Dystopian, Thriller Novel

In a radical society, far from the corrupted wastelands separating themselves from the rest of the world, people live with controlled breeding, rationing of knowledge and history, and strict ancestor worship. This is the only life Janey Soloman has ever known. At the first signs of puberty, girls are forced to undergo the Summer of Fruition, the transition from girlhood to womanhood. During the rest of the year, this barren commune is under parents' rule, and children are free to live wildly when summer rolls around. They fend for themselves whilst not under their parents' watchful eye. However, during this ceremonious summer, young Caitlin Jacob will witness something truly horrifying, shattering her picturesque view of the world around her, so dire she must share her secret with the rest of the girls on the island.

Janey Solomon has worked tirelessly to prevent maturity, and subsequently the Summer of Fruition by any means necessary. Janey is so unwilling to become a woman, she is nearly on the verge of death. As she works vigorously to uncover the secrets of the islands and what lies beyond, is it truly a hellish wasteland like she has been told, or was her entire life a web of lies? Follow this breakthrough story as Janey Solomon leads a female uprising against the oppressive regime of the world she once knew to be godly and good.

Similarly, Wilder Girls by Rory Power tells a terrifying tale of a strong group of girls discovering the truth and breaking free from barriers that once bound them, becoming strong and independent in the process. 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 changing; 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, and 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.