⭐️ An Irish Times, Harpers Bazaar, Economist and Observer Book Pick for 2025
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The Wildelings
A vivid and compulsive story of obsession, control and guilt, set in Nineties Dublin – perfect for fans of dark academia
“I was hooked from the very start”
“Lisa Harding’s third novel, The Wildelings, arrives to fill the Secret History-shaped hole in your lives… Gothic and gloriously entertaining”
— Alex Preston. The Guardian
“Propulsive…this is dark academia at its most gripping.”
— The Economist
“Dark, blistering and full of theatrics... An electric exploration of control, guilt, and one young woman’s fight to free herself. I was hooked from the very start”
— Rachel Joyce, best-selling author
“I was gripped by this dark and thrilling fable - Harding is the new Donna Tartt.”
— Dominic West, Award winning Actor
“The real stagecraft lies in Harding’s ability to excavate the still beating heart of a shared past and bonds beneath those brutalities. Riveting ,addictive and, ultimately, beautifully human”
— Una Mannion, Best-selling author
“In the striking latest from Harding... (she) crafts complex characters and explores the messy contours of a female friendship.... It’s a bracing tale.”
— Publishers Weekly
“I’ve always loved Lisa’s visceral writing, and this, her best yet, may well become my novel of the year.”
— Irish Examiner
“As Harding’s previous novels have demonstrated she is unafraid to write complex, contradictory, non-conforming women who are authentic products of their past hurts... fans of Harding’s previous books will not be disappointed as this novel is an excellent illustration of the writerly sensibilities that have won her past acclaim.”
— The Irish Times
“A searing exploration into our deepest desires and insecurities…I adored it.”
— Heather Darwent, Sunday Times Best-selling author
“Full of brooding menace. Very dark, but a riveting novel.”
— Irish Independent
“If The Secret History got blackout high, fell into a fever dream, and woke up whispering terrible secrets into your ear, it would look a lot like The Wildelings. Lisa Harding has given us a dark academia gem: sharp as broken glass, lush as a poisoned garden.”
“Irish novelist Harding’s incisive character studies and sharp descriptions of manipulation and social pressures make her writing feel alive.”
— Booklist
“ Enthralling, a haunting exploration of friendships and relationships gone sour.”
— NB Magazine
“A novel as beautiful as it is unsettling, The Wildelings reveals how easily love, loyalty, and intellect can become weapons when wielded by the wrong hands.”
“The writing in Lisa Harding’s novel is dark and poetic. Her words are unfiltered and intense with a brutal honesty that mirrors the emotional tone of the book.... The characters in this book are unforgettable in their history and depth.”
“The Wildlelings is addictively entertaining”
— Bookreporter
About the Author
Lisa Harding is a former actress, playwright and novelist. Her first novel Harvesting won the Kate O’Brien Award and was shortlisted for an Irish Book Award and the Kerry Group Prize.