The Wilderness of Girls – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: emotional, fantasy, dark, mystery, friendship.
YA book title: The Wilderness of Girls.
YA author: Madeline Claire Franklin.
Genre: Teen fiction, fantasy.
Published by: Chicken House.
ISBN: 9781915947857
Recommended for children aged: 16+ year-olds.
First published: Paperback January 2025.
This children’s book is ideal for: Dark fantasy fans.
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Our review:
Bound together by chance – perhaps – are five girls, each powerful yet fragile in their own ways. Deep in the wild forest, Rhi discovers Verity, Sunder, Epiphanie, and Oblivienne. These four sisters are rumoured to have been kidnapped, abused, or brainwashed; they cling to each other and to a complex fantasy of other worlds and destiny.
Battling her own demons, Rhi makes a commitment to herself and the sisters to help them navigate the new world they find themselves in. A stunning revelation of Verity’s connection to Happy Valley – the small American town where the sisters have been taken – tears them apart. Oblivienne struggles to reconcile discoveries about the real world with the tales of their ‘Mother’. Sunder clings to her memories and resists, sometimes fighting tooth and nail against the changes in her sisters. Epiphanie desperately tries to hold their fragile bond together.
Confusion, denial, anger, and power rage within each of these characters; some will thrive, while others may drown.
The Wilderness of Girls is a dark, emotional journey through anxiety, depression, and sisterhood. The author includes trigger warnings for PTSD, suicide, sexual assault, family violence, and disordered eating. Though heartbreaking at times, this novel is a powerful portrayal of female strength and resilience.
Many thanks to Chicken House for the review copy.
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