Wildlife

★ “Wood builds a believable story of misguided friendship, betrayal, and empowering growth…  Refreshingly, Wood depicts only positive, validating sexual experiences for both Sib and Lou, in which they each have full agency over their bodies and their choices with their partners. With exceptional candor, honesty, and nuance, Wood tells a heartening and compelling story of the importance of agency, self-confidence, and true friendship.” — Booklist, starred review

★ “Wood eloquently traces the emotional growth of two girls during their high school’s required nine-week term of outdoor education…  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.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ “Lou and Sib relate losing their virginity with such refreshing candor that Wildlife validates the sexuality and sexual needs of girls everywhere. This is Sib’s takeaway, too: although gorgeous guys like Ben may be hard to resist, they are not in charge.” — School Library Journal, starred review

★ “[B]eautifully executed…  Wood’s understanding of teenage voice shines in this dual account of unlikely friendship. Fresh, funny, and heartbreaking, the story manages to capture the complexities of two separate coming-of-age stories and wrap them into a cohesive tale of self-reliance and honesty. Sib’s hopefulness and Lou’s crushing grief act as a narrative balance, as do their differing (yet frank and relevant) accounts of sex and intimacy.” — Voices of Youth Advocates, starred review

“A beautifully crafted novel with achingly real characters that I couldn’t get out of my head.” — Melina Marchetta, author of the Printz Award-winning Jellicoe Road