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laurasmash's review
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
uglybitterandtilda's review against another edition
4.0
critically speaking, i feel like i shouldn’t be giving this book 4 stars just based on the sheer amount of concepts that get introduced and then never followed up on again - it’s frustrating to look back on how many potential storylines fell flat before they could develop into something cool and interesting - however i don’t rate books on pure analysis i rate them based on how good of a time i had while reading them and reading this one was a BLAST!! solid pacing, deep and believable character bonds, plenty of action, gorgeous visuals, and more than enough body horror to keep my stomach churning throughout. could’ve done with a map and a bit more lesbianism but other than that i was gripped. when this inevitably gets developed into a major tv series i just hope they do justice to the giant bear with half its face melted off.
mizzlroy's review against another edition
3.0
If I’m being completely honest I was expecting this book to blow me away and it just didn’t deliver. It is possible that all the hype made my expectations too high, but I wasn’t super impressed by this one. The story was interesting, but it didn’t really hook me. I am also incredibly frustrated with what feels like a very unfinished ending. I’m not sure I would recommend this to others.
radspeedio's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
lotagi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I love a good sapphic thriller but wish the ending wasn’t left so open. Like where’s the sequel???? I have questions!!
noahjhammond's review against another edition
3.0
It has taken me about six or so months to finish this book. While an interesting premise I really wanted to like, I just could not find many redeeming factors to keep me hooked. I was determined to not let this become a DNF because I had high hopes. I love the sapphic horror subgenre just because of my adoration to the show Yellowjackets. Unlike this tv show, the characters had relatively little dimension and kept me from becoming engrossed.
isabelbrieler's review against another edition
5.0
First of all, I want to say that this was probably one of the most original stories I've read in a long time. I was struck from the beginning by how different the story was, and also now having finished it, how well it was executed.
So what's it about?
Best friends Hetty, Byatt, and Reese live at Raxter school on an island, where they've been quarantined after the entire school came down with a mysterious disease called the Tox, which has already ravaged all of the rest of the life on the island. The girls of the school are desperately trying to survive on extremely limited food and despite the mutated monsters of the island while they wait for the Navy and the CDC to find a cure.
That's only the premise, but I'm not actually going to get into the plot at all because I absolutely refuse to spoil anything. But let me just tell you, shit hits the fan.
What did I think?
The writing style is a tad unusual, but it reminded me a lot of my favorites of my own writing (which I can never really maintain for more than a few paragraphs and somehow Rory Power made happen for a whole book). I can see that it might put some readers off, but I absolutely loved it.
We're thrown into the action from the beginning, which is odd for a story about an infection. The disease has already come, it's already infected everyone at Raxter before the book even begins, which is another thing I loved. It might be more obvious to begin when the disease first arrives, but Wilder Girls takes the road less traveled and it's excellent. We have to decipher relationships between characters that have years of trauma-laden history, which is another thing that could have gone wrong, could have been too confusing, but was AMAZING. I just...I'm blown away by this book, honestly.
ARC provided via NetGalley
So what's it about?
Best friends Hetty, Byatt, and Reese live at Raxter school on an island, where they've been quarantined after the entire school came down with a mysterious disease called the Tox, which has already ravaged all of the rest of the life on the island. The girls of the school are desperately trying to survive on extremely limited food and despite the mutated monsters of the island while they wait for the Navy and the CDC to find a cure.
That's only the premise, but I'm not actually going to get into the plot at all because I absolutely refuse to spoil anything. But let me just tell you, shit hits the fan.
What did I think?
The writing style is a tad unusual, but it reminded me a lot of my favorites of my own writing (which I can never really maintain for more than a few paragraphs and somehow Rory Power made happen for a whole book). I can see that it might put some readers off, but I absolutely loved it.
We're thrown into the action from the beginning, which is odd for a story about an infection. The disease has already come, it's already infected everyone at Raxter before the book even begins, which is another thing I loved. It might be more obvious to begin when the disease first arrives, but Wilder Girls takes the road less traveled and it's excellent. We have to decipher relationships between characters that have years of trauma-laden history, which is another thing that could have gone wrong, could have been too confusing, but was AMAZING. I just...I'm blown away by this book, honestly.
ARC provided via NetGalley
chikidude's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kpeps's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I love a puberty metaphor, especially in the horror genre!
aydanf's review against another edition
4.0
I am going to give this book a 4.5 rounded up because it was so good. HOLY CANNOLI, Power did a phenomenal job of creating such a haunting environment and sense of fear in this book. It was so good, the reveals were completely unexpected (at least for me) and exhilarating. The fact that the RAX was caused by the climate crisis makes this book just a little bit more haunting than it already was. The ending did leave me unsatisfied but then again this book is meant to be upsetting and disturbing so it does make sense. AHHH so good I highly recommend!