Author: Ashley Wilda
Narrator: Ellie Gossage
Unabridged: 9 hr 39 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: Listening Library
Published: 10/10/2023
Categories: Young Adult Fiction, Magical Realism, Religious Fiction, Social Themes
Ashley Wilda has an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. In addition to writing, they love painting, making ceramics, playing music, rock climbing, and hiking with their rescue pup, Phoenix.
DNF at 73´% This book sounded so promising and I was so excited to read an early copy. And it lived up to all my expectations in the beginning. The prose was beautiful, I loved the poems that started each chapter and how these poems were flashbacks of the time the main character, Eli, spent with the......more
This is a story focused on the main girls religious selfishness and the ways it gets in the way of their love for a boy to the point where she becomes suicidal and lands herself in a wilderness camp. Idk what is going on with this weird increase in wilderness camp books (see also: Sarah stusek) but......more
Wow, this book had absolutely blown me away and I think the Author's Note at the end made me tear up most. This book was truely so magical and beautiful and I found it hard to find the right words to speak about this book. Eli and Gale have found their ways to my heart from the very beginning. Eli is......more
4.5 heartfelt stars. Where do I start with this one. I feel like my review isn't going to feel traditional, because this one didn't seem like a traditional type of read to me. Anyone remember those Goosebumps books that allowed you to pick your ending, so you always kind of ended up with something di......more
“Told in luminous prose and poetry, this powerful journey will stir your imagination and leave an indelible mark.”—An Na, Printz Award -winning author of A Step from Heaven
“A stunning debut threaded with strands of luminous poetry and love of the natural world, in all of its griefs and joys.”—Jeff Zentner, Morris Award-winning author of The Serpent King
“An evocative, imaginative story about our emotional landscapes and the quest for mental health and independence. Prose and poetry weave the story of an inner journey of intense emotion, fantastical adventure, and, ultimately, healing.”—Kirkus Review
“All the components ofthe story work, from the fantastastical setting to the poignant scenes of Eli grappling with distressing feelings.Readers will find complexity in Eli’s navigating expanding beliefs and new experiences while staying true to a worldview she feels certain of, especially in how she approaches the beliefs—or non-beliefs—of romantic partners.Sparingly few curse words, no violence, and chaste romance will make this a great fit for younger and older teenslooking for a comforting read with high emotional stakes and a gratifying bit of magic.”—BCCB
“In an emotional and whimsical debut, Ashley Wilda weaves the present and past together to paint astory of pain and healing. Readers who enjoy stories of angst and introspection in liminal environments will appreciate Eli’s narrative. Teens familiar with the Tumblr culture—particularly its emo aesthetic—will also find plenty to recognize in the alternating prose and verse.”—Booklist