A Dystopian World
Kathryn Phillips
Sixteen-year-old Hetty’s life at Raxter School for Girls, a boarding school on a small island off the coast of Maine, hasn’t been the same since a deadly virus called the Tox has reigned terror on the school and put the island under strict quarantine. A year in, most of the girls are used to their new life. But when her best friend, Byatt, disappears from the infirmary after a flare up of the Tox, Hetty knows something isn’t right. Along with her classmate Reese, Hetty launches a secret investigation into who took Byatt, where the Tox really came from, and who on the island is hiding ulterior motives.
The reason I loved Wilder Girls by Rory Power was the world building. The interesting concept combined with Power’s frank, thoughtful descriptions pull you into the world of the Tox. One example of this is the wildlife on the island, which has become vicious and deadly since the Tox. On the first page, a coyote is described as, “Something. Way out in the white-dark. Between the trees, moving where the thickets swarm. You can see it from the roof, the way the brush bends around it as it rustles to the ocean...teeth that fit like knives in the palm of my hand.” Immediately when I started reading this book this description put me on edge and made me feel like one of the students at Raxter.
I also liked how the main character, Hetty, was plenty flawed. As is shown by the harshness of the surviving girls, you can’t live with the Tox and keep your empathy. This is why no one on the island hesitates to let the “weakest” of their peers die. As Hetty puts it, “I think I was looking for it all my life, a storm in my body to match the one in my head.” The Tox brings out the flaws in people that they’ve been keeping inside.
Overall, I definitely recommend reading Wilder Girls if you’re looking for a good dystopian book. Power’s world building and how it influences the characters makes this a really interesting story that keeps you anticipating the next twist.
I don't normally enjoy dystopian books but this book sounds very interesting. I like that the main character is flawed. Protagonists are sometimes show as perfect which makes books less relatable.
ReplyDeleteI think the concept of Tox in this book has some similarities with the current pandemic, with an overall feeling of disorder among the people and quarantines on many places. However, the fact that Tox has affected the wildlife besides the people seems to draw a unique line between the current reality and the novel. Also, I believe it is interesting (and partly appalling) how the girls choose to protect themselves at the cost of the weakest of their peers (which reminds me of the zombie movies from Netflix); this made me wonder what I would do if I were placed in the same situation as Hetty.
ReplyDeleteI remember hearing and wanting to read Wilder Girls earlier this year, but I completely forgot about it. I love the sound of the world building you described, and the parallels between their world and the current pandemic in our world makes it even more interesting. I also really appreciate that the main character is flawed. I feel a lot of books tend to have a protagonist that acts as a hero or a pretty much perfect person, which gets boring and tiring to read. Wilder Girls sounds like nothing I have ever read before. I'll definitely make sure to read it!
ReplyDeleteI had heard about this book and it sounded cool, but after reading your review, I just ordered it on Amazon! I like dystopian novels but they can get a bit repetitive, which is why I was on the fence about getting Wilder Girls, but from your review I can tell that this book is very different from dystopian books that I have read before. The excerpt you included shows that this author has a captivating writing style, and the premise seems very cool. I am looking forward to reading this book!
ReplyDeleteI've always enjoyed dystopian novels so I will definitely check this out. The way you described the characters being flawed kind of reminded me of the hunger games where the "weakest" die.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds captivating. Some of the parallels between Hetty's world and our own sound disturbing, but in a pleasant, interesting to read about way. This kind of book also always makes you look at yourself and wonder what would happen to you in the characters' situation, especially with the way they let the "weakest of their peers" die
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