An Indie Next Pick
A B&N Best Book of 2024
An unflinching YA debut about a troubled teen who discovers a pack of feral girls in the woods and is swept up in the ensuing mystery: Are the Wild Girls of Happy Valley lost princesses from a faraway land, as they believe, or are they brainwashed victims of a deranged kidnapper?
In her ambitious debut perfect for fans of Sadie and The Hazel Wood, Madeline Claire Franklin crafts a gripping exploration of how the world teaches young girls to cage their wildness—and what happens when they claw themselves free.
After being placed in foster care, Rhi is hungry for a fresh start and begins working at the Happy Valley Wildlife Preserve. While in the woods, she stumbles upon a surreal sight: a pack of wolves guarding four feral and majestic girls. After Rhi gains their trust, they reveal that they’re princesses from another land, raised by a magical prophet they call Mother—and they're convinced Rhi is their lost fifth sister.
Unsure what to believe, Rhi ushers the girls to civilization, where they’re met with societal uproar and scrutiny, dubbed by the ravenous media and true crime junkies as “The Wild Girls of Happy Valley.” Desperate to return to their kingdom, the girls look to Rhi for help. Rhi knows the girls are deluded, but at the same time she’s drawn in by their boldness and authenticity—traits she is afraid she has lost within herself. And when Rhi witnesses strange phenomena she can’t quite explain, the line between fantasy and reality grows blurry.
As the hunt for answers intensifies, Rhi must make a decision that will change the course of her lives and the lives of her Wild Girls forever.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
A B&N Best Book of 2024
An unflinching YA debut about a troubled teen who discovers a pack of feral girls in the woods and is swept up in the ensuing mystery: Are the Wild Girls of Happy Valley lost princesses from a faraway land, as they believe, or are they brainwashed victims of a deranged kidnapper?
In her ambitious debut perfect for fans of Sadie and The Hazel Wood, Madeline Claire Franklin crafts a gripping exploration of how the world teaches young girls to cage their wildness—and what happens when they claw themselves free.
After being placed in foster care, Rhi is hungry for a fresh start and begins working at the Happy Valley Wildlife Preserve. While in the woods, she stumbles upon a surreal sight: a pack of wolves guarding four feral and majestic girls. After Rhi gains their trust, they reveal that they’re princesses from another land, raised by a magical prophet they call Mother—and they're convinced Rhi is their lost fifth sister.
Unsure what to believe, Rhi ushers the girls to civilization, where they’re met with societal uproar and scrutiny, dubbed by the ravenous media and true crime junkies as “The Wild Girls of Happy Valley.” Desperate to return to their kingdom, the girls look to Rhi for help. Rhi knows the girls are deluded, but at the same time she’s drawn in by their boldness and authenticity—traits she is afraid she has lost within herself. And when Rhi witnesses strange phenomena she can’t quite explain, the line between fantasy and reality grows blurry.
As the hunt for answers intensifies, Rhi must make a decision that will change the course of her lives and the lives of her Wild Girls forever.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Praise for this book
"A stunning work of luminous ferocity that lingers long after the last line." - Lenore Appelhans
"An absolute battle cry of a book by a major new talent. You will swallow it whole, howling all the way." - Martha Brockenbrough
"The Wilderness of Girls is a captivating, jarring and beautifully written story about wildness and womanhood, and the world that is often unwelcome to both. This book is a gut punch of reality but also an invitation to let us remember who we were before the world told us to be something tame. After reading, you'll want to sharpen your teeth and howl. Welcome to the pack." - Rocky Callen
"Like a news story woven from the threads of a fairytale, The Wilderness of Girls is beautiful, complex, and sure to leave you thinking long after you close its covers." - Ann Dávila Cardinal
"This book is a feral howl at the moon, a dazzling love letter and a heart-rending journey into the deepest, most lyrical fantasy. It walked the line between fairytale and reality in the most perfect way. I felt like it was written just for me, deeply intimate and resonant. Phenomenal!" - Dawn Kurtagich
"Expertly threads fantasy with heartbreaking reality, weaving a story of loss, anger, sisterhood, and the wildness we long for. I loved this book, from its sharp teeth to its fierce and tender heart." - Rebecca Mahoney
"Tiptoeing along the hazy border of fantasy and reality, The Wilderness of Girls asks that haunting question: How do we live in a world that threatens to strip away the magic of being alive? Lucky, then, that Madeline Claire Franklin is here to return that magic to us. With a cast of unforgettable young women, sumptuous writing that puts the forest floor under your feet, and a central mystery that will have you ripping through the pages for answers, The Wilderness of Girls is a dark enchantment you'll hope never ends." - Riley Redgate
"A searing fairy tale that blooms with ferocious magic and mystery. To all readers like me who revel in the wondrous, ominous, and strange: you have just found your next great literary obsession." - Nova Ren Suma
"This book pulses with untamed lupine energy and intelligence, filled with lyrical sentences honed sharp as canines and fiercely alive characters. A beguiling, vital debut from a manifest talent." - Jeff Zentner
"An absolute battle cry of a book by a major new talent. You will swallow it whole, howling all the way." - Martha Brockenbrough
"The Wilderness of Girls is a captivating, jarring and beautifully written story about wildness and womanhood, and the world that is often unwelcome to both. This book is a gut punch of reality but also an invitation to let us remember who we were before the world told us to be something tame. After reading, you'll want to sharpen your teeth and howl. Welcome to the pack." - Rocky Callen
"Like a news story woven from the threads of a fairytale, The Wilderness of Girls is beautiful, complex, and sure to leave you thinking long after you close its covers." - Ann Dávila Cardinal
"This book is a feral howl at the moon, a dazzling love letter and a heart-rending journey into the deepest, most lyrical fantasy. It walked the line between fairytale and reality in the most perfect way. I felt like it was written just for me, deeply intimate and resonant. Phenomenal!" - Dawn Kurtagich
"Expertly threads fantasy with heartbreaking reality, weaving a story of loss, anger, sisterhood, and the wildness we long for. I loved this book, from its sharp teeth to its fierce and tender heart." - Rebecca Mahoney
"Tiptoeing along the hazy border of fantasy and reality, The Wilderness of Girls asks that haunting question: How do we live in a world that threatens to strip away the magic of being alive? Lucky, then, that Madeline Claire Franklin is here to return that magic to us. With a cast of unforgettable young women, sumptuous writing that puts the forest floor under your feet, and a central mystery that will have you ripping through the pages for answers, The Wilderness of Girls is a dark enchantment you'll hope never ends." - Riley Redgate
"A searing fairy tale that blooms with ferocious magic and mystery. To all readers like me who revel in the wondrous, ominous, and strange: you have just found your next great literary obsession." - Nova Ren Suma
"This book pulses with untamed lupine energy and intelligence, filled with lyrical sentences honed sharp as canines and fiercely alive characters. A beguiling, vital debut from a manifest talent." - Jeff Zentner
Visitors also looked at these books
Used availability for Madeline Claire Franklin's The Wilderness of Girls