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When We Were Feral
Not yet published
Expected 9 Jun 26Thirteen-year-old Maggie lives in a trailer on the edge of a rural New Hampshire town, where her brother barely speaks, her father works double shifts at the gun factory, and her mother disappeared without a trace. She finds comfort in the warmth of her best friend Sarah' s seemingly perfect family— until a classmate' s mother goes missing, and the girls are drawn to Erin, the daughter left behind. Compelled by a need to understand what makes mothers vanish, Maggie convinces the others to search for answers in the woods and abandoned backroads. But a charged encounter with older boys shifts their path and challenges everything they thought they knew about themselves— and each other. Set in the early 1990s, When We Were Feral is a haunting coming-of-age story about friendship, longing, and the dangerous terrain between girlhood and adulthood. In a world where mothers vanish and truths stay buried, the girls begin to realize the wilderness they fear most isn' t outside— it' s within.
220 pages, Paperback
Expected publication June 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 11, 2026
When We Were Feral by Shasta Grant is a haunting and emotionally layered coming of age novel that explores friendship, abandonment, and the fragile boundary between innocence and experience. Set against the isolated atmosphere of rural New Hampshire in the early 1990s, the novel creates a deeply immersive portrait of adolescence shaped by loss, uncertainty, and emotional survival.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its atmosphere. The rural setting, abandoned backroads, and surrounding woods create an undercurrent of tension that quietly builds throughout the narrative. The environment feels both intimate and unsettling, mirroring the emotional instability and confusion experienced by the girls at the center of the story.
Maggie emerges as a compelling protagonist whose longing for answers surrounding her missing mother gives the novel emotional depth and vulnerability. Her connection with Sarah and Erin creates a layered exploration of friendship, grief, and the search for belonging during a period of emotional transition.
What makes the novel especially compelling is its psychological realism. Rather than relying solely on external conflict, the story focuses on the internal fears, curiosities, and emotional awakenings that define adolescence. The tension surrounding disappearing mothers and buried truths adds a haunting mystery that lingers beneath every interaction.
The novel also examines the uneasy shift from girlhood into adulthood with remarkable sensitivity. Themes of identity, loneliness, emotional inheritance, and vulnerability are woven carefully into the narrative, giving the story both emotional weight and literary resonance.
Readers who appreciate atmospheric literary fiction, psychologically rich coming of age stories, and emotionally complex narratives centered on female friendship and hidden trauma will likely find When We Were Feral deeply affecting.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its atmosphere. The rural setting, abandoned backroads, and surrounding woods create an undercurrent of tension that quietly builds throughout the narrative. The environment feels both intimate and unsettling, mirroring the emotional instability and confusion experienced by the girls at the center of the story.
Maggie emerges as a compelling protagonist whose longing for answers surrounding her missing mother gives the novel emotional depth and vulnerability. Her connection with Sarah and Erin creates a layered exploration of friendship, grief, and the search for belonging during a period of emotional transition.
What makes the novel especially compelling is its psychological realism. Rather than relying solely on external conflict, the story focuses on the internal fears, curiosities, and emotional awakenings that define adolescence. The tension surrounding disappearing mothers and buried truths adds a haunting mystery that lingers beneath every interaction.
The novel also examines the uneasy shift from girlhood into adulthood with remarkable sensitivity. Themes of identity, loneliness, emotional inheritance, and vulnerability are woven carefully into the narrative, giving the story both emotional weight and literary resonance.
Readers who appreciate atmospheric literary fiction, psychologically rich coming of age stories, and emotionally complex narratives centered on female friendship and hidden trauma will likely find When We Were Feral deeply affecting.
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May 7, 2026When We Were Feral is a haunting and emotionally charged coming of age novel that explores adolescence through the lens of absence, longing, and psychological uncertainty.
Set in a rural New Hampshire town in the early 1990s, Shasta Grant builds a world that feels both grounded and unsettling, where the disappearance of mothers and the fragility of family life shape the emotional landscape of the story.
At its core, the novel focuses on Maggie and her friends as they navigate shifting relationships, unspoken fears, and a growing awareness that the world around them is far more complicated than it first appears.
