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challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Depressingly underwhelmed by this. Was so excited based on the synopsis and reviews, but this was a huge flop for me.
I was bored of the single plot point by 40% in, but stuck with it hoping for redemption. The last 20% saved it TBH. The only *action*/suspense in the story. Had so much potential, just fell short. Didn't care about any of the MC's until the end.
I was bored of the single plot point by 40% in, but stuck with it hoping for redemption. The last 20% saved it TBH. The only *action*/suspense in the story. Had so much potential, just fell short. Didn't care about any of the MC's until the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Kidnapping
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Car accident, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
WILDERNESS is an incredible examination of what it means to be a teenage girl in a world designed to harm us…and how to overcome the challenges we face to carve out our own space.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Cannibalism, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I requested The Wilderness of Girls knowing that it was a young adult debut novel about teenage girls who were living in the woods with wolves. The premise intrigued me, but I have to say I was not expecting to be wowed by a YA novel. Ever since I have been reading YA as an adult, I find that they usually don’t explore themes as deeply as I would like, that there’s usually an unnecessary romance, a focus on plot over character building, etc. However, The Wilderness of Girls defied my expectations.
The novel is very character-focused. The narrator is third person omniscient, so the reader can understand what all the main characters of the story are feeling/thinking. We see their bonds strengthen, weaken, become tangled with frustration and confusion, all for different reasons such as abuse, what it means to be family, media, societal expectations, and toxic masculinity. There are the proclaimed “wild girls” who are found in the forest, but other characters also show characteristics of “wildness” and explore what this means within society. The characters all experience a lot of emotional turmoil that ends up changing how they set the world and the man who took them from their homes.
I would only recommend this for mature teens, and adults would enjoy this too. TRIGGER WARNINGS: RAPE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, CANNIBALISM, DOMESTIC ABUSE, EATING DISORDER, SUICIDE
I requested The Wilderness of Girls knowing that it was a young adult debut novel about teenage girls who were living in the woods with wolves. The premise intrigued me, but I have to say I was not expecting to be wowed by a YA novel. Ever since I have been reading YA as an adult, I find that they usually don’t explore themes as deeply as I would like, that there’s usually an unnecessary romance, a focus on plot over character building, etc. However, The Wilderness of Girls defied my expectations.
The novel is very character-focused. The narrator is third person omniscient, so the reader can understand what all the main characters of the story are feeling/thinking. We see their bonds strengthen, weaken, become tangled with frustration and confusion, all for different reasons such as abuse, what it means to be family, media, societal expectations, and toxic masculinity. There are the proclaimed “wild girls” who are found in the forest, but other characters also show characteristics of “wildness” and explore what this means within society. The characters all experience a lot of emotional turmoil that ends up changing how they set the world and the man who took them from their homes.
I would only recommend this for mature teens, and adults would enjoy this too. TRIGGER WARNINGS: RAPE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, CANNIBALISM, DOMESTIC ABUSE, EATING DISORDER, SUICIDE
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent