The Night Fox, Ashley Wilda
The Night Fox, Ashley Wilda
List: $25.00 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.50

The Night Fox

Author: Ashley Wilda

Narrator: Ellie Gossage

Unabridged: 9 hr 39 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/10/2023


Synopsis

This luminous, haunting debut, alternating between now and then, reality and magic, tells the story of a girl confronting heartbreak while at a mysterious recovery program in the wilderness.

When seventeen-year-old Eli arrives at Raeth, a remote mountain retreat for teens with mental health issues, her mind is made up—she is not interested in participating, and she doesn’t need to “heal.” Still reeling from a breakup that left both her heart and faith shattered, she is determined to fake being “fine” so that the program’s warden will clear her to return home.

But the retreat itself has other ideas. The valley’s magical surroundings transform each time she ventures out, playing with her mind and dredging up her grief-laden memories. Despite the warning signs, Eli explores more of the area than she had ever planned, even venturing into the dangerous night realm.

This spellbinding novel mixes prose and poetry into an exquisite and evocative portrait of love, grief, depression, and the slow path toward healing.

About The Author

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.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Joyly

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

Goodreads review by Darque

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


Quotes

"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." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books


"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