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| Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads |
Eighteen months ago, the Tox hit the Raxter School for Girls. Still without rescue and quarantined together, the faculty and students have no escape in sight, waiting for that rescue that had long ago been promised. As their bodies mutate and decay, and their friends die around them, the surviving girls must fight daily to make it in this wild new world. When Hetty's best friend Byatt goes missing amid the chaos, Hetty will stop at nothing to determine what happened to her friend, discovering some shocking truths about their reality on the island that she never expected.
Some parts of this book are descriptively gruesome when describing how the Tox had impacted different people. One girl got scales. One grew a second spine. One went blind in one eye and grew a second eyelid. The vivid descriptions made it so easy to imagine the Tox as a reality, immersing you in the story from the very beginning.
I loved how this was told from the POV of both Hetty and Byatt, letting the reader in on certain parts that only one girl or the other knew were happening. I also loved that this had queer representation. I honestly didn't get the Lord of the Flies retelling bit, if that's even what this was supposed to be, but it's been forever since I read that book and regardless this was amazing.
Being completely honest, this may be the best book I've read all year. Hell, it may be one of the best books I've read EVER. It was unique, and beautiful, and horrific, and wonderful, and scary, and atmospheric all at once. I became so invested in these girls and this story that I was desperate for more when I hit the last page. I will sing the praises of this book for a long time to come. This is Rory Power's debut novel, and I cannot wait to see what she puts out next.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
I received an ARC of this read at the ALA Annual Conference. Wilder Girls by Rory Power is out now!
