**I received an ARC at a festival. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Release Date: July 9, 2019
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Summary: It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.
It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.
But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.
Please see author's website for trigger and content warnings.
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I think I'd been looking for it all my life — a storm in my body to match the one in my head.I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Wilder Girls; the cover is pretty but I'll admit it was a little off-putting for me, as I am a weenie and am scared of everything. However, I'm so glad I picked this book up (although I would say that if you are triggered by body horror, I would recommend you not read this one). Wilder Girls is an amazing, gender-swapped take on Lord of the Flies with a strong female friendship, a queer f/f relationship, and the consequences of climate change.
At first, this book seemed like the typical dystopian novel but it really surprised me with its originality. The worldbuilding is incredibly thought out, with roots in climate change and its effect on nature. The explanation behind the Tox is detailed and makes complete sense once everything is revealed.
The imagery is vivid and visceral; it was very easy to envision what's happening to the girls at Raxter. It was interesting to read about the different symptoms of the Tox. I also liked how the girls all stayed in their separate friend groups/cliques and still had beef with each other. I found that really realistic; like yeah, we all have to band together to survive but that doesn't mean I'm just going to let go of all my grudges.
How will we ever survive this if we can’t survive each other?The plot was intense with all the twists and turns. I liked the pacing as well. While the book is fairly short, nothing happened too quickly or too slowly. The prose is so pretty too!
There is on-page queer rep (ownvoices!) in Reese, Hetty's friend and later love interest. I don't believe Hetty ever labelled herself but she's into girls. The gay pining here was so strong; I could feel the tension radiating through the page. Also, I loved how strong Hetty and Byatt's friendship is. Just because a girl is into girls doesn't mean she can't still have a strong platonic relationship with another girl!
I managed three years without giving it a name. But there she is, Reese with her starlit hair and her wildfire heart, and I knew what to call this last night in our room, her face beautiful and strange in the dark. I knew the day I met her, when she looked at me like I was something she didn't understand. I've known every minute in between.Wilder Girls depicts a nature gone wild, both on the island and among the girls. The worldbuilding is detailed, the plot intense, and the writing amazing. I adored the female friendships and the f/f ship! Wilder Girls is not to be missed, trust me.
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About the Author: Rory Power grew up in New England, where she lives and works as a crime fiction editor and story consultant for TV adaptation. She received a Masters in Prose Fiction from the University of East Anglia, and thinks fondly of her time there, partially because she learned a lot but mostly because there were a ton of bunnies on campus.
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