The strength of the book lies in its atmospheric tension. The woods, backroads, and quiet spaces become extensions of the characters’ internal states, reinforcing themes of searching, loss, and the boundaries between childhood and adulthood.
The emotional dynamics between the girls are rendered with subtlety, capturing both the intimacy and volatility of adolescent friendship under pressure.
A quietly powerful literary coming of age story that lingers in its exploration of memory, disappearance, and the unsettling realization that some answers change the person who finds them.
Set in a rural New Hampshire town in the early 1990s, Shasta Grant builds a world that feels both grounded and unsettling, where the disappearance of mothers and the fragility of family life shape the emotional landscape of the story.
At its core, the novel focuses on Maggie and her friends as they navigate shifting relationships, unspoken fears, and a growing awareness that the world around them is far more complicated than it first appears.
The strength of the book lies in its atmospheric tension. The woods, backroads, and quiet spaces become extensions of the characters’ internal states, reinforcing themes of searching, loss, and the boundaries between childhood and adulthood.
The emotional dynamics between the girls are rendered with subtlety, capturing both the intimacy and volatility of adolescent friendship under pressure.
A quietly powerful literary coming of age story that lingers in its exploration of memory, disappearance, and the unsettling realization that some answers change the person who finds them.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Sarah's mom reluctantly--and never fully--welcomes Maggie into their home after Maggie's mom leaves. Again.
Maggie and Sarah are best friends. As puberty hits, Sarah starts getting obsessed with how to be noticed by older boys. She disobeys her mom and blames Maggie when caught. Despite this, the two remain close. Then a classmate's mom also disappears.
The two welcome Erin into their group. While Erin and Maggie focus on finding Erin's mom, Sarah remains obsessed about flirting with older boys, basing her worth on whether they notice her. Her desperation to be noticed and found attractive leads her to put all three girls in harm's way.
I felt drawn into the book and the characters. I didn't particularly like or understand all of the characters, but that's true for real life too.
A light is shone on the impacts of abandonment on children as well as the dangers and damages of sexism and how it impacts children.
This book calls into question what many accept as "normal" and "inevitable."
Maggie and Sarah are best friends. As puberty hits, Sarah starts getting obsessed with how to be noticed by older boys. She disobeys her mom and blames Maggie when caught. Despite this, the two remain close. Then a classmate's mom also disappears.
The two welcome Erin into their group. While Erin and Maggie focus on finding Erin's mom, Sarah remains obsessed about flirting with older boys, basing her worth on whether they notice her. Her desperation to be noticed and found attractive leads her to put all three girls in harm's way.
I felt drawn into the book and the characters. I didn't particularly like or understand all of the characters, but that's true for real life too.
A light is shone on the impacts of abandonment on children as well as the dangers and damages of sexism and how it impacts children.
This book calls into question what many accept as "normal" and "inevitable."
Review of advance copy
Thank you to Lavender Public Relations for my advance reader copy of this book.
This book is a coming of age set in New Hampshire. Maggie's mother is missing after leaving their house and her and Sarah spend a summer together. They soon befriend another girl and we follow their journey of growing up and their search for missing mothers.
This book is definitely a page-turner. The first half of the book had me needing more, wanting to see how the story unfolded. I will say that the second half got darker and trigger warnings should be checked.
Overall, this was a super atmospheric read and I enjoyed the story.
This book is a coming of age set in New Hampshire. Maggie's mother is missing after leaving their house and her and Sarah spend a summer together. They soon befriend another girl and we follow their journey of growing up and their search for missing mothers.
This book is definitely a page-turner. The first half of the book had me needing more, wanting to see how the story unfolded. I will say that the second half got darker and trigger warnings should be checked.
Overall, this was a super atmospheric read and I enjoyed the story.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I couldn't have enjoyed this page-turner more! The characters brought me back to adolescence and issues that continue to weave their way through adulthood as a woman. Where are we safe? What does love look like? What secrets are in the woods?
Everyone should read this book.
Everyone should read this book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews