Debut Highlight: The Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin
Today on the Rambling Realm, I’d love to highlight an incredible novel by debut author Madeline Claire Franklin. The Wilderness of Girls is 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. In her ambitious debut perfect for fans of Sadie and The Hazel Wood, Madeline Claire Franklin crafts a gripping exploration of how the world.
Pitch
A teenage girl with a troubled past rescues four feral girls from a wildlife preserve and gets caught up in the mystery of who they really are: the wild girls believe they're lost princesses from another world, but everyone else thinks they're victims of a deranged kidnapper. As the hunt for answers intensifies, the girl who found them gets closer to revealing the truth about her own past—for better or worse.
About the Author
Intrigued? Well, why not read the full plot description?
Description
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 blurs.
As the hunt for answers intensifies, Rhi must make a decision that will change the course of her life and the lives of her Wild Girls forever.
The story is told through a combination of prose, memoir excerpts, news clippings, transcripts, and other metatextual elements!
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This book portrays, describes, or discusses in detail:
Complex-PTSD
Suicide and suicidal ideation
Disordered eating
Body shaming
Family and domestic violence
Emotional abuse
Cannibalism
Sexual assault
What else should you know?
Release Date for The Wilderness of Girls is June 11, 2024. Don’t forget to add the book to your Want-To-Read! You can get your copy now by following this link. You can also keep up with Madeline Claire Franklin's future work and latest updates by visiting her website or following her on Twitter, Threads, Instagram, Substack, and Goodreads.
