely ill, sicker than the others and in such bad shape that she cannot get around on her own – and is sent up to the super-secretive infirmary wing of the school, it sets in motion a chain of events that will bring everything to a head. Everyone at Raxter misses someone, or something. The question becomes, to what depths are they willing to sink to get it?

WILDER GIRLS is such a great story – true, edge-of-your-seat, white-knuckle reading. The characters are complex and compelling; the dynamics between Hetty-Byatt and Hetty-Reese and Hetty-Byatt-Reese are fascinating, and there’s a really lovely f/f romance in here to boot. The atmosphere is sufficiently spooky and the adults make for great villains (or antiheroes, again depending on your POV). The writing is a thing of beauty, and the subversive feminist elements really make the story shimmer and sparkle (and assail you with painful insights). This is a memorable piece of feminist horror with a dystopian twist, and I can’t wait to see what Power does next.

Honestly, the only downside (and reason for the four-star rating) is the ending, which leaves things a little open-ended for me. Then again, wrapping things up with a shiny red bow would have felt cheap and dishonest, so there’s that.

I won’t say more for fear of spoiling things (it’s really best to go in cold I think), but the hype is real. Badass ladies (and male allies), you want to read this book.

sigh. I wanted to like this book so much. That cover? that blurb? the promise of a gay feminist horror novel which may just be the best triple genre combination I've ever heard? sounds like my dream book.

But it wasn't. It wasn't even a nightmare book either. It was the kind of dream that you wake up and you forget about it immediately.

One thing this book had going for it is it didn't try to make it's female characters pretty, and it didn't try to make them likable. A lot of books, whether it's the fault of the author or not, tend to make its female characters softer or more palatable to reach a wider audience, but WILDER GIRLS was unafraid of making its characters mean, grotesque, and human, despite the physical changes that made them look anything but by the sickness permeating their camp. These characters are on par with Courtney Summers's main character in All the Rage, or M.R. Carey's The Girl With All the Gifts. Also! no queerbaiting. Always a plus.

However, the plot and setting just led for me to be bored for the entirety of the novel. Not to mention, books from multiple points of view, all in first person, rarely sit right with me. I will give it this -- the points of view each had distinct voices that separated them from each other, alas, it was not enough to get me to keep reading.

I think others will like this book. I'm sure that when the audiobook is released, I'll listen to it, just because I want to know how it ends. I'm going to read Rory Powers's other books. This one just wasn't for me.

This is the stuff of nightmares. A disfiguring plague, zombie animals, the scariest woods ever, and (let's be honest, the true horror) a bunch of teenage girls without proper adult supervision – all on an island without any means of escape? Oh, my.

Rory Power demonstrates incredible world-building skills. Her writing style is evocative - I truly experienced every creak, drip, and snarl. There is obvious subtext comparing the story’s literal horrors to the equally brutal adolescent experience. It’s easy to see why it’s promoted as a modern feminist Lord of the Flies. Although certainly a page-turner, I was disappointed with the great-start-but-not-quite-there characterization. A few more glimpses into the girls’ lives might have bridged the emotional gap (and made that romance arc a bit more convincing). For horror, I particularly want the transcendental quality that makes me *know* and *become* the characters. Actually, I wanted MORE all around – the ending was fine, although somewhat unsatisfying. Glad I read it, but I’d like the “Extended Director’s Cut” now, please.

Note: This book cover is outstanding.