The Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin

The quick cut: A teen girl suddenly starting over in a new town and living with her uncle she barely knows leads to chaos when she discovers 4 girls in the woods who claim to be from magical land.

A real review:

We all have our coping mechanisms when it comes to our struggles, but what if that coping mechanism was keeping you from accepting reality? This is a question when it comes to the wild girls of Happy Valley.

Rhi is starting over in Happy Valley after her father is arrested and the only family member left to take her in is her uncle she barely knows. Pleased to be away from her stepmother and step brother, she starts over in the small town - only to become the center of attention when she discovers four girls in the woods, claiming to be princesses from a magical land.

This book is complex and unique with its blend of trauma, fantasy, and nature based magic. You get to the end wondering if there really is another world or if magic is truly real. The way the story is told, either is a possibility and it's brilliant.

Rhi starts out as a shy character wanting to escape her difficult home situation and grows into a truly strong woman. Through helping the wild girls and seeing their struggles, she opens up about her own and faces them. It's not easy topics, but it truly speaks to how important it is to face inconvenient truths, even if you think you can escape them.

I did have unanswered questions and I do hate that! It's going to bug me, but it only takes a way from my enjoyment of the story slightly.

A fun debut that blends magic with reality.

My rating: 4.75 out of 5