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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
3.5 Stars
I'm a hard sell on dystopian books, but I do love a good Lord of the Flies retelling. I loved the concept of this book, and the relationships between the girls. But I think I just wanted... more? I wanted to know why the virus was there. I wanted to know how it affected society more. We just got a hint of it and that's always my favorite part of a dystopian book.
Watch the vlog where I read the book here! - https://youtu.be/kpdBE-lWxpQ?si=WMFT7QYbh5WFC0tI
I'm a hard sell on dystopian books, but I do love a good Lord of the Flies retelling. I loved the concept of this book, and the relationships between the girls. But I think I just wanted... more? I wanted to know why the virus was there. I wanted to know how it affected society more. We just got a hint of it and that's always my favorite part of a dystopian book.
Watch the vlog where I read the book here! - https://youtu.be/kpdBE-lWxpQ?si=WMFT7QYbh5WFC0tI
Wilder Girls is atmospheric and haunting; its main characters are dynamic and vicious and a joy to read. What Rory Power does with the narration when it switches point of view is brilliant and breathtaking. Gripping, surprising, and disturbing, this book had me gasping out loud on public transit.
The writing is lyrical and also painful; soft and flowing yet capable of punching you in the gut at any moment. Every word feels well-placed. Much like the girls themselves, turning into monsters, there is something beautiful and something dangerous about this book.
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The writing is lyrical and also painful; soft and flowing yet capable of punching you in the gut at any moment. Every word feels well-placed. Much like the girls themselves, turning into monsters, there is something beautiful and something dangerous about this book.
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The first half slapped, with the vague lord of the flies meets grace year vibes, and a mutation/plague and isolation from the world, but the second half and ESPECIALLY the ending did not deliver and left everything up in the air, but not in a cool way, in a "I needed to finish this book and I had no idea how to" way.
Giving 2 stars because this book started off strong, the ending, would be negative stars if possible.
We have an all girls school on an island. The Tox hit 18 months ago, it effects all the girls differently. Some died right away, one has a second heart, one has a second spine, some have gills, one has lost an eye. The two older women that have survived, the head mistress and one teacher both bleed and puss from their mouths.
So detailed, so horrific, I want to know more. What is the Tox? Where did it come from? Is it anywhere else? What are the Navy and CDC doing to help find a cure?
Hetty is our main character, the story heavily involves her best friend Byatt and a third girl Reese. Hetty is selected for boat guard, she now goes with the one teacher left and 2 other girls to get supplies left by the Navy. They have to go through the dangerous woods, everything in the Forrest from the trees to the animals are also impacted by the Tox, nothing is innocent or safe.
This is where she starts to learn things are not all as they seem.
Food provided is thrown into the ocean, their teacher tells them it is bad for them, but doesn't tell them why.
Now Byatt goes missing, Hetty overhears her teacher on the walkie talkie and knows they are doing something sinister with Byatt, now she is on a mission with Reese to find her.
Up to now, I'm all in. Tell me more, I'm ready for it.
Then the book goes off the rails. So much happens so quickly I had to pause and go back multiple times because I thought I missed something, but I didn't it just jumps from event to event quickly with no transition or sense.
Byatt now gets chapters, she is in some sort of hospital, doctors are testing her, giving her medication. Now she has no ability to speak for no reason, her voice is too dangerous? What the hell happened? Again no explanation to where she is or what is happening to her.
We get tidbits of what the Tox is (a parasite), how long it has been on the island (apparently years before it infected anyone), but we never get a full picture, we have to try to piece together what we know with what is hinted at. So much is left unsaid.
When an author is writing about something like this, I want the science behind it (even if I don't understand) give me an explanation of how this is happening, give me more.
Then the book suddenly ends.
I don't want to say what happens, but it makes NO sense to end it this way, it was just awful. I don't recommend.
I could go on more about the potential of this book, but oof... the potential was lost in my opinion.
We have an all girls school on an island. The Tox hit 18 months ago, it effects all the girls differently. Some died right away, one has a second heart, one has a second spine, some have gills, one has lost an eye. The two older women that have survived, the head mistress and one teacher both bleed and puss from their mouths.
So detailed, so horrific, I want to know more. What is the Tox? Where did it come from? Is it anywhere else? What are the Navy and CDC doing to help find a cure?
Hetty is our main character, the story heavily involves her best friend Byatt and a third girl Reese. Hetty is selected for boat guard, she now goes with the one teacher left and 2 other girls to get supplies left by the Navy. They have to go through the dangerous woods, everything in the Forrest from the trees to the animals are also impacted by the Tox, nothing is innocent or safe.
This is where she starts to learn things are not all as they seem.
Food provided is thrown into the ocean, their teacher tells them it is bad for them, but doesn't tell them why.
Now Byatt goes missing, Hetty overhears her teacher on the walkie talkie and knows they are doing something sinister with Byatt, now she is on a mission with Reese to find her.
Up to now, I'm all in. Tell me more, I'm ready for it.
Then the book goes off the rails. So much happens so quickly I had to pause and go back multiple times because I thought I missed something, but I didn't it just jumps from event to event quickly with no transition or sense.
Byatt now gets chapters, she is in some sort of hospital, doctors are testing her, giving her medication. Now she has no ability to speak for no reason, her voice is too dangerous? What the hell happened? Again no explanation to where she is or what is happening to her.
We get tidbits of what the Tox is (a parasite), how long it has been on the island (apparently years before it infected anyone), but we never get a full picture, we have to try to piece together what we know with what is hinted at. So much is left unsaid.
When an author is writing about something like this, I want the science behind it (even if I don't understand) give me an explanation of how this is happening, give me more.
Then the book suddenly ends.
I don't want to say what happens, but it makes NO sense to end it this way, it was just awful. I don't recommend.
I could go on more about the potential of this book, but oof... the potential was lost in my opinion.
despite ending and that its a series ill probably never read the second book of
“Reese and Byatt, they’re mine and I’m theirs.” wilder girls was one of my most anticipated releases and it did not disappoint! the story feels so incredibly vivid that i spent the entire time picturing my dream tv adaptation (pls universe give it to me) (in particular i kept seeing willa fitzgerald as welch, perhaps because of the book’s megan abbott vibes~). definitely my favourite read of the year
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
The most cliché book I've read in a loooooong while. Mostly felt like a badly written story I would have found on wattpad some years ago.
Plot holes, no definite ending, so many things mentioned once and then never again. The gory description were mostly well done and they were the only aspect that I liked in an otherwise incredibly predictable and unoriginal (sorry) novel
Also I found the protagonists quite annoying but it might be cause at the end I just wanted the book to finish and reading their thoughts was more of a drag than anything
Plot holes, no definite ending, so many things mentioned once and then never again. The gory description were mostly well done and they were the only aspect that I liked in an otherwise incredibly predictable and unoriginal (sorry) novel
Also I found the protagonists quite annoying but it might be cause at the end I just wanted the book to finish and reading their thoughts was more of a drag than anything
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes