THE NIGHT FOX

An evocative, imaginative story about our emotional landscapes and the quest for mental health and independence.

In lyrical, sometimes overwrought language, Wilda’s debut tells the story of a girl named Eli, a high school graduate who’s mourning her first love and questioning her previously strong faith. The first-person point of view brings readers into the otherworldly wilderness of Raeth, a remote center for struggling teens. There are outings in a morphing natural world, encounters with other participants in supernatural circumstances, and talks and mugs of tea with the warden, Gale. Raeth reveals alternate versions of Eli, including an older self who tells her: “Life’s gone dark, sure, but you didn’t do anything wrong. You took the hard path. Not the wrong one. That just means you’re brave.” Between each chapter, readers encounter Eli’s poetry, gleaning details about the relationship that led to her broken heart. With a growing sense of questing through her emotional life, Eli ventures on nighttime adventures, guided by a fox and culminating in the realization that she can both hold on to her first love and move forward into a purposeful life. The language and strong imagery will appeal to teens who enjoy literary fiction and poetry, while the concluding author’s note with mental health resources will compel readers on their own journeys. Most characters read white.

Prose and poetry weave the story of an inner journey of intense emotion, fantastical adventure, and, ultimately, healing.