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.

A riveting read. Read through it in two days. Killer twists and turns. A sure fire hit with the teen crowd! Will be purchasing!!

Wilder Girls

Where do I even begin?

Well, to be honest the cover is what caught my attention. It’s gorgeous and I couldn’t keep my eyes off it. Am I right? Kudos to the artist. Then I read the tag line “a feminist Lord of the Flies” and I immediately requested the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for allowing me the pleasure of reading this digital ARC.

Rory Power is a phenomenal author. Her style of writing, choice of words, the way in which she thrusts you into a completely foreign setting with very little context—confusing, yet not so confused that you become frustrated—all of it makes for such a wonderful experience. I found myself rereading lines and whole sections because I was in that much awe of what an incredible writer she is. Rory, if you’re reading this, fingers crossed book 2 is in the works, and I’d be more than happy to advance read it because I do not want to wait that long before diving into another one of your books.

Onto what makes this book stand out (aside from the writing itself): The plot line is unique and intriguing from page one. It pulls you into the story, keeps you guessing, and has elements of mystery and surprise interwoven throughout each chapter. Strong female leads are another powerful element. The characters are so full of life, jumping of the page, you feel like you really know them, and you’re affected when things don’t go their way. Power has a way of sticking so closely to the POV in which she is writing that you find yourself so engrossed with being in the moment of the story as it unfolds. So often, writers can’t help but be “writerly” and throw in unnecessary scenes just for the purpose of beautiful writing, when all that really does is pull the reader out of the story. The setting is a character in and of itself—the remote island boarding school is alive and I could picture every moment so clearly in my mind.

Wilder Girls symbolized everything I love about being a reader. Part mystery, part sci-fi, part horror and all amazing. It’s young adult with moderate violence, so this book is geared toward high school readers. I urge you to pick this one up the minute it hits the shelves.