Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

17 reviews

lizgo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Rape, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, and Death of parent

anonymous_blobfish's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

3.75/5 ⭐️ 

TW: domestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, animal death

This story started slow but inevitably hooked me. We follow Inti and, indirectly, her twin sister Aggie who have moved to Scotland where Inti is working to reintroduce wolves to the wild highlands. Both have suffered immensely up until this point and carry with them heavy baggage that is slowly unpacked as the story progresses.

We meet many interesting characters in the highlands and deal with their mixed emotional responses to the wolf reintroduction. Along the way, a murder mystery unfolds as well as a delicate power struggle between scared locals and a passionate Inti who is determined to convert them to her brand of wilderness rehabilitation.

I was captivated by this book, sometimes uncomfortably so. I don’t think I particularly liked any of the characters, main or secondary (the latter of which were a bit underdeveloped truth be told) and the story felt a bit formulaic at times (in the “ooooh a mystery, bet you can’t guess, wait you guessed, just kidding - you didn’t, or did you” kinda way). I did however enjoy the depth of emotion painted into these characters which simply flowed off the page. I would love to see this have a movie adaption so that there is room for certain characters to be given more flesh and feeling to them.

I definitely think it’s important to note the TWs in this story as they were quite confronting at times (which may have also dulled the shine for me a little) however it’s still well worth a read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Animal death, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcoholism and Addiction

avisreadsandreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Stalking, and Vomit

Minor: Abortion, Dementia, Drug use, Infertility, and Suicide

stephblair's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Sexual violence, Rape, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, and Mental illness

Minor: Abortion and Alcoholism

thecriticalreader's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-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? Yes

4.0

I chose Once There Were Wolves as my Book of the Month because it seemed to be highly rated. 

 

Plot:

Part murder mystery, part wildlife conservation story, Once There Were Wolves has an intriguing, well-executed plot. It was interesting to read a murder mystery where one of the potential culprits is an animal. It added a new dimension to the story, as most characters in the story have a vested interested in either proving it was or was not a wolf. 

 

Although the plot was well-executed, it did feel very literary. It had a layer of melodrama that made suspension of disbelief necessary. At no point did I feel I was reading something that had happened or could have happened. 

 

Characters:

Inti, a traumatized wolf expert with an extreme case of mirror touch synthesia is a unique protagonist. We get to understand her and her sister Aggie’s background through multiple flashbacks. 

 

Similar to the plot, the characters are fascinating and complex but slightly unbelievable. They are all a bit too theatrical and extreme. 

 

Setting:

Once There Were Wolves takes place in rural Scotland. The main character, Inti, is a foreigner visiting to help reintroduce wolves to the area. However, their project faces severe backlash from sheep farmers and townspeople in the area. The setting served the book quite well. It added a murky level of conflict to the murder mystery and rewilding effort. The isolated, gloomy atmosphere provided a feeling of dread and suspicion necessary for the mystery to play out. 

 

Themes:

The main theme of this book is trauma—what it is, what it looks like, and how to deal with. The author parallels the trauma of the environment with personal trauma. Inti’s father is a passionate environmentalist who isolates himself and lives off the land. He represents an idealized but extreme reaction to the climate crisis, living a life unattainable and undesirable for many. Inti’s mother is a pessimistic crime investigator who believes in “toughening up.” Ultimately, the story demonstrates that pain cannot be avoided, but that healing is possible if people open themselves up to scary and uncertain new relationships with the environment and each other. 

 

Writing Style:

McConaghy’s writing style was a bit dramatic for my taste, but skillful. 

 

Conclusion:

I thoroughly enjoyed Once There Were Wolves both as a murder mystery and an environmental commentary even if it was a bit dark and overdramatic for my taste. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Blood, Abandonment, Death of parent, Dementia, Infidelity, and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism

kdmusings's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Written in a style that I wouldn't normally continue to read after a few chapters, but I gave it a chance (and went outside my 'reading comfort zone'). I'm glad I did as it reflected on the climate crisis in a new style of writing that I am not accustomed too. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

keenanmaree's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

This book is very beautifully written, and there is really a lot to love in it. It is a a story about humanity and our complicated relationship with nature, each other, and ourselves. McConaghy does a wonderful job of depicting the frustration and rage that comes out of simple misunderstandings, and also out of the sense of helplessness when we are unable to either prevent or correct the evils inflicted on ourselves or our loved ones. 

My lowish rating is due to some purely subjective issues I had with the story. Although I saw the sexual assault coming almost from the beginning of the book, the actual scene was so alarming (I’m sure intentionally so…how could it be anything but horrifying?) that I had to step away from the book for a bit. I also didn’t love that the victim of such a violent assault was transformed into a violent murderer herself. It works narratively, but I think it sends a harmful message about sufferers of ptsd. I am also always a bit turned off by the story device of “hardened woman has a baby and it solves all of her problems and teaches her how to love again.”

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Dementia, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Stalking, and Vomit

Minor: Child death, Infertility, and Suicide