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lonestarwords's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Wolf at the Table has been on my radar FOREVER but it fell off because the publisher did a terrible job of marketing it! Every review I’ve seen is of this is a rave and also asks “where has this book been?!” Why publishers hang books out to dry I’ll never know, but this one deserved better. The blurb is also very misleading! It states that a family is “harboring a serial killer” and that is absolutely not what this book is about or how it plays out.
•
Wolf at the Table is the story of a family spanning from the 1950s to 2010 and it is a SLOW burn of a novel. If you need a plot that reads like a thriller and moves along quickly, this won’t be for you. Wolf is both quiet and ADDICTIVE, and it is more about what it does NOT say than what it does. There is so much bubbling just under the surface that my heart was in my throat for most of the 15 hour audio.
•
There are five siblings in the Larkin family - four sisters and one black sheep brother. From the outset we know something is not right with Alec but Rapp takes his time unraveling his story and occasionally I questioned where we were headed. And then about half way in it all gels and becomes propulsive.
•
Rapp asks big questions about the nature of evil - is it inherited or created and what turns someone into a monster - is it parenting, trauma, both? He examines whether or not we can sympathize with the worst of those among us and how we address the genetic component to mental illness. There is a lot going on here but it is so subtle - it just simmers at a slow boil.
•
Again, this book is flying WAY under the radar and it won’t appeal to every reader. I would never pick up the story of a serial killer, but enough trusted friends told me I had to read this, and wow am I glad I did. Rapp can craft and he can write and he broke my streak of bad books!
•
Don’t miss the NYT Book Review article about this one (A Murderer in the Family) because it explains what inspired the story - very interesting and added a lot for me.
•
Wolf at the Table is the story of a family spanning from the 1950s to 2010 and it is a SLOW burn of a novel. If you need a plot that reads like a thriller and moves along quickly, this won’t be for you. Wolf is both quiet and ADDICTIVE, and it is more about what it does NOT say than what it does. There is so much bubbling just under the surface that my heart was in my throat for most of the 15 hour audio.
•
There are five siblings in the Larkin family - four sisters and one black sheep brother. From the outset we know something is not right with Alec but Rapp takes his time unraveling his story and occasionally I questioned where we were headed. And then about half way in it all gels and becomes propulsive.
•
Rapp asks big questions about the nature of evil - is it inherited or created and what turns someone into a monster - is it parenting, trauma, both? He examines whether or not we can sympathize with the worst of those among us and how we address the genetic component to mental illness. There is a lot going on here but it is so subtle - it just simmers at a slow boil.
•
Again, this book is flying WAY under the radar and it won’t appeal to every reader. I would never pick up the story of a serial killer, but enough trusted friends told me I had to read this, and wow am I glad I did. Rapp can craft and he can write and he broke my streak of bad books!
•
Don’t miss the NYT Book Review article about this one (A Murderer in the Family) because it explains what inspired the story - very interesting and added a lot for me.
penguin555's review
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
heatherjoyner's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alwill24's review
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, Gore, Grief, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Death of parent, Excrement, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Addiction, Blood, Drug use, Murder, Racial slurs, and Sexual violence
peaknit's review
4.0
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley. This book, as the title implies, is dark and gritty. The story starts with a large Catholic family of 6 children and we follow them as the members peel off and fall away. A brother dies as a child which sets the stage in a sense for everyone to handle the future in their own way. One sister is disabled and will stay with mom forever, another sister floats off, she is a con and a hippie, yet another leaves to start a new, well to do life, a brother drifts leaving one to be the peacekeeper, conduit for the family shop always tries to do right by others. It’s almost like the roles in an alcoholic family come to life. The books spans 1950’s to 2000 and gives nods to events of the time, including several serial killers. There are near misses with evil, there is a deep immorality in one character borne of trauma. It was intense and unexpected.
montes's review
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- 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
5.0