Reviews with content warning for Self harm - For the Wolf

Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

129 reviews

lindseymeown's review

dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Redarys, the Second Daughter of Valleyda, has always known she’d end up in the Wilderwood, the mysterious forest at the edge of her kingdom and home of all manner of monsters, including the Wolf. Born shortly after her sister, Neverah, Red’s birth order alone ensures she’ll be sent to the forest when she comes of age, a faithful sacrifice and small price to pay for the Wolf and the magic of the Wilderwood to hold the shadows at bay and return the five Kings, Valleyda’s true gods.

Neve isn’t going to let her sister go without a fight, but sometimes it’s hard to know what’s fact and what’s fiction, who’s friend and who’s foe, and which way the story should end.

It’s my own fault that I wasn’t a fan— pulled in yet again by a beautiful cover on a thick fantasy tome and not reading into the details and reviews enough to know that what I’d really be getting was a tortured romance with a twilight, twisted forest as a fantasy backdrop. The characters’ constant bloodletting felt repetitive, Red’s (and Neve’s) characters felt rash and foolish, and overall I just didn’t feel like there was much to the plot that could really resonate— just a bunch of tropes thrown together in the woods.

I can see it working for die-hard fairy tale & romance enthusiasts— the sensitive, brooding, misunderstood, and cursed Wolf, (who smells like libraries, by the way), the determined heroine

who will sacrifice her freedom to save him & ultimately her continent, though she was

quite literally “thrown to the wolves” in a sacrificial scarlet cloak by her own family and the people of said continent— it just wasn’t enough of what I come to a fantasy looking for. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Content Warnings

revonue's review

Go to review page

The beginning clips along at a good momentum, then grinds to a halt right around when Red goes into the Wilderwood.

I would expect the Wolf and Red to have more interaction at this point, but I could forgive the lack if the other parts of the book were more interesting. They just aren't.

Personally this reads to me like Whitten read Novik's Uprooted and was inspired by it, and decided to go in a similar vein but make it Beauty and the Beast/ Red Riding Hood inspired.

But it takes the aesthetics of these fairy tales without truly adding anything or even really taking advantage of pathos that's already there.

Falls flat as a romance and as a fantasy, imo.

Content Warnings

kymopolaya's review

Go to review page

emotional inspiring mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I did like this book in general and I actually love the woods and the magic. I generally love magic based in folklore and a connection to nature and I think that was done really well here.

However there were things I really didn't like. Primarily the entire romance aspect.
I really didn't like the romance. I felt like it ended up being used as a shorthand for them being really close and meaning a lot to each other but I didn't really find it believable.

i also found that it took away power from a lot of the decisions that she makes especially towards the end. I woudl have prefered it, if she had chosen the wood, not because of eammon but because it felt a part of her and she missed it. That was definitly a part of it but it got overshadowed by eammon and since i didnt find their closeness believable it felt even weirder.

I also didn't really like the implications the sex scene had because it implied this inherent power that sex has. It also felt really unnecessary. There was absolutely no reason for them to have sex in that moment apart from the idea that it's simply the next thing that happens after finally being able to kiss.

I think the romance was just too plot driven for my taste which is why it felt shallow.

especially in comparison to Red's relationship with the woods which i felt was a lot better and would have been even better if it hadnt been overshadowed by the romance. I know that part of it is suppoed to be that eammon and the woods are interconnected but it really didnt work for me

However, I do think that this is a good book. It just wasn't really for me because I prefere plots that are heavily character driven

Content Warnings

lily47270's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

tibbarasden's review

Go to review page

dark medium-paced

5.0

I can see why this book isn't for everyone, but I loved it. It combines aspects from different fairytales while still creating something unique. I would look at the trigger warnings for this before going in as it does have a religious element and self-harm. My favorite part of this book was the Wilderwoods themselves. I love that spooky sentient wood vibe. All the characters were enjoyable, though the atmosphere was what really made this book for me.

Content Warnings

smuttymcbookface's review

Go to review page

adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

For the Wolf was an interesting retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, where Red is promised as a sacrifice on her 20th birthday to appease a magical being, the Wolf, so that he continues to protect them from shadow creatures.

I found this plot interesting, and although I can see the similarities to Beauty and the Beast, I do think this is much more Little Red Riding Hood when you take into account

that he is trying to stop part of himself from devouring her at all times.

I loved the slow-burn romance, and that the Wolf was actually just a big nerdy sweety trapped into his role. Although the lack of communication was a little annoying, I felt it was aptly explained by his desire to protect her.

I found the writing a little clunky at times, too snappy or repetitive in words (benediction, I'm looking at you). But the anticipation and scenery was built so beautifully that I was happy to overlook it.

However, the part that bugged me most about For the Wolf was the ending. Red went from impassioned, but mostly logical, to being too stupid to live. The end fight was just a little bit silly altogether, and although I understand that the premise was to set up for book two, it was done in a way that made me upset I had read all this just for it to be resolved in that way.

Also, the

absorbing of the forest, then giving it back, then absorbing it again was ridiculous. Add on top of that Fife bargaining his life away again when Lyra didn't even seem to be dying? I just couldn't reconcile all of this with the amazing plot I had read up to that point.

Content Warnings

bookaholic84's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I absolutely devoured this book, it was amazing, I loved the plot and the twist towards the end I didn’t see coming, I’m now patiently awaiting payday so I can buy book 2 to continue.
If you like fantasy, magic and a bit of romance this book is for you.

Content Warnings

molls's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.25

Content Warnings

readwithria's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

For the Wolf is a fairytale wrapped in a blood promise. A dark, hauntingly beautiful fantasy that is absolutely perfect for spooky season.

I love fairytale retellings, I love folklore, and I love Hannah Whitten’s other book The Foxglove King, so I went into this book wanting to love it with my whole heart. It delivered on so many things! The world was lush and beautiful, the prose was atmospheric, and the characters had such strong bonds with each other. This book took the spooky forest trope and spun it into something new and delicately beautiful.

The one thing that kept this from being a five start book for me was the pacing. It was definitely intentional, and built a lot of necessary tension, but the first half was much slower than I personally prefer. It picked up significantly around the halfway mark, and the last 40-50 pages were an avalanche of action and emotional beats.

I can’t wait to read the sequel! Hannah Whitten is making herself one of my go-to spooky season authors. 4 stars.

Content Warnings

maresuju's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

Content Warnings

More...