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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
I didn't cry but I enjoyed the story. The description of the time, the relationships, and how AIDS was viewed in the early 80's was on par.
Really, really good. This one is going to stick with me for a while, I can tell.
What can I say about Tell the Wolves I’m Home that will do this beautiful, yet often weird, story justice? I suppose I could speak about the characters of Finn and Toby, or talk about June in all her wonderfulness and obliviousness, but I just don’t know how to get across how much I loved Tell the Wolves I’m Home. This is a book in which sometimes very little happens, but on the surface everything is happening underneath. At its heart, Tell the Wolves I’m Home is June’s coming-of-age tale, and the story of how she learned about life and how to put some things behind her while not forgetting others.
This is a character-driven novel, one that’s all about June. June is, you could say, a little strange. She romanticizes the past and has a penchant for the Middle Ages. She goes off to the woods often and is completely fine with her imagination being her only company. She is sometimes quite wise, and sees through situations and people in a way her sister never quite can, but she can also be completely oblivious. As much as I loved June, it’s safe to say she often made me cringe as well. Watching June grow up through Tell the Wolves I’m Home made me most misty-eyed and frustrated at times, but in a good way. I felt June’s pain so acutely, even when I wasn’t sure she knew how to express it.
The way June interacts with her family was by far one of the best parts of the novel. There’s a lot of tension between June and her sister, even though both partially want things to go back to the way they were before. Her parents obviously care, but they’re not always the best about showing it, and the entire time I was reading I just knew there was something hidden in that family dynamic that was going to rise to the surface. It could have been this big thing that the author used for dramatic effect, but it wasn’t. It was just a slow, quiet part of the plot that really showed how the characters had changed over the course of Tell the Wolves I’m Home.
It’s mentioned within the first chapter of the story, but the mysterious disease that the synopsis hints at is AIDs, which is what takes Finn, June’s uncle. It was strange to be transported back to a time when so little was known about this deadly disease, but everything was feared. Even though in many ways Tell the Wolves I’m Home is not about this disease, Brunt did an excellent job of showing the fear and uncertainty everyone had when confronted with the topic. It’s hard to imagine some of the things various characters in the book wondered about now, but in a time when hardly any information was available, it’s easy to see why people were so curious about Finn’s death.
I do not want to go too much into talking about June and Toby, but let me just say that the way these two characters related to each other but also foiled each other was well-done. The way they grew and changed because of each other through the course of the book is incredible, and I loved how Toby played such a role in June’s coming-of-age in Tell the Wolves I’m Home.
As a last note, the writing in this book is absolutely stunning. The most normal conversation changed into something beautiful. I only share passages of books when I really love them, and some of the parts in Tell the Wolves I’m Home were just too good not to share:
"That’s what being shy feels like. Like my skin is too thin, the light too bright. Like the best place I could possibly be is in a tunnel far under the cool, dark earth. Someone asks me a question and I stare at them, empty-faced, my brain jammed up with how hard I’m trying to find something interesting to say. And in the end, all I can do is nod or shrug, because the light of their eyes looking at me, waiting for me, is just too much to take. And then it’s over and there’s one more person in the world who thinks I’m a complete and total waste of space.
The worst thing is the stupid hopefulness. Every new party, every new bunch of people, and I start thinking that maybe this is my chance. That I’m going to be normal this time. A new leaf. A fresh start. But then I find myself at the party, thinking, Oh, yeah. This again.
So I stand on the edge of things, crossing my fingers, praying nobody will try to look me in the eye."
Oh June, I totally feel you on that one.
“I felt like I had proof that not all days are the same length, not all time has the same weight. Proof that there are worlds and worlds and worlds on top of worlds, if you want them to be there.”
This review first appeared on Book.Blog.Bake.
This is a character-driven novel, one that’s all about June. June is, you could say, a little strange. She romanticizes the past and has a penchant for the Middle Ages. She goes off to the woods often and is completely fine with her imagination being her only company. She is sometimes quite wise, and sees through situations and people in a way her sister never quite can, but she can also be completely oblivious. As much as I loved June, it’s safe to say she often made me cringe as well. Watching June grow up through Tell the Wolves I’m Home made me most misty-eyed and frustrated at times, but in a good way. I felt June’s pain so acutely, even when I wasn’t sure she knew how to express it.
The way June interacts with her family was by far one of the best parts of the novel. There’s a lot of tension between June and her sister, even though both partially want things to go back to the way they were before. Her parents obviously care, but they’re not always the best about showing it, and the entire time I was reading I just knew there was something hidden in that family dynamic that was going to rise to the surface. It could have been this big thing that the author used for dramatic effect, but it wasn’t. It was just a slow, quiet part of the plot that really showed how the characters had changed over the course of Tell the Wolves I’m Home.
It’s mentioned within the first chapter of the story, but the mysterious disease that the synopsis hints at is AIDs, which is what takes Finn, June’s uncle. It was strange to be transported back to a time when so little was known about this deadly disease, but everything was feared. Even though in many ways Tell the Wolves I’m Home is not about this disease, Brunt did an excellent job of showing the fear and uncertainty everyone had when confronted with the topic. It’s hard to imagine some of the things various characters in the book wondered about now, but in a time when hardly any information was available, it’s easy to see why people were so curious about Finn’s death.
