THE INVISIBLE WILD

After encountering a boy in the woods, a girl on the Big Island of Hawai‘i finds that she can once again see a world of spirits.

During frenzied preparations for the upcoming nuptials of her sister, Pu‘ulena, to her fiancée, Naomi, small-town Mauna Loa–area girl Emma Arruda almost hits a boy from Hilo with her car. When news arrives that a resort is being built in a pristine nearby area that locals see as an unofficial wildlife reserve, Emma is distraught. Then she discovers the disheveled, confused boy, whom she dubs “Hilo,” living in a lean-to in the woods, talking to invisible spirits. Emma recalls childhood memories of playing with these in-between creatures until adults discouraged her from talking about them. She knows that she should bring Hilo home, but she’s conflicted, wanting to explore her reawakened abilities to see the spirits, especially after she meets the menehune, a legendary race who originally inhabited Hawai‘i and whose lives are under threat from the construction. It turns out that Emma and Hilo committed offenses against nature; they need to make things right before Hilo can return to himself again. Menehune leader Koa charges them with stopping the development. Debut author Van De Car’s immersive narrative weaves together issues of identity and authenticity, Native Hawaiian beliefs, environmentalism, and the inequities of economic power and development with a strong sense of place. Although the story drags a bit toward the end, the resolution is satisfying.

Magically real and hopeful.