A review by lisett
The Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

You know a book is truly addictive when you can't be bothered by the hurricane so rudely raging outside, even as the power goes out, and on, back out, and on again (STOP FLICKERING I'M TRYING TO READ!), trees crash down, limbs narrowly missing your car and taking out part of your fence. Thanks, Hurricane Helene, we now have enough firewood to last us the next 20 years!

Is this a book I would recommend to everyone? Nope. Trigger Warning: It touches on just about every sensitive topic including complex PTSD, suicide, body shaming, emotional abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, cannibalism, and the loss of a parent.

I admire Franklin's writing. She handled these very sensitive topics with care, even going as far as providing readers a preemptive warning and advising us "take care of your personal well-being" before beginning. I wish more writers would do this. It would help me decide if I'm in the right mindset to read such heavy subject matters.

Rhi lost her mom at a very young age, her stepmother is abusive, starves and body shames Rhi, which her cold and emotionally detached father does nothing to stop until he is arrested and Rhi is sent to live with her Uncle Jimmy, her late mother's brother. Uncle Jimmy is the real hero of this story, kind, loving, and understanding. He shows Rhi that true kindest exists even after all she's been through.

While working at a wildlife preserve, Rhi stumbles on wolves protecting a distressed pack of wild young women. One of them is injured by an illegal animal trap, and Rhi helps rescue the girls and earns their trust. She soon discovers they were raised by a mysterious man in the wilderness, some self-proclaimed "prophet" who taught them they were Princesses from another realm, destined to save their kingdoms.

But when the girls are torn from their life of absolute freedom, they are separated, put into foster care, forced to abandon all of their beliefs, and become civilized. This book is emotional, heart-wrenching, and inspiring. Definitely not for everyone, but I loved it.

My rating? 4.5 stars. Why not 5? I was left wanting more resolution about the girls' origins and the real identity of "Mother," the man who raised them. Those questions were never fully answered. Aside from that, this was a wonderful read that I won't forget any time soon. 
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