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aparnaprab's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.25
i want three hours of my life back. this was. an experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Child death, Confinement, and Murder
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Self harm
there was so. much. blood.jiji_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Anyone beginning this should go in clear-eyed about what this book is and isn't. Setting aside the pastel cover with flowers and "Girls" in the title, this is a horror story. It isn't a cute or silly YA cozy mystery. There are no butterflies-in-the-stomach love triangles in math class. This is gory, dark, and deeply disturbing. If that's not your thing, don't start this, DNF it, and rate it poorly because you thought it was something it isn't.
If this IS your thing, like it is mine, you're going to love this. On top of a deeply twisted, creeping dread of a plot, Power's writing is beautiful. It's poetic. It shocks at times, the poetry in the terror. It's brutal and fast-paced with no time to take a breath. At times I wished it were longer, but then I don't know if my heart and stomach could take much more. It's part zombie-apocalypse (kinda). It's part science thriller. It's part school girl survivalist drama. It's part warning. It's all good.
If this IS your thing, like it is mine, you're going to love this. On top of a deeply twisted, creeping dread of a plot, Power's writing is beautiful. It's poetic. It shocks at times, the poetry in the terror. It's brutal and fast-paced with no time to take a breath. At times I wished it were longer, but then I don't know if my heart and stomach could take much more. It's part zombie-apocalypse (kinda). It's part science thriller. It's part school girl survivalist drama. It's part warning. It's all good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Vomit, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault and Incest
scourtheatlas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Suicide, Death of parent, Gore, Body horror, and Violence
Minor: Torture
mpbookreviews's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Blood, Child death, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Suicide
theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
We come into the story in what feels like the middle of everything, but eventually you gather enough of an understanding about what’s happened.
This book is labeled as LGBTQIA+ but honestly that’s barely touched on. The protagonist has a deeper connection with her best friend than she does with the girl she “like” likes.
One thing that really bothered me was how the protagonist was placed in a leadership roll but abandoned everyone except for her crush and her best friend. Not a moment’s thought was spared for any of the other girls at the school and that really put me off her character. We never learn what happens to the girls left defending themselves at the school, but we can guess.
The horrors weren’t horrifying, the thrills weren’t thrilling, the gore was graphic but I maybe only wrinkled my nose once or twice. All this is coming from someone who scares easily and can’t read scary books at night.
The author uses the word “undos” instead of “undoes” and I don’t know why but it bothered me enough to complain to a friend about how to use the word.
The ending didn’t bother me at all but I can see how it would upset others who enjoyed the book more than I did.
All in all, this book was just okay for me. It wasn’t bad by any means, but I really struggled to like any of it.
This book is labeled as LGBTQIA+ but honestly that’s barely touched on. The protagonist has a deeper connection with her best friend than she does with the girl she “like” likes.
The horrors weren’t horrifying, the thrills weren’t thrilling, the gore was graphic but I maybe only wrinkled my nose once or twice. All this is coming from someone who scares easily and can’t read scary books at night.
The author uses the word “undos” instead of “undoes” and I don’t know why but it bothered me enough to complain to a friend about how to use the word.
The ending didn’t bother me at all but I can see how it would upset others who enjoyed the book more than I did.
All in all, this book was just okay for me. It wasn’t bad by any means, but I really struggled to like any of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Gore
scottish_fold's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The setting was great. But then suspense could be improved. Also, the ending just wasnt satisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Violence
jmcampbell57's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Chronic illness, and Medical content
Moderate: Suicide and Death
savagemoose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, Blood, Gun violence, Animal death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, and Body horror
Moderate: Terminal illness and Gaslighting
wolfstackdocks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Wilder Girls is a book that I’d been meaning to read since it came out, and it’s about what I expected.
It’s somewhat dual perspective (which I think could’ve been done better with either more of Byatt’s perspective or none at all — following the perspective of the girls as a whole), but it’s not something that set me off the book. It took me 2-3 chapters to finally get invested in the story, but it was a pretty quick read once I did. I like the Tox — I like what it represents to have each girl experience it differently, and while there are warnings of body horror and gore, it’s pretty surface level — it is YA.
It’s somewhat dual perspective (which I think could’ve been done better with either more of Byatt’s perspective or none at all — following the perspective of the girls as a whole), but it’s not something that set me off the book. It took me 2-3 chapters to finally get invested in the story, but it was a pretty quick read once I did. I like the Tox — I like what it represents to have each girl experience it differently, and while there are warnings of body horror and gore, it’s pretty surface level — it is YA.
There’s a fair amount of implied/off-screen character development, things we don't get to see ourselves but watch the MC find out about other characters, which is underwhelming.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the ending. It’s a book I might recommend to a high schooler, and I definitely wish I had read it when I first meant to because it probably would’ve been rated higher.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Gore, Death, Blood, Body horror, Vomit, Death of parent, and Violence
_morgreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Body horror
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Death, Confinement, Blood, Gore, and Vomit