We Became Wild

Review Quotes:
Balancing unflinching ferocity with heart-aching tenderness, Carver's debut explores the wild--in our hearts and in nature, deftly excavating joy hidden beneath the rubble of grief.-- "Rebekah Faubion, author of Lost Girls of Hollow Lake"

Review Quotes:
We Became Wild navigates the untamed wilderness of teenage girlhood with fierce honesty. Lottie and Messina are flawed and complex, their messiness a necessary and inextricable part of their beautifully drawn journey of grief and survival. These girls set up camp in my heart.-- "Joy McCullough, New York Times best-selling author of Blood Water Paint"

Review Quotes:
Carver's debut effectively illustrates that while nature can be harsh, for Lottie and Messina, growing up in the forgotten margins, home can be even more perilous. The book also conveys the important message that past choices don't permanently define a person... Visceral, healing, and transformative.-- "Kirkus Reviews"

Review Quotes:
Engrossing... The challenges the teens encounter are vividly and intensely portrayed, from blisters to life-threatening dehydration to concern about whom to trust as girls hiking alone (before Gabe joins them). Tension builds as, alongside the physical dangers, the protagonists also contend with distressed emotional landscapes... The third-person narration alternates perspectives, with strong and distinct voices putting readers inside the minds of teens whose personal and relational concerns loom large even when health and safety are at stake.-- "The Horn Book Magazine"

Publisher Marketing:

Seventeen-year-old Lottie Mitchell is a liar. She might also be a horrible person--because someone good wouldn't have caused the death of her best friend, Val. Messina, Lottie's other best friend, has her own secrets to worry about--she's running from her terrifying, abusive stepfather. When the friends learn that Val had planned to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, they set off into the desert with Val's ashes and her beloved copy of Wild to fulfill her dream. The only problem, aside from being woefully underprepared for the treacherous terrain and the fast-approaching fire season, is that without Val playing peacekeeper, Lottie and Messina are at each other's throats. The secrets they carry are heavier than their packs, and they're going to have to find their trust in each other--and themselves--if they're going to survive.

We Became Wild is a gripping, feral story about grief, friendship, and what it means to be a woman alone in the world.

Review Citations:

• School Library Journal 04/01/2026 pg. 79 (EAN 9781324124979, Hardcover)
• Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 06/01/2026 (EAN 9781324124979, Hardcover)
• Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2026 (EAN 9781324124979, Hardcover)
• Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2026 pg. 90 (EAN 9781324124979, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:Carver, H D
H.D. Carver lives in Southern California with her family of artists. When she's not writing, she can be found wandering trails or getting lost in a bookstore.