Reviews

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

unlockedlibrary's review

3.0

I was ready to write this off as the inferior younger sister of Migrations, and then the ferocious ending came out of nowhere and made me feel so many emotions at once.

McConaghy continues to write with bright flashes of intensity. Her worlds are more vibrant, and some measure of suspending disbelief is necessary to enjoy it. She crafts female characters with strong moral codes, who prefer the natural world to the human world, and who are often too angry to make rational decisions. These are characters we can all learn a little bit from, if only from their dedication to being adversarial.

Overall, this was an interesting book that investigates the monsters within us. The ending is a real reckoning, so prepare yourself. Once There Were Wolves challenges the reader and demands attention.

wesl6's review

3.0

Ughh I really struggled with writing a review for this one. I'll start with saying it was hard to put down but there was something about it I didn't really like and I couldn't figure out what that was. I read some other reviews to help me understand what I was feeling. I love fiction books but personally prefer to read something that is a believable fiction (which is how this book started) or a straight up fantasy. I didn't love that this book started out as such a amazing believable story then devolved into what others have described as "tragedy porn". I still liked it and would still recommend it but I just feel like it didn't need all these extra events going on to make it a good book. It was good without them.

cels's review

Ridiculous...

lockerpaint's review

5.0

*4.5 stars

alwynkanner's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

jlpeluso's review

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

luckydukes's review

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

• 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? No

4.25

whatisemilyreading811's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

camille_creps's review

2.0

Possibly 2.5 ⭐️ I didn’t enjoy this book.

kapbanana's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

I enjoyed Once There Were Wolves more than I expected. It was interesting the ways that McConaghy wove all the pieces of the story together. There's a murder mystery, a love story, a strong message about preserving/connecting with the wilderness and addressing climate change, and a harrowing tale of past tragedy. Inti Flynn was an interesting character. I was fascinated with her mirror-touch synesthesia and thought that added a really interested layer to her character and the story. It helped root the story in the body and explore all that that meant.

The story became a bit overly dramatic in the very end.

The whole pregnancy & birth in the middle of the woods made me roll my eyes. I was heartbroken by the death of Duncan's dog. That was more graphic than I expected.

But still, McConaghy does an excellent job of exploring dark and terrible things while not going into traumatic details. Her writing feels well balanced and the story, well paced. Overall, a thought-provoking and compelling read!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death and Domestic abuse

Minor: Child abuse