A review by lauren_shilling
Wilder Girls by Rory Power

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was incredible! I was actually shocked by how much I enjoyed it! I haven't been enjoying YA books as much recently, and this isn't usually my favorite genre, but this book really reminded me why it's so important to step out of my comfort zone and read books I wouldn't normally pick up. This book is sapphic and feminist and just so incredibly good. I loved how the author chose to handle the relationships between all of the girls in this book, and not just the main character and her two friends. I loved how all of the girls interacted, and how it was clear that morals were so blurry because of everything the girls were going through. I absolutely loved following Hetty. She was such an interesting character, because it's clear she is a very good person who is forced into a situation where good people aren't always the ones who make it, so she has to adapt in ways a person should never have to do. Despite that, her capacity to love remains in tact, and she loves her friends so deeply. She is one of my favorite main characters of the year, I think, and she really made this book for me. The sapphic elements of this book were amazing too, and I think keeping it to a minimum was a good choice in this story. While I did love the slight romance happening, it really took a backseat because of everything else going on in the story. While this might be seen as a negative for some people, I really loved how it played out. A romance really should not be a priority when in a situation like this, and I liked how the characters did seem to acknowledge that in a minimal way. They were much more focused on everything happening around them, but their feelings for each other were still very much there. I loved how it shone through sometimes, because it felt like a glimpse into what should be instead of what is, as well as into the humanity of two people who's humanity was oftentimes in question. Every character in this book is, in some way, morally gray, and I found it so interesting to decipher which ones are that way because that's just who they are and which ones are that way because they're forced to be. The ending of this book was absolutely perfect in my opinion. It was wonderfully done. Before getting to the final few chapters, I was leaning towards giving this book a somewhere between 4 and a 4.5 stars, but after I finished it, I knew it was definitely a five star. I really loved this book, and I would highly recommend it!
Also, side note, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. It's one of my favorite covers I've ever seen.
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