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velsbooknook's review against another edition
5.0
I read Once There Were Wolves last year and really enjoyed it so I was very excited to read McConaghy's debut novel. In the beginning I did not think that I would be so invested in the last migration of the Arctic Terns but oh well I was! The writing style was so eerie and atmospheric having me turn page after page. The topics of climate change and animal extinction were so real and scary. I was invested in all timelines and I loved to find out everything about the main character Franny. Seeing her in the present and in past events that made her the woman she is now. This story was dark and cruel, yet also beautiful and breathtaking. Be sure to check trigger warnings since some events were very heavy. I loved this book a lot and it has a special place in my heart. If it sounds like something you would enjoy I encourage you to give this one a go.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder
orireading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual assault and Vomit
williamgideon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Car accident
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Miscarriage, Vomit, and Sexual harassment
amandaformby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
mel_s_bookshelf's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
emzireads's review
5.0
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, and Car accident
Moderate: Miscarriage and Violence
johannairene's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
my first impression, only a few pages in, was that mcconaghy knows how to grab me, drag me into her world, and have me really present - captivated- in the events which are filled with colour. franny (protagonist) and her obsession with birds and the ocean gave these moments and reflections a poetic touch which really attracted me.
but i got worried.
all that longing to follow the last arctic terns, to swim in the ocean and to give in to this desire to be free; was this romanising her mental state and her selfish ways which hurt the people around her? i started to have these thoughts and i got quite judgmental and annoyed at her, but this feeling was also in conflict with my empathy towards a struggling and heartbroken woman.
but it was mostly annoyance for some time, and this was before i finally saw the whole picture and realised that this is not a romanisation at all and there’s more to this story and her reasons for her actions.
my journey through these pages ended with heartbreak and a new perception of franny. she’s real and flawed, and i finally realised that she was easy to be suspicious of because i didn’t know the whole story.
i’m telling you this to demonstrate how this personal migration i was reading about evoked a reading experience that took me though a journey too.
wow. this book was a rollercoaster for me. but in the end, it truly was a unique experience and i’m in awe thinking about how this was executed. i’m actually quite speechless and i don’t feel like this review gives it justice, and that it won’t matter how many times i rewrite it.
read this book through and through, and you’ll see it’s beauty. prepare for heartbreak. i’m deeply impressed and i highly recommend.
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
whatellisreadnext's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Violence, and Grief
andiefish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide
bakerreads's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
This story is set in the near future, where most every wild animal is extinct. We follow Franny Stone, an unreliable narrator with a dark past, as she tracks the last known flock of Arctic terns on their final migration.
This story is fairly depressing, but there’s a found family aspect that I just absolutely adored and loved how the characters interacted with one another (for the most part). McConaghy is amazing at writing complex, and realistically flawed characters. This is a story about love, and loss, and finding your place in the world, and I thought it was perfect.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder