oh my god this is easily one of my favorite books of all time. i want to reread it immediately but with the ability to annotate. the author perfectly captured the “i love her, but…” aspect of female friendships, and the characters were SO realistically developed and flawed. i cried a lot (and not just because im hormonal lol). the time jumps were so perfectly balanced, and the POV shifts fit super well with the arc of the plot. any adult—but especially adult women—MUST read The Wilderness at some point in their lives (but preferably asap so we can’t talk about it). 6 stars. no notes.

2.5 Rounded up. Had a hard time staying interested in this book. Part of that was due to reading it online, a format that sometimes does not work very well for me. Also the number of characters and their stories was difficult for me to keep track of. Do not recommend.

First thing first thing you did the publishers and NetGalley for providing me this book and exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


I had anticipated this book for a while, but unfortunately, it felt extremely flat. The characters were extremely unreliable and I just didn’t enjoy any of the stories. I also felt like it read like short stories, and there was no cohesiveness to the whole book. Another thing that I didn’t like was the fact that I felt like it was a chore to have to pick up.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.

My rating for this book is a 3.5/5. This book was honestly really difficult for me to get into at first and I don't think I truly enjoyed the book until part 2. Once I got the 3rd and 4th parts I felt like I was just reading to finish instead of reading to enjoy the story. That may be also a result of how different the last few chapters were from the beginning half of the book. I will say both the differing point of views and nonchronological story telling made the story hard to follow at times.

I enjoyed the premise of the story and I enjoyed how it explored how complex friendships and relationships can be. I did enjoy Angela Flournoy's writing and characters and will check out her future books after this debut.

3.75⭐️

I really enjoyed this story about love, friendship, grief, sisterhood, and so much more! It took me a little while to really get into but there were so many key points and moments that hit close to home.

The multiple POVs and the overall flow of the story was well paced and gave life to the plot. It definitely reads as more of a character study than a plot driven novel.

Really glad I picked this one up! Thank you to Net Galley and Mariner Books for this digital arc copy.

This book surprised, delighted and destroyed me. These are such real, vivid characters with complex feelings and friendships. I found myself a little thrown by the jumping timelines and perspectives. This is a book about Black women and their perspectives and it really shines a light on issues I don’t experience - it’s a book all intersectional feminists should read.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is novel about five Black women whose lives intersect with each other. This book covers the complexities of romance and motherhood, mental health, the challenges of being Black in academia and in librarianship, being Black in the food and restaurant industry, class in the Black community and so much more. While some characters got more attention than others, you do get to know these five women and watch their journeys over the course of twenty years. We don’t have enough books like these where it’s about Black women just living their lives, and not having racism be at the center of their storylines. I appreciated the representation of a Black librarian. Flournoy’s writing was engaging and there was great character development. I wonder if there will be multiple narrators for the audiobook. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a friendship novel than spans decades.

Set in the aughts to the present day (and near future), The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy tells the stories of a group of Black women as they navigate defining moments of their lives. Desiree, Nakia, January, and Monique' relationships with each other ebb and flow throughout the book. Ostensibly the story of 4 friends, instead Flournoy depicts an authentic outlook on adult friendships--not always consistent over the years, some members of the group closer than others, but nevertheless a safety net that you fall back to in trying times.

I especially loved Desiree and Nakia's characters from the get-go. We begin the story with Desiree, but Nakia is the thread running through the book that holds it together. Even before we meet her, it's Nakia that is mentioned in each POV switch. Nakia is also a lesbian, and I loved reading about her romances.

One critique I have for the book: I would have liked a proper POV chapter for Monique. Her blog posts, while an interesting change of pace, failed to resonate emotionally the way that the other characters' chapters did. As a reader, I still didn't know or connect with Monique by the end of the book.

The title comes from the metaphor of adult life as a wilderness–unforgiving and hard to navigate. But it's through connections with other people that we can learn to navigate this expanse.
The book took a very unexpected turn towards the end. It felt like a genre change akin to that in The Old Drift by Naomi Serpell--contemporary or historical realism that shifts into speculative fiction. The backdrop for the emotional fourth act, it left me reeling. It's taken me a while to compose my thoughts for this review, but I've come to the realization that the ending makes sense as the conclusion of Desiree's arc. The different perspectives allow us to see even small triumphs in even devastating moments.

Overall, Flouney's new book is a beautifully quilted work. The disparate pieces come together to make a story worth reading.

This book is about friendships, but also so much more…

Desiree, January, Monique, and Nakia are four close friends trying to figure out the complexities of life together. The novel follows them through the years as they struggle with their relationships, careers, and finding themselves while also existing as Black women in America. Each character is extremely complex and the situations the women navigate are all too real, which is often eye-opening.

The last few chapters of the novel are quite a bit different from the rest. It actually reminded me of the novel The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell, as this book took a similar turn at the end (and I would recommend it also to anybody who hasn’t read it). Suffice to say the book highlights some very real racial and socioeconomic disparities in America, and then reminds us of what the future can look like if these trends continue. While the story of friendship is beautiful, the real world implications are also such an important takeaway, making this book all the more meaningful.

