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iamgiantwoman's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
clacksee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, War, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Police brutality, Murder, Confinement, Gun violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Child death and Pandemic/Epidemic
amym2794's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
tiranamisu's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
drunkbookclub's review against another edition
4.0
Brilliantly written and thought-provoking.
But also very brutal and violent.
A gripping thriller that I couldn’t put down, partly because of the great tension I felt reading it. I was at the edge of my seat most of the time, wanting it to finally end and also not wanting it to end.
But also very brutal and violent.
A gripping thriller that I couldn’t put down, partly because of the great tension I felt reading it. I was at the edge of my seat most of the time, wanting it to finally end and also not wanting it to end.
adelza's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book promised to be brutual and it delivered. At one point I was actively nauseated but at several others I found myself merrily running to google to fully appreciated the little snippets of world building I wanted to learn more about! There is character development but not at all in the way I'd usually expect and the characters were all well written especially Nana!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Child abuse, Vomit, War, and Torture
chukg's review against another edition
4.0
I've only read Thompson's Molly Southborne books before. This one is also very violent in places, but the story was good and the main character/narrator is pretty well developed. The setting was interesting too.
josher71's review against another edition
5.0
Tade Thompson has become one of my favorite writers. I've read two of his books in two days and I plan to read the rest this weekend.
verkisto's review against another edition
4.0
Tade Thompson took me by surprise with The Murders of Molly Southborne. It was a vivid story, told well, with a vivid main character and a fantastic premise. It was such an impressive story that I immediately tracked down the other books he had written and put them at the top of my to-read list. Making Wolf is the first of those, and Thompson's debut novel.
The story is set in the fictional country of Alcacia in West Africa, where Weston Kogi returns for his aunt's funeral. He left when he was still a teenager, boarding a plane just as riots broke out across his country. His aunt was the one who got him out of the country, so he feels the obligation to return from London to pay his respects. While there, he makes a connection with an old schoolmate and bully who ropes him into investigating the death of a well-loved hero of Alcacia. Things slowly go from bad to worse, though, with Weston seeing first-hand the brutality of violence of living in this divided nation.
The story itself is a noir crime thriller, with Weston being the investigator and Alcacia standing in for the darkened, gritty streets. The plot carries us forward, revealing itself pieces at a time, through betrayals, double-crosses, and intrigue, complete with the long-legged dames and characters with questionable morality. The story is modernized and relocated, and it feels like Thompson has things to say about Africa as perceived through the Western eye, but it's also a solid, page-turning crime thriller with a satisfying conclusion.
Making Wolf feels like it could be the start of a series, but since the point of the story is Weston's character growth, it's hard to imagine there being anything else to tell. Thompson couldn't start over again with Weston, and there aren't any other characters in the book that could serve as the growth for a sequel. It's not an unfinished story by any means, but it does feel like there's more to tell. Were Thompson to write that book, I would read it because I admire his skills as a writer, and because I trust he would be able to find a way to make a sequel fresh.
With all the Swedish crime thrillers that are populating the best-seller lists, there should be room for one more set in West Africa. Making Wolf is that book, and I think anyone looking for a well-told crime thriller, set in a new place, would do well to read it.
The story is set in the fictional country of Alcacia in West Africa, where Weston Kogi returns for his aunt's funeral. He left when he was still a teenager, boarding a plane just as riots broke out across his country. His aunt was the one who got him out of the country, so he feels the obligation to return from London to pay his respects. While there, he makes a connection with an old schoolmate and bully who ropes him into investigating the death of a well-loved hero of Alcacia. Things slowly go from bad to worse, though, with Weston seeing first-hand the brutality of violence of living in this divided nation.
The story itself is a noir crime thriller, with Weston being the investigator and Alcacia standing in for the darkened, gritty streets. The plot carries us forward, revealing itself pieces at a time, through betrayals, double-crosses, and intrigue, complete with the long-legged dames and characters with questionable morality. The story is modernized and relocated, and it feels like Thompson has things to say about Africa as perceived through the Western eye, but it's also a solid, page-turning crime thriller with a satisfying conclusion.
Making Wolf feels like it could be the start of a series, but since the point of the story is Weston's character growth, it's hard to imagine there being anything else to tell. Thompson couldn't start over again with Weston, and there aren't any other characters in the book that could serve as the growth for a sequel. It's not an unfinished story by any means, but it does feel like there's more to tell. Were Thompson to write that book, I would read it because I admire his skills as a writer, and because I trust he would be able to find a way to make a sequel fresh.
With all the Swedish crime thrillers that are populating the best-seller lists, there should be room for one more set in West Africa. Making Wolf is that book, and I think anyone looking for a well-told crime thriller, set in a new place, would do well to read it.