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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Once There Were Wolves is a thriller that is a bit overwrought thematically but otherwise is well written. McConaghy really nails the sense of wildness and isolation that is central to the story. Her characters are largely believable, complicated, and well-chosen. The prose shifts frequently between pithy melodrama and gorgeous descriptions, which are enjoyable even when they are a touch overwritten.
That said, she takes most of her premises a touch too far. The protagonist's mirror-touch synesthesia is treated like magic, her sister's assault is way darker than necessary (although very well told), the twins sign language is fetishized to an almost supernatural degree, and so on. Every tragic backstory feels like it is 10% too far for belief, and the author stacks edge-case on top of edge-case until the story feels like a fever dream of almost-impossible things happening. I wish the author had leaned into this a bit more, but the book keeps demanding that you take it seriously, as if it is well grounded in reality.
Now, I don't mind the mixed experience per se, but the ending really ruined the book for me. When the protagonist has to put down the wolf which has been terrorizing the farms, I thought maybe she had finally learned her lesson about overly bonding to these wild creatures. Instead, they emerge from the forest and save her life because she mishandled them earlier. This majorly undercuts the primary theme of the book - let wild things be wild! Secondly, I am furious that her sister is positioned as being an inconvenient house guest, so she walks off into the woods to die. That's a revolting moral, and again undercuts her depiction thus far. Finally, you expect me to believe that this whole town is okay with a wolf attacking two people? They were ready to storm the woods when they just suspected a wolf of killing their friend - if the cops confirmed it and added another brutal assault they would go ballistic! Without these elements this would have been a 3 or 4 star book, but the ending for most of the characters was insane.
That said, she takes most of her premises a touch too far. The protagonist's mirror-touch synesthesia is treated like magic, her sister's assault is way darker than necessary (although very well told), the twins sign language is fetishized to an almost supernatural degree, and so on. Every tragic backstory feels like it is 10% too far for belief, and the author stacks edge-case on top of edge-case until the story feels like a fever dream of almost-impossible things happening. I wish the author had leaned into this a bit more, but the book keeps demanding that you take it seriously, as if it is well grounded in reality.
Now, I don't mind the mixed experience per se, but the ending really ruined the book for me. When the protagonist has to put down the wolf which has been terrorizing the farms, I thought maybe she had finally learned her lesson about overly bonding to these wild creatures. Instead, they emerge from the forest and save her life because she mishandled them earlier. This majorly undercuts the primary theme of the book - let wild things be wild! Secondly, I am furious that her sister is positioned as being an inconvenient house guest, so she walks off into the woods to die. That's a revolting moral, and again undercuts her depiction thus far. Finally, you expect me to believe that this whole town is okay with a wolf attacking two people? They were ready to storm the woods when they just suspected a wolf of killing their friend - if the cops confirmed it and added another brutal assault they would go ballistic! Without these elements this would have been a 3 or 4 star book, but the ending for most of the characters was insane.
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A dark, beautiful force of nature!
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A bleak and forceful gut punch to the soul. I had a really tough time rating this book and even asked a friend from book club to read to discuss because while I thought it was masterfully written, it shattered me too and was unbelievably heavy. Maybe some five star books are meant to do that and just leave that ache in your heart when you think of it always…
This book is about a scientist who tries to release wolves back into the Scottish highlands (inspiration taken from the Yellowstone rewilding project) to mitigate climate change and reintroduce them to the land after being driven to extinction. Soon we find she is met with heavy resistance from the locals.
There is so much mirroring in this novel about tenderness contrasted with harsh violence. It also speaks to our drive as animals, connect to nature, and as staying in touch with nature to better connect to it as well as to one another. I highly suggest taking care as there are extremely dark content warnings with assault, abuse, and animal death/cruelty. I have a strong attachment to wolves and doggos. It was rough.
Was the ending Wild and outlandish? Sure. I saw that as intentional and this story will be stuck with me for ages. McConaghy is now an auto buy author for me. I immediately went and picked up Migrations at my local bookstore. Here are some of my favorite quotes from this story:
“They're all watching me now. I can feel their eyes, because this is the thing, isn't it? This is the fear they live with now. The children in us long for monsters to take forms we understand. They want to fear the wolves because they don't want to fear each other.”
“There are languages without words and violence is one of them.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Rape
Moderate: Murder, Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide, Abortion, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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:
Complicated
I liked Wild Dark Shore more. But this wasn’t bad.
*read via audiobook
*read via audiobook
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
fast-paced