Allison Diegel
I'm still adjusting to being back from the balmy heat and endless sunshine of Hawaii, and I'm not going to lie – the cold winter weather here at home has been a shock after two full weeks of summer. I have been freezing. I am trying out a mind over matter approach by reading books that take me back to the sand and the sea, and this week's book is a perfect remedy – a whimsical, magical realism story set on the beautiful island of Maui - and I know that you will love it too.
Set in the lush, spirit-charged landscape of Hawai'i following the 2023 Maui fires, “The Invisible Wild” follows sixteen-year-old Emma, a Native Hawaiian teen who feels a bit stuck between worlds. Emma is "white-passing" and often struggles with whether she is "Hawaiian enough," despite her deep, soul-level connection to her home. Her summer is supposed to be about helping run her family’s store and preparing for her sister’s big wedding, but the island has other plans.
Everything shifts when Emma encounters a mysterious boy from Hilo in the woods. He’s talking to logs and behaving as if he’s seeing things no one else can. Emma soon realizes she can see them too: the Menehune, the legendary, small-statured forest dwellers of Hawaiian lore. These aren't just myths - they are very real, very grumpy, and very much in danger. A massive new resort development is threatening the forest they call home, and their desperation is starting to spill over into Emma’s world - causing wedding decorations to tangle and tiles to go crooked as the spirits’ unrest grows.
As Emma works to hide the "Hilo boy" and understand what the Menehune need, she is forced to confront the harsh reality of modern Hawai'i: the friction between sacred ancestral lands and the relentless push of economic development. The story beautifully weaves together elements of magical realism with very real themes of environmental activism, indigenous sovereignty, and the complex journey of reclaiming one's identity.
By the end, Emma's journey isn't just about saving a forest or a group of spirits; it’s about finding the courage to stand up for her heritage and realizing that her connection to the land is what defines her, not the way she looks. It’s a heartfelt, urgent, and ultimately hopeful story about what happens when we stop ignoring the "invisible" parts of our world and start fighting for them.
“The Invisible Wild” is a fun, quick read and the perfect salve for my bitter return to winter. I hope you enjoy this book – or whatever you're reading this week – and don't forget to pop over to my Instagram @allison.the.reader for more book talk and to let me know what you think I should read next.
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