A secluded island, a mysterious plague, and characters with a strong will to survive make Wilder Girls by Rory Power a must-read.
It’s like Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer had a baby. From the bizarre disease to the struggle for survival against impossible odds, it will keep you on your toes from beginning to end.
We’re not the only ones raving about Wilder Girls. Here’s why readers everywhere are going nuts over this feminist novel.
The cover is insanely gorgeous.
The cover features a portrait of Hetty, the main character, with her face shredded into a long ribbon. Plants and flowers peek out from underneath her skin. It’s both mesmerizing and horrifying at the same time, making it impossible to look away from. As one reviewer named Dannii put it, “This cover is probably the dually most beautiful and disturbing thing I have ever laid eyes on.”
It’s creepy AF.
Don’t let the gorgeous cover fool you. Wilder Girls is as creepy as it gets. Be prepared for lots of violence, gore, and flat-out terrifying scenes.
“If you’re a fan of Lord of the Flies but with a lot more body horror and gore, pre-order this one NOW,” said Kate in her five-star Goodreads review.
Another reviewer that couldn’t stop gushing about the creepiness is Mahanna, who also gave the book five stars on Goodreads. “I never expected to be thrust into such a brutal, horrific story with characters that would stay with me for a long time after reading,” she said.
The writing is incredible.
Readers are praising the lush, descriptive writing style. “Every word felt so living, simultaneously effortless and deliberate, deepened further by the spaces [the author] lets the reader fill in for themselves,” raved Savannah on Goodreads.
And we agree! The writing in Wilder Girls is dark and moody, and will hook you from page one.
It’s impossible to put down.
“I think the fact that I read this book in one sitting proves testament to how sublime this debut is,” said an early reviewer named Jessica. And she’s not the only one! In fact, many reviewers said they read obsessively from cover to cover and couldn’t stop thinking about it even after they’d finished.
It’s different from anything else you’ve read
At first glance, Wilder Girls may seem like a new spin on Lord of the Flies, but we guarantee you’ll be blown away by its originality. Book blogger Amber from the Book Bratz agrees with us. “This book was unlike anything I have ever read before and left chills down my spine,” she said.
