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onceuponanisabel
First of all, I want to say that this was probably one of the most original stories I've read in a long time. I was struck from the beginning by how different the story was, and also now having finished it, how well it was executed.
So what's it about?
Best friends Hetty, Byatt, and Reese live at Raxter school on an island, where they've been quarantined after the entire school came down with a mysterious disease called the Tox, which has already ravaged all of the rest of the life on the island. The girls of the school are desperately trying to survive on extremely limited food and despite the mutated monsters of the island while they wait for the Navy and the CDC to find a cure.
That's only the premise, but I'm not actually going to get into the plot at all because I absolutely refuse to spoil anything. But let me just tell you, shit hits the fan.
What did I think?
The writing style is a tad unusual, but it reminded me a lot of my favorites of my own writing (which I can never really maintain for more than a few paragraphs and somehow Rory Power made happen for a whole book). I can see that it might put some readers off, but I absolutely loved it.
We're thrown into the action from the beginning, which is odd for a story about an infection. The disease has already come, it's already infected everyone at Raxter before the book even begins, which is another thing I loved. It might be more obvious to begin when the disease first arrives, but Wilder Girls takes the road less traveled and it's excellent. We have to decipher relationships between characters that have years of trauma-laden history, which is another thing that could have gone wrong, could have been too confusing, but was AMAZING. I just...I'm blown away by this book, honestly.
ARC provided via NetGalley
So what's it about?
Best friends Hetty, Byatt, and Reese live at Raxter school on an island, where they've been quarantined after the entire school came down with a mysterious disease called the Tox, which has already ravaged all of the rest of the life on the island. The girls of the school are desperately trying to survive on extremely limited food and despite the mutated monsters of the island while they wait for the Navy and the CDC to find a cure.
That's only the premise, but I'm not actually going to get into the plot at all because I absolutely refuse to spoil anything. But let me just tell you, shit hits the fan.
What did I think?
The writing style is a tad unusual, but it reminded me a lot of my favorites of my own writing (which I can never really maintain for more than a few paragraphs and somehow Rory Power made happen for a whole book). I can see that it might put some readers off, but I absolutely loved it.
We're thrown into the action from the beginning, which is odd for a story about an infection. The disease has already come, it's already infected everyone at Raxter before the book even begins, which is another thing I loved. It might be more obvious to begin when the disease first arrives, but Wilder Girls takes the road less traveled and it's excellent. We have to decipher relationships between characters that have years of trauma-laden history, which is another thing that could have gone wrong, could have been too confusing, but was AMAZING. I just...I'm blown away by this book, honestly.
ARC provided via NetGalley
I. Adore. Rory. Power.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of [b:Wilder Girls|42505366|Wilder Girls|Rory Power|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544204706l/42505366._SY75_.jpg|58031034] last spring -- it was one of the first ARCs I ever reviewed and it has a special place in my heart, both for starting my ARC reviewing journey, but also introducing me to a person I was sure was going to be a new favorite author.
Burn Our Bodies Down didn't disappoint.
A much more personal story about a girl named Margot who tries to untangle the mysterious web of a family she's only just discovered, Burn Our Bodies Down was at once very familiar and incredibly creepy.
The small town, midwest setting was such a good touch for me right now, as a homesick Midwestern girl living a thousand miles away, and there were so many moments that Power just hit the nail on the head so perfectly and made me so nostalgic for summers at my grandparents' house and just frolicking among the corn.
I wouldn't say that Margot (or really anyone in this story, to be honest) is all that likable as a protagonist, but she's unflinchingly real. She's running from a strained relationship with her mother, and trying desperately to get out from under the unhealthy upbringing she's been dealt. Even as she's noticing all of these disconnects in her life and all of these creepy things happening, she's ignoring them with all her might, because all she wants is a family who will love her unconditionally, the way she's never been loved before. Her denial of the eerie happenings isn't stupid or ignorant, it's just heartbreaking.
I still love the way Power writes -- it feels so organic and lyrical. I can see why some people don't like it; it's pretty non-traditional. But I mentioned in my review of Wilder Girls that Power's writing feels like if I was capable of stretching the best of my own writing into an entire book, and it's a joy to read. This sophomore book is very different from the first -- more personal drama, less action, more creepiness and mystery, less straight-up horror. But honestly, somehow, I liked it better. I look forward with excitement for Power's future work. Thank you for the corn book.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of [b:Wilder Girls|42505366|Wilder Girls|Rory Power|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544204706l/42505366._SY75_.jpg|58031034] last spring -- it was one of the first ARCs I ever reviewed and it has a special place in my heart, both for starting my ARC reviewing journey, but also introducing me to a person I was sure was going to be a new favorite author.
Burn Our Bodies Down didn't disappoint.
A much more personal story about a girl named Margot who tries to untangle the mysterious web of a family she's only just discovered, Burn Our Bodies Down was at once very familiar and incredibly creepy.
The small town, midwest setting was such a good touch for me right now, as a homesick Midwestern girl living a thousand miles away, and there were so many moments that Power just hit the nail on the head so perfectly and made me so nostalgic for summers at my grandparents' house and just frolicking among the corn.
I wouldn't say that Margot (or really anyone in this story, to be honest) is all that likable as a protagonist, but she's unflinchingly real. She's running from a strained relationship with her mother, and trying desperately to get out from under the unhealthy upbringing she's been dealt. Even as she's noticing all of these disconnects in her life and all of these creepy things happening, she's ignoring them with all her might, because all she wants is a family who will love her unconditionally, the way she's never been loved before. Her denial of the eerie happenings isn't stupid or ignorant, it's just heartbreaking.
I still love the way Power writes -- it feels so organic and lyrical. I can see why some people don't like it; it's pretty non-traditional. But I mentioned in my review of Wilder Girls that Power's writing feels like if I was capable of stretching the best of my own writing into an entire book, and it's a joy to read. This sophomore book is very different from the first -- more personal drama, less action, more creepiness and mystery, less straight-up horror. But honestly, somehow, I liked it better. I look forward with excitement for Power's future work. Thank you for the corn book.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Found family? Check.
Puzzle solving and heists galore? Check.
Alllll the ships? Check.
A delightful cast all of whom I love? Check.
I really loved this book, especially the characters. They're all so different and yet so lovable. My only beef is pretty much what everyone's been saying, which was that it took a while for the world-building to really work for me? Like I was pretty confused for a good bit at the beginning, but I'm so glad I stuck with it. Yeah, this book was tropy, but how can I say no to all my favorite tropes?
Especially looking forward to the addition of one of my favorites (fake couple) in the next book.
Actually, I changed my mind. I have one more beef, but it's pretty spoilerific so I saved it for the end.
Puzzle solving and heists galore? Check.
Alllll the ships? Check.
A delightful cast all of whom I love? Check.
I really loved this book, especially the characters. They're all so different and yet so lovable. My only beef is pretty much what everyone's been saying, which was that it took a while for the world-building to really work for me? Like I was pretty confused for a good bit at the beginning, but I'm so glad I stuck with it. Yeah, this book was tropy, but how can I say no to all my favorite tropes?
Especially looking forward to the addition of one of my favorites (fake couple) in the next book.
Actually, I changed my mind. I have one more beef, but it's pretty spoilerific so I saved it for the end.