There were a few things that weren’t my favorite though. I’m not sure that the book benefited much from jumping around to different years as I feel it would have read just as well in chronological order, and saved me some page flipping trying to figure out the timeline. And I know there was some attempt to explain the title of the book within the book but honestly… still don’t love it. I feel like it doesn’t match the content, despite the explanation.

Also… I wish we would have gotten more from Monique because she felt like the forgotten friend who was hardly given any content, and I would have enjoyed hearing more from her besides the little we got. The friendship just didn’t feel very equal, but maybe that was intentional.

I thought this was beautifully written. The prose is lovely, and I appreciated the author’s attention to setting. I wish we had gotten a little bit more background on all the friendships and relationships. It seemed like a lot of the book focused on the prickly aspects of long friendships, like the little things your friends do that exasperate you, but you keep coming back. I was missing what kept bringing these characters back together.

The frequent POV changes toward the end were a little abrupt for me. I would have liked to linger a bit more in each character’s reactions and emotions. That said, there are wonderful portraits in this book, and I really enjoyed the author’s ambition in crafting all these different storylines across a wide time span.

The characters had very realistic struggles which made the story feel relatable. I saw the beauty in how the characters showed up for one another despite their individual circumstances. I felt the book was very wordy which led me to struggling to complete it.

Angela Flournoy's The WIlderness is a beautiful exploration of modern life, adulthood, and friendship. We follow five women, Desiree, Danielle, January, Monique, and Nakia, starting in their early 20s through to their 40s. I found each woman's arc compelling and was unable to put the book down. It was beautifully written and is a story that will stick with me for a long time.

Angela Flournoy’s The Wilderness is a stunning exploration of friendship, identity, and the passage of time. Following five Black women over two decades, Flournoy masterfully captures the highs and lows of navigating careers, relationships, and societal pressures in an ever-changing world. The characters feel authentic, with their struggles—whether familial, professional, or personal—resonating deeply. Desiree and Danielle’s estranged sisterhood, January’s ambivalence toward her “good” man, Monique’s unexpected fame, and Nakia’s entrepreneurial struggles create a rich tapestry of relatable stories. Flournoy’s writing is both expansive and intimate, perfectly balancing humor with emotional depth. The novel doesn’t shy away from exploring the complexities of modern adulthood—political upheaval, economic instability, and the weight of privilege and opportunity. Through vibrant storytelling and electrifying prose, The Wilderness reminds us of the power and fragility of lifelong friendships.

a really lovely story about friendship! it’s been a while since I’ve read a book about a group of women who uplift yet challenge one another in such loving and moving ways. really beautiful and warm, heartfelt and tender, funny at times and very much a reflection of friendships that are by no means perfect but strong in its foundation.
thank you so much to the publisher for my copy!

I adored this book. These four women are the epitome of female friendship, and how friendship can grow and change over the years. Sometimes close, sometimes farther away, knowing one another so well that you know when a text not responded to means more than just a busy week. Knowing when to apologize for a mean comment, and how to smooth things over and move on. Knowing who holds which role in the group: who is the glue, who is the mom, who is your best best friend at any moment, who would beat up that man? This was so lovely. I really enjoyed each woman’s dynamic, individual growth, and how they interacted with each other over the years. I loved this.

Great book. Excited to read the final copy later this year, will absolutely be picking up the hardcover.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

This is a well-crafted novel that offers a deep and layered exploration of friendship, ambition, and identity. The characters—Desiree, Danielle, January, Monique, and Nakia—are exceptionally shaped, each navigating the complexities of early adulthood with authenticity and emotional depth. Their journeys through career struggles, personal ambitions, and shifting relationships felt both poignant and realistic, making them easy to connect with.
However, despite the richness of the narrative, I found the story somewhat long-winded at times. The novel’s scope—spanning decades and touching on major societal issues—was ambitious, but at moments, it felt overwhelming rather than immersive. Also, while the author's writing is sharp and insightful, certain sections felt stretched, making it difficult to maintain my engagement throughout. This novel is a compelling read for those who appreciate character-driven narratives. The author's keen insight into modern adulthood and the complexities of friendship makes this novel a deeply moving and worthwhile experience.

Thanks to Netgalley and Mariner Books for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

I absolutely enjoyed this book! Angela Flournoy beautifully captures the complexity and beauty of female friendship through the lives of five Black women navigating the ups and downs of life over twenty years. The bond between them felt so genuine and relatable. It’s a heartfelt, powerful story that celebrates the strength and resilience of women’s friendships and life. Definitely a must-read! Thank you so much for this advance copy!

A book about how Black women do friendship. A really loving, dazzling, dynamic, delightful, depiction and description of how Black women show up for each other through ups and downs, rights and wrongs, shades and sun. Actually this turned out to be a really fine well written novel, Black Girl Magic at its finest.
A big thanks to Netgalley and Mariner books for an advanced DRC. Book will be available 09.16.25!