In Franklin's contemporary fairy tale, a group of teen girls struggle to acclimate to society following years living in the wild. After a period of familial trauma and parental neglect, 16-year-old Eden moves in with her kind uncle and reinvents herself as Rhi. While working at a wildlife preserve, Rhi comes across a quartet of teen girls exhibiting wolf-like behavior, the smallest of whom is caught in a bear trap. During the transpiring media spiral, the world eagerly waits to learn the girls' mysterious identities. As Rhi earns the teens' trust, she learns that they were raised by a man they call Mother, who believed they were the long-lost princesses of a mythical land called Leutheria, and that they must return there to save their home. The group also believes that Rhi is their prophesied fifth sister, prompting her to wonder whether the girls are victims of a kidnapper's lifelong deceit, or if they speak the truth—and Leutheria is where she belongs. Shallow character development and caricature-like villains hamper deeper examinations of themes surrounding identity, sexual violence, truth, and trauma, which are explored via multiple alternating POVs in this jam-packed debut. Characters are racially diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Danielle Burby, Mad Woman Literary. (June)

Gr 9 Up—Franklin's debut is a haunting tale where reality and fantasy intertwine in a way that will have readers questioning reality. Following the upheaval of her life due to her father's arrest, 17-year-old Rhi finds herself living in Happy Valley, NY, under the care of an unfamiliar uncle. The story may feel a touch slow initially, but it quickly takes a fantastical turn when she encounters wolves guarding four feral girls deep within the forest. Rhi is instantly drawn to them and is determined to unravel the mystery of the girls' origins. As the narrative unfolds, the girls, who claim to be princesses from another realm, become increasingly more desperate to sort truth from lies. Against the backdrop of mass media attention, Rhi and the girls travel a path to self-discovery, with poignant moments of introspection and raw revelations. This novel does not shy away from difficult topics. Mental health, sexual assault, and suicide are present with an emphasis on healing and empowerment. The overarching themes are of friendship, feminism, and the inner strength that these women share when they are together. The unforgettable characters and unique plot of this novel lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned. There is some limited diversity among the characters. VERDICT A good purchase for libraries where Rory Power or Nina LaCour are popular.—Claire Covington