Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

91 reviews

katelynprice's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

I was immediately intrigued by this book, but it took me a bit to make sense of the world-building, magic, and history. I noticed that it took me much longer to read these pages, and I'm not sure if that was because I was just trying to make sense of it all or if the writing was actually confusing at times. There was also a whole scene/chapter that I think could've been cut from the book, as it didn't seem to serve a larger purpose and just slowed down the pace of the story. While this was not a perfect book, I still found myself drawn to it and was enthralled in the end. Some lines were so good that I went back to reread them and even read them aloud to my husband. Whitten is talented, and I want to read more from her. I'm glad I don't have to leave this world she created quite yet. 
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thecasualbooknerd's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.75

A dark-fantasy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast, this story was gripping and very well crafted. The pacing was also just right 👌🏽
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pastellasilver's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Ich mochte die Grundidee sehr gerne. Der Fehlende Antagonist hat eine spannende und interessante neue Sichtweise geboten. Schade fand ich, dass später doch ein "klassischer" Gegenspieler auftrat und viele Wendungen dadurch vorhersehbar wurden. 
In den Wilden Wald habe ich mich aber Hals ĂĽber Kopf verliebt, die Atmosphäre und die Bewohner haben es mir angetan. 
Dass Red und Neve so sehr gegeneinander gearbeitet haben fand ich jedoch sehr ermüdend, auch wenn es logosch erklärt war. Als Leser ist es jedoch sehr anstrengend, da man weitaus mehr Informationen hat.
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charliesmom's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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robin_leeann's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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cwerber's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

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smuttymcbookface's review against another edition

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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.
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bookaholic84's review against another edition

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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. 

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readwithria's review against another edition

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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.
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emilylovesgoodbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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