This book was a thrill ride from page one. Rory has a beautiful style of writing that brought the world of Raxter and The Tox alive before my eyes. This book was unlike anything I have ever read before and left chills down my spine as I read.

The idea behind this book is terrifying and really makes you think about human evolution and viruses and things that can change the course of human history. It also brings into question the issue of climate change and the disastrous effects that that can have on microorganisms. I think the science behind Wilder Girls was amazing and the development of each character and the anomalies they developed because of The Tox was amazingly done.

I really loved Hetty's character and it was easy for me to relate to her. You can see through out the story how she struggles with what is right and wrong and how she feels responsible for some of the events that happen in the novel (Even though for many of them she wasn't at fault for.) You can see how The Tox and the quarantine as well as losing her sight in one eye has put a strain on her and her relationships with the other girls. But with the quarantine and effect and the food supplies low it is easy to see how everyone is tense.

I liked Byatt's chapters for the sake we got to see what was happening after she went missing and we go a little more insight on her character. I love that Rory wrote her POV as fragmented and with a lot of repeated language. It showed through the pages her hysteria and desperation and as well as her confusion in being in this situation. We learn also that Byatt is a master manipulator and that it is one of the reasons her parents sent her to Raxter. Byatt's use of manipulation actually causes someone to become infected with The Tox.

Though Hetty and Reese's sexuality isn't explained in Wilder Girls, it is a female/female romance. I loved that Rory didn't make it a cookie cutter romance that so many other young adult books fall victim too. The romance between Reese and Hetty is flawed and complicated. It isn't perfect, but essentially love is never going to be 100% perfect all the time. The actions that Hetty had to take in certain parts of Wilder Girls put a strain on their budding romance. By the end of the novel their relationship is very open still, but I like to think that they were able to work through the ordeal on Raxter island and continue their relationship.

*Slight spoilers in this paragraph!*

Wilder Girls was left really open ended and I can see the potential for another book. But at the same time the book had a haunting atmosphere and that's the sort of note on how this book ends. Do these girls live? What exactly is going to happen to Byatt? Do they cure The Tox? There are a lot of questions but it is also up to the reader at this point to come to these conclusions. To me they get rescued and there is a cure, Hetty is reunited with her family and Reese goes with her and Byatt reverts back to her bubbly self. But that is me and I am excited to see how other readers are going to interpret that.

Overall, I really loved Wilder Girls and I can't wait to read any of Rory's future novels. Her writing is a breathe of fresh air in the young adult genre. Wilder Girls is a book that is a must read for 2019 and is a fabulous debut novel.

Thank you to Random House Children's Delacorte Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book.

This one was just not for me. I didn't find myself liking any of the characters or the story. It seemed slow going. I can't quite put my finger on why I didn't enjoy this book. It was gross and unique which is something different in the YA genre. I do think the author does a good job with her descriptions of how the Tox affected the girls and the animals and the island itself. I found myself squirming at her descriptions. Which was good. This book was certainly meant to make the reader squirm. I did like the idea behind this book with the island turning into something out of a nightmare and the girls turning into nightmares themselves. I guess I just never found myself engrossed in this book. I do think other readers will enjoy the darkness of this story and it certainly is original and unique! I also love the cover!

I received a copy of Wilder Girls from Random House Children's through Netgalley.

This book is horrible and gorgeous. Such strong elements of body horror and passion.

I loved every minute of this book and even more delighted with how very gay it all is.

This was a decent dystopian YA novel. It was sufficiently creepy and not overly predictable. I do wish the relationships had been better developed, and the ending felt like a bit of a cop out of the author not knowing how to solve things but also not wanting to kill all the characters...

this is probably one of my favorite covers of the year and I am so happy to say that the inside is just as amazing. this honestly ended up being a weird combination of everything i love in stories. it is a feminist lord of the flies following 3 friends who are under quarantine at a boarding school. when one of the friends goes missing it becomes a race to find her and figure out what the hell is happening on this island and uncover the secrets being kept from them. this also has a really great f/f relationship that I died over!

as for the horror elements. this isn't "jump scare" horror but more "makes your skin crawl" with some of the creepy elements, which I personally loved. I would say if you liked the movie Annihilation then you will love this!

this was one of the more unique YA books I've read recently and I loved how it didn't shy away from the brutality of what was happening. there was also a cool stylistic choice with the writing that I think worked really well and added to the creepy vibe.

With haunting and poignant prose, Wilder Girls is a triumph from start to finish. Nuanced characterization paired with multilayered worldbuilding make for an eerie and unforgettable read. I cannot wait to read more from the author.

A very interesting read that will keep reader at the edge of their seat. Wilder Girls is unique in the way that it takes something horrifying and almost makes it beautiful in a twisted way.

