Horror, Fantasy Novel

The Raxter School for Girls is under quarantine as the Tox wipes out the population, leading to death in adults and grotesque physical abnormalities in survivors. Flare-ups result in second spines, skin transforming into scales, and more. However, it is not just the girls of Raxter evolving; the island it sits upon begins to mutate as the Tox takes over, leading to strange animals and plants festering outside the school grounds. Hetty and her friends, Byatt and Reese, work to survive, but as Hetty is allowed outside of school grounds to collect supplies, she discovers the true horrors the Tox has brought upon their beloved island. When Byatt goes missing, she worries for her friend and the monsters she may encounter outside of the school grounds. An intense reading experience, and compared to a feminist Lord of the Flies, dive into the world overcome with Tox and follow Hetty on her quest to save the Raxter School for Girls.

The gruesome and grotesque mutations, combined with the beautiful naturescape detailed within the book, make Wilder Girls very pleasant to read. Rory Power artistically combines horror with whimsical imagery, making this a fantastic book to read in a single sitting.

Want more fantasy and horror? Try out The Haunting of Hill House, adapted from the 1959 novel by Shirley Jackson. This Netflix series is full of spooks and scares as viewers follow five adult siblings and their individual experiences growing up in a haunted house infested with the supernatural. When tragedy strikes the family, they are brought together after years apart to confront how their time at Hill House has affected them. Will they be capable of fighting the demons from their childhood, or will they succumb to the darkness?

Or if you want to stick to reading, try Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne. As Zivah falls prey to a deadly rose plague, living her last days in isolation, suddenly there is a threat to her village that creates a need that only she can fill. Dineas is a soldier shattered by war who yearns for revenge from his captors. How will these two characters' paths cross? The two embark on a mission to take down the capital, Zivah, a healer who cannot be healed, and Dineas, a soldier out for vengeance. The two are brought together by the need to protect those they cherish most. This fantasy and slow-burning romance novel will satisfy any reader!