Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

47 reviews

moooooshell's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Blood

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

readergonewilde's review

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

lacunaboo's review

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

4.75

"I think he must be a good man. But nobody is only one thing."

Inti and her team have released wolves back into Scotland in an attempt to rewild it and mitigate some of the damages that go hand in hand with climate change. The locals are not pleased. 

Eventually we are treated to a murder mystery in an isolated rural area, where everyone knows each other's secrets and outsiders may not be much more welcome than the new predators threatening the livestock. In the midst of all this are Inti and her twin sister, their own history and the damages it wrought, and the wild that can still be found inside some people as well as in the forest. 

Very emotional at times, with a romance that was pretty flat, but an engaging story and some intriguing characters. And wolves, which is always a bonus. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

sirissacgluten's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty and Alcohol

alinwonderland's review

dark 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Blood, and Vomit

hmatt's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Definitely a book that is suitable to its shorter length. I think some of the storytelling would fall short if the narrative was longer, but it worked in this length for me for the most part. It really suited the fairytale-esque vibes the book has.

I do wish the author had played a bit more into "real or imagined" moments - they're touched on, but I thought these moments were really powerful and I wish there was a bit more focus on them. Also, throughout the story, I didn't feel as if I were getting any closer to the main character. I figure this could be intentional or not and, again, is an aspect that works fine for a book of this length in my opinion.

I listened to the audiobook, and found the narration fantastic. It might have been easier for me to keep track of which wolves were which if I were physically reading the book, though.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicide

kdmusings's review

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. 

---

Content Warnings

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