Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What an intense, horrible, beautiful book. I wanted so much better for every character than what they got.
This book was incredibly moving and thought-provoking. Above all, it's a book about different kinds of love. I haven't had a book bring me to tears in a long time, but this one made me cry in several places. An exceptional debut novel.
yeah no i got 6% in and had to stop bc she keeps talking about having romantic feelings for her UNCLE
Well, I read this entire novel in about three days. I loved it. Tell the Wolves I'm Home is really, really good - bittersweet and sad, but ultimately validating and a beautiful, layered love story between a gay couple, between siblings, and the intermingling compassion on which familial foundations - and society - are built. If you grew up during the AIDS crisis and remember the People magazine with Rock Hudson on the cover, this will take you back to that time. If you are a fan of movies like Little Miss Sunshine and Safety Not Guaranteed, this book is for you.
It's told from the point of view of a 14 year old girl named June, and takes place primarily in 1987. She is kind of a Freaks and Geeks kid, on the periphery of high school social circles. June has a non-sexual crush on her uncle, Finn, who lives in NYC and is an artist. She admires him and he always accepts her as she is, which I think is why she finds so much comfort and love in his presence. Finn is dying of AIDS, and paints a portrait of June and her sister (Greta) as his final gift, so that he can spend time with them each Sunday before he is too sick. Because we didn't know how AIDS was contracted/all the fear around it, June's mother blames Finn's lover of 20 years, Toby, and refers to him frequently as a murderer.
After Finn's death, Toby and June seek each other out and find notes left from Finn, asking June to take care of Toby because he has nobody else - and Finn asking Toby to take care of his favorite niece. It is a heartbreaking work, and in the end, they both keep their promise to Finn and to each other. The story of how the family deals with and moves through the grief and fear of losing a loved one to such a terrifying disease in the 80s, along with the pains of growing up in high school, made it a really great story.
Tell The Wolves I'm Home is bittersweet in a way that sort of reminded me of Little Miss Sunshine, as I said earlier - Basically, we are all damaged goods in some respect. Compassion is really all we have at the end of the day, and it matters so, so much. That's the takeaway. Lovely, lovely book and I applaud Carol Rifka Brunt for taking on such a hard, emotionally muddy time with such grace.
Spoiler
It's told from the point of view of a 14 year old girl named June, and takes place primarily in 1987. She is kind of a Freaks and Geeks kid, on the periphery of high school social circles. June has a non-sexual crush on her uncle, Finn, who lives in NYC and is an artist. She admires him and he always accepts her as she is, which I think is why she finds so much comfort and love in his presence. Finn is dying of AIDS, and paints a portrait of June and her sister (Greta) as his final gift, so that he can spend time with them each Sunday before he is too sick. Because we didn't know how AIDS was contracted/all the fear around it, June's mother blames Finn's lover of 20 years, Toby, and refers to him frequently as a murderer.
After Finn's death, Toby and June seek each other out and find notes left from Finn, asking June to take care of Toby because he has nobody else - and Finn asking Toby to take care of his favorite niece. It is a heartbreaking work, and in the end, they both keep their promise to Finn and to each other. The story of how the family deals with and moves through the grief and fear of losing a loved one to such a terrifying disease in the 80s, along with the pains of growing up in high school, made it a really great story.
Tell The Wolves I'm Home is bittersweet in a way that sort of reminded me of Little Miss Sunshine, as I said earlier - Basically, we are all damaged goods in some respect. Compassion is really all we have at the end of the day, and it matters so, so much. That's the takeaway. Lovely, lovely book and I applaud Carol Rifka Brunt for taking on such a hard, emotionally muddy time with such grace.
Hmm. I'm not sure how to feel about this one. The writing is excellent, for the most part. It made me think and feel and empathize with all of the characters, even the most minor ones. Everyone deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt, to some extent. My only complaint is that I had some difficulty in accepting how June's attitudes were kind of all over the place maturity-wise. Was I like that at her age? I don't think so, but I don't really remember, at this point. It was a long time ago. Maybe I was?
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Oh my goodness gracious, what an ending. And this is... a debut novel? Unbelievable.
The last 80% (or so) of the book was deeply engaging, I literally could not stop listening to it. As soon as a certain events transpires in the story, I couldn't stop and had to know how it ended. It has been so long since I've had that pull and magic from a story. It reignited my love for reading and listening (audio books are necessary in my lifestyle).
Brunt spins a wonderful tale of June, a lonely girl whose whole world dies in the form of her uncle, Finn. From there, Brunt tells the hardships of grief not only with June herself, but those around her. From her sister to this mysterious man she meets, June learns about the world around her and the wolves that appear in our lives. It's only the third week in January 2020, and I can already tell you that this will be a favorite read of mine FOR THE YEAR.
For reference, I didn't grow up during the introduction and scare of AIDs. I was born at the start of the 90's and was too young to comprehend the death of Freddie Mercury and the impact of AIDs. I am grateful to stories that educate me as they entertain me. Reading the book through June's eyes, I began to comprehend the fear of AIDs and the impact that it had on families affected by it. For those in similar situations as me, this is a harsh introduction to how individuals with AIDs were treated and a way to face the harsh reality that many underwent during the 80's and early 90's (and even today).
The last 80% (or so) of the book was deeply engaging, I literally could not stop listening to it. As soon as a certain events transpires in the story, I couldn't stop and had to know how it ended. It has been so long since I've had that pull and magic from a story. It reignited my love for reading and listening (audio books are necessary in my lifestyle).
Brunt spins a wonderful tale of June, a lonely girl whose whole world dies in the form of her uncle, Finn. From there, Brunt tells the hardships of grief not only with June herself, but those around her. From her sister to this mysterious man she meets, June learns about the world around her and the wolves that appear in our lives. It's only the third week in January 2020, and I can already tell you that this will be a favorite read of mine FOR THE YEAR.
For reference, I didn't grow up during the introduction and scare of AIDs. I was born at the start of the 90's and was too young to comprehend the death of Freddie Mercury and the impact of AIDs. I am grateful to stories that educate me as they entertain me. Reading the book through June's eyes, I began to comprehend the fear of AIDs and the impact that it had on families affected by it. For those in similar situations as me, this is a harsh introduction to how individuals with AIDs were treated and a way to face the harsh reality that many underwent during the 80's and early 90's (and even today).
I really enjoyed this book. It was beautifully written and poignant. I had such a difficult time putting it down.