I was really excited about this book, primarily because the premise seemed extremely original. It ended up vastly exceeding my already high expectations, simply because Rory Power's artistry is something that I couldn't even imagine. The horror of the Tox, and the physical and spiritual scars it left on these girls was only second to the way some of them blossomed from it's decay. They were fierce, hungry, deeply flawed, and impossibly delicate. The setting was lush and twisted, and the relationship arcs were fully-fleshed out and realistic in their damage. Honestly, I loved it.

I don't really know how to talk about this book. It's gay and body horror af and so good. Rory Power is a real powerhouse, and I can't wait for her next book.

This was a gorgeously written YA novel, reminiscent of a girls' boarding school version of Annihilation. Definitely would recommend.

What a riveting read. I swallowed the whole book in one sitting, skipping breakfast, lunch and dinner; I just couldn't put it down. Fantastic, engrossing, with tension that grips you and doesn't let go until the very last page. And the descriptions! Just so incredibly vivid and captivating, I felt like I was watching a movie adaptation in my head.

I absolutely loved the protagonist, Hetty, and her resolution to save her friend. Her narration was as relatable as a narration from a 16 yo pov can be, with coming to terms with her own sexuality, while also trying to survive a horrific apocalypse and a disease that is disfiguring her. But! Even more so, I loved Byatt's chapters. They are so just so juicily haunting and frankly terrifying! I'm not sure I entirely understand what happened to her at the end, but the open-ending didn't bother me whatsoever. I think it's the perfect resolution for such a gruesome, yet deeply touching story. I would recommend it not just for the YA audience but anyone interested in sci-fi and horror!

Thank you, netgalley, for the ARC!

I really enjoyed how suspenseful this book was. The only complaint that I have was that I did not really enjoy Byatt's POV. I understand the necessity of it however I just found the writing to be too difficult to follow with no separate sentences at times.

I'm not usually a fan of horror, but Wilder Girls was absolutely mesmerizing. The writing is beautiful and gripping; the characters fierce and unforgettable; and the story itself reminded me of a strange mashup of The Walls Around Us and Annihilation. The body horror in the story is gory, grim and hard to read, but one of the characters memorably says, "I'be been looking for it all my life--a storm in my body to match the one in my head." An unforgettable debut.

This book is wonderful. Its a fast paced feminist horror romp full of a mysterious illness called Tox and girls would will do whatever it takes to survive in a brutal world. Honestly it was really interesting to read this book because on one hand you want to know more about the mysterious illness that either kills or deforms. But on the other hand you love the main characters too much to want to see them come too close to the illness. Its a real page turner!

It started out small. Flowers. Crabs. Fascinating but not too concerning. At least until it moved on to bigger victims.

They call it the Tox. Whatever it is that is mutating and killing them off one by one. Some girls grow extra appendages. Some develop a second heart beat. Some get gills. Some die. No one walks away unscathed.

But even with the challenges life has settled into a sort of dreary monotony. Food is scarce but still regularly shipped in. There's no cable or internet but they still have a safe school and grounds to wander during the day. It's just a waiting game for a cure.

Or at least it was.

This book kept me reading long past the point I should have been fast asleep because I desperately needed to know what was going to happen to these girls. These flawed, damaged, wonderful, terrible, brave and terrified girls. They've lost so many to the Tox but they are soldiering on and even trying to take care of each other as they slog through the days. They are so delightfully human and relatable that it was easy to put myself right in the middle of the action and get completely lost in this story.

Wow! This book was something else. I really enjoyed the story, and was kind of simultaneously weirded out and fascinated by the fact that these girls were just living life with the Tox. This horrible thing happened and they just adapted and did what they had to do. I was slightly reminded of The Troop while reading, but this was a thousand times better!

Whoa. That is one heckin' good book.
YA feminist horror.
I will keep thinking about this one for a long time. So eerie.

Can't wait for more from this author!

Wow, upon finishing this I want to know more!

I love dystopian fiction, this book is definitely in that category. However I feel like it could be a middle grade gateway to the medical thriller genre as well.

The tox has taken over, the girls at school all manifest different symptoms that could give you nightmares....

Will Hetty and Reese find Byatt and survive the Tox?

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. Strong female character with great imagery and a creeping and unsettling atmosphere. The second half felt a bit rushed for me, and I would've enjoyed a bit more work on the supporting characters. It felt like there were too many secondary characters who never felt fleshed out. Besides that I really enjoyed the suspense and thrill of the story. I would highly recommend to readers who enjoyed Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand, or Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick.

A wonderfully strange and unique book that will have you wondering what genre that it should be in. I loved the strong female characters and how they work together. It has suspense, horror, and plot twists that will keep you up all night long.