WILDER GIRLS meets THE CRAFT in this Sapphic horror debut that asks: What price would you be willing to pay to achieve your deepest desires?
Finch Chamberlin is the newest transfer student to the ultra-competitive Ulalume Academy... but she's also not what she seems. Months before school started, Finch and her parents got into an accident that should have left her dead at the bottom of a river. But something monstrous, and ancient, and terrifying, wouldn't let her drown. Finch doesn't know why she woke up after her heart stopped, but since dying she's felt a constant pull from the school and the surrounding town of Rainwater, like something on the island is calling to her.
Selena St. Clair sees right through Finch, and she knows something is seriously wrong with her. But despite Selena's suspicion, she feels drawn to Finch and has a sinking feeling that from now on the two will be inexplicably linked to one another.
One night Finch, Selena, and her friends accidentally summon a carnivorous creature of immense power in the depths of the school. It promises to grant every desire the girls have kept locked away in their insecure hearts―beauty, power, adoration―in exchange for a price: human body parts. But as the cost of their wanting becomes more deadly, Finch and Selena must learn to work together to stop the horror they unleashed, before it consumes the entire island.
I love it. I love it all.
Unique fantasy? YES. Amazing queer representation? Even better. Romance, blood, trauma, heartbreak? All signs of a perfect YA fantasy.
You know, anyone who looks at my reviews (so, no one) would see that I read a lot of YA fantasy. But in the past few months, I've gotten bored of it.
This book, though? It brought back my love. I'd forgotten what truly unique, inspiring fantasy was. I'd forgotten what it was like to finish a book in one sitting. Now I remember this, and I am STARVING for more. I need more books like this.
Speaking of starving though...this antagonist. Intent on devouring worlds, she was brutal and manipulative. However, it seemed like she lacked any real motivation. Honestly, it didn't bother me. The real "villain" of this story is not Nerosi but instead Kyra.
Nerosi is simply hungry for more universes, longing for power. Kyra, on the other hand, has real motives. She wanted someone to listen to her, and, oh, look who was there: Nerosi. Whatever she wanted—beauty, charm, popularity, luck, power—Nerosi could give her. The price? Unimportant, compared to the rewards. At least, it was in Kyra's mind.
It's almost funny to think of how manipulative people (such as Kyra) can so easily be manipulated. *files away this new information*
But ha, that's only part of the story. Honestly, the other part was the fun fluff. It was the romance between Finch and Selena, the friend drama (Sumera, Simon, Griffin, ack, too many people! And they all have S names. What's with that? Seriously, did the author not think about an entire friend group being S, S, and, oh, S. I'm kidding. It's funny. I mean no harm, lovely author. Here's a "great book award." You deserve it.)
The characters: amazing. Honestly, I liked Selena better than Finch, mostly just because she felt more like a real person to me, like someone I could meet in real life. Not sure I'd want to meet "start of the book Selena" though. Selena is funny and sarcastic, and she doesn't really care who she hurts...which makes her sound like a horrible person, but she really isn't. At least, not at the end. I also like her whole backstory. The trauma! The fighting! The horrible people! *cough* Kyra *cough*
I really should continue this review, talk about Finch, the friend dynamics, and the amazing Selena-Finch romance (*screaming with happiness bc there's actually good bi and gay rep*), but I'm way too lazy and am instead going to binge watch the entire season 2 of Heartstopper, even though my friend expressively told me not to without her :)
Age rating: 13+ for mentions of sex, kissing, and violence.
-Pigeon