I do not want to go too much into talking about June and Toby, but let me just say that the way these two characters related to each other but also foiled each other was well-done. The way they grew and changed because of each other through the course of the book is incredible, and I loved how Toby played such a role in June’s coming-of-age in Tell the Wolves I’m Home.
As a last note, the writing in this book is absolutely stunning. The most normal conversation changed into something beautiful. I only share passages of books when I really love them, and some of the parts in Tell the Wolves I’m Home were just too good not to share:
"That’s what being shy feels like. Like my skin is too thin, the light too bright. Like the best place I could possibly be is in a tunnel far under the cool, dark earth. Someone asks me a question and I stare at them, empty-faced, my brain jammed up with how hard I’m trying to find something interesting to say. And in the end, all I can do is nod or shrug, because the light of their eyes looking at me, waiting for me, is just too much to take. And then it’s over and there’s one more person in the world who thinks I’m a complete and total waste of space.
The worst thing is the stupid hopefulness. Every new party, every new bunch of people, and I start thinking that maybe this is my chance. That I’m going to be normal this time. A new leaf. A fresh start. But then I find myself at the party, thinking, Oh, yeah. This again.
So I stand on the edge of things, crossing my fingers, praying nobody will try to look me in the eye."
Oh June, I totally feel you on that one.
“I felt like I had proof that not all days are the same length, not all time has the same weight. Proof that there are worlds and worlds and worlds on top of worlds, if you want them to be there.”
This review first appeared on Book.Blog.Bake.
Really enjoyed this book. Wonderful story told through the voice of a 14 year old girl whose uncle died from AIDS. June's adolescent struggles along with her relationship with her uncle's partner, and her relationship with her older sister are vividly described and draw you right in. A very touching tale, well worth a read.
Den här boken hade jag hört så otroligt mycket bra om så när den plötsligt låg i en goodie-bag på Bokmässan 2014 och dessutom författaren själv var där och signerade så var jag ju inte människa att stå emot. Jag hade ingen aning om vad den egentligen handlade om, eller jo, det var något med en tonårstjej och någon med AIDS och alla grät ögonen ur sig när de läste. Läs mer på min blogg
Situations in this book made me feel uncomfortable which was likely intentional and very effective by the author. Such compelling characters and the story felt admirably real. This one will stick with me.
I really liked this book. I had a hard time getting into at first because the main character I such a flake, but it grew on me. As I continued reading, I reminded myself that the book was not set in the 21st century and that it was actually set in 1987. Once I got that drilled in my head, it was a pretty good read. I was reminded of how I was in high school and the awkwardness of my friends during the 80s. I also recalled how frantic the world was when AIDS was first mentioned. No one knew how to act and everyone was afraid of catching AIDS from the least little things (such as toilet seats).
I enjoyed the relationship June had with her uncle, and then later with Toby. She was the only one that, while afraid of all the unknowns about AIDS, was not going to let that fear stop her from caring. I also appreciated the ups and downs of June’s relationship with her sister. Her sister felt so left out that she began acting out of character. I am glad that in the end, everyone realized that Toby was not the enemy and that the family was whole again.
(truth be told, the story was really only just “ok”, but I liked reliving my high school days again through the pages of this book.)
I enjoyed the relationship June had with her uncle, and then later with Toby. She was the only one that, while afraid of all the unknowns about AIDS, was not going to let that fear stop her from caring. I also appreciated the ups and downs of June’s relationship with her sister. Her sister felt so left out that she began acting out of character. I am glad that in the end, everyone realized that Toby was not the enemy and that the family was whole again.
(truth be told, the story was really only just “ok”, but I liked reliving my high school days again through the pages of this book.)
A coming of age story that takes place in the 1980's that focuses on 14-year-old June Elbus and her relationship with her Uncle Finn who dies of AIDS as well as her other family members.
The book is well-written and thought provoking. I know a lot of people who have read and loved this book, but it just didn't do anything special for me. It was a middle-of-the-road read - I just didn't really connect with any of the characters.
The book is well-written and thought provoking. I know a lot of people who have read and loved this book, but it just didn't do anything special for me. It was a middle-of-the-road read - I just didn't really connect with any of the characters.
I really, really enjoyed this book. The story is so engaging that there was no place where I felt a lag in the narrative. The narrator is a 14-year-old quirky, loving kid-becoming-adult. Her voice is just perfect -- sometimes wiser than her years, sometimes revealingly vulnerable and childlike. All of the characters have their own story, struggles and flaws. I also loved it because it was set in the '80s and took place in the seemingly lackluster suburbia, which through our protagonist's eyes, became a complex blend of wandering woods and adventurous visits to NYC.
If you're looking for a good read you can't put down, this is the book. Lots about love and loss and acceptance. Thanks, Aunt Amy, for recommending it!
If you're looking for a good read you can't put down, this is the book. Lots about love and loss and acceptance. Thanks, Aunt Amy, for recommending it!