The Wilderness of Girls

“The Wilderness of Girls is 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, bestselling author of The Walls Around Us and A Room Away From the Wolves

“An absolute battle cry of a book by a major new talent. You will swallow it whole, howling all the way.” – Martha Brockenbrough, author of Into the Blood Red Woods and Unpresidented

“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, award-winning author of The Serpent King

“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, author of Alone Out Here

“The Wildness 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, author of A Breath Too Late

“A stunning work of luminous ferocity that lingers long after the last line.” –  Lenore Appelhans, author of The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project

“The Wilderness of Girls 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, author of The Valley and the Flood and The Memory Eater

“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, author of The Breakup from Hell and The Storyteller’s Death

“A feral and gorgeous debut, Franklin’s The Wilderness of Girls is a heartrending look at the complexities of grief, trauma, and ultimately, the pain of survival. With lyrical prose, and a cast of girls who will fight their way into your heart, Wilderness will sink teeth into your marrow and refuse to let go until the achingly hopeful end.” – Michelle Kulwicki, author of At The End of the River Styx