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A review by athenajpeg
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
As someone whose seen a good deal of gory movies and violent scenes in books, this one scratched a very different itch for me. Every shocking moment hit a different emotional beat, and the stakes were tangibly present. Content warnings abound here for... just about any sort of bodily harm you can think of, so keep that in mind if you check it out.
What struck me most throughout was the tone, which is distant and straight to the point, but in a way that makes overwhelmingly clear how adjusted the characters are to their cruel world and its dwindling hopes. Dystopia is the new ordinary, and the characters are confined to their living space by fear of the mysterious toxin that kills and disfigues all it touches...
I'm glad I read it before coronavirus hit. Might be a different experience to re-read today.
Also doubles as the book that made me realize I'm a sucker for cheesy romance tropes if its sapphic. This subplot isn't center stage, but its nice to have queer characters that aren't defined by a relationship.
Edit: I have to say after revisiting this book, it doesn't really hold up. The characters were much more flat and frustrating than I remembered, falling into the same flaws over and over in ways they didn't grow through. Also, lots of notes taken directly from Annihilation with less substance. The concept is still really neat but theres just better horror stories and better queer romances than this has to offer.
What struck me most throughout was the tone, which is distant and straight to the point, but in a way that makes overwhelmingly clear how adjusted the characters are to their cruel world and its dwindling hopes. Dystopia is the new ordinary, and the characters are confined to their living space by fear of the mysterious toxin that kills and disfigues all it touches...
I'm glad I read it before coronavirus hit. Might be a different experience to re-read today.
Also doubles as the book that made me realize I'm a sucker for cheesy romance tropes if its sapphic. This subplot isn't center stage, but its nice to have queer characters that aren't defined by a relationship.
Edit: I have to say after revisiting this book, it doesn't really hold up. The characters were much more flat and frustrating than I remembered, falling into the same flaws over and over in ways they didn't grow through. Also, lots of notes taken directly from Annihilation with less substance. The concept is still really neat but theres just better horror stories and better queer romances than this has to offer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Terminal illness, and Torture