cover image Wildlife

Wildlife

Fiona Wood. Little, Brown/Poppy, $18 (400p) ISBN 978-0-316-24209-7

In her first novel published in the U.S., Australian writer Wood eloquently traces the emotional growth of two girls during their high school’s required nine-week term of outdoor education. With a new look and new fame due to a recent professional modeling gig, 16-year-old Sib has just had her first kiss, with handsome athlete Ben Capaldio. Meanwhile, new student Lou is bereft after the death of her boyfriend, but she vows to hide her grief while reluctantly preparing to leave home for camp. The two girls are strangers when they become cabinmates, but Lou is drawn into Sib’s personal dramas and complicated relationships with three peers: Ben, her new boyfriend; Michael, her oldest friend; and Holly, her manipulative best friend, who has a cruel streak. Sib’s and Lou’s alternating narratives intimately express their respective losses of innocence and their tenuous attempts to chart new territories in rugged, unfamiliar surroundings. Their voices reverberate with honesty, vulnerability, and deep emotions and will leave a lasting impression on readers. Ages 15–up. Agent: Cheryl Pientka, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. (Sept.)