Reviews

O Regresso Dos Lobos by Sarah Hall

elisamorvena's review against another edition

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

3.0

amerasuu's review against another edition

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3.0

A really enjoyable read but not quite 4 stars

emmajoetta's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

3.75

englishmadeline8's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

paulsnelling's review against another edition

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4.0

A wandering expert oversees introduction of a pair of wolves to Cumbria, and as they acclimatise and find their home so she finds her place in the world. Not fully plausible, at the end, but engaging and well written.

krobart's review against another edition

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4.0

See my review here:

https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2020/02/20/review-1474-the-wolf-border/

mikewa14's review against another edition

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4.0

http://0651frombrighton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-wolf-border-sarah-hall.html

carolann331's review against another edition

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2.0


Meatloaf & Potatoes not Steak and Lobster

And bland meatloaf and potatoes at that. This is not to say that the writing is not beautiful or that the story is not interesting, because it is. But it is in an everyday, matter of fact, plodding, monotone, deliberate way. I can see the brilliance of the symbolism between Racheal and the wolves; the need for freedom rather than captivity. It is clear that Rachael is a lone wolf, dedicated and loyal to her cause, yet the story did not allow me to connect with the characters at all. It was devoid of emotion. Any interaction with others is told briefly or completely skipped. Thomas Pendleton's actions near the end were a complete surprise to me and were the most exciting part of the story. I wanted so badly to love this book but the characters were kept at such a distance that it sadly prevented me from having anything beyond a flatline experience.

kdurham2's review against another edition

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3.0

check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

Rachel Caine has been living in the states working with wolves and has always put her career first - her mother unexpectedly dies and she finds herself pregnant and not in a relationship so she runs back home to England to start a new pack of wolves and maybe herself at the same time.

Rachel Caine was an interesting character, but there were some moments where I wanted to pick her up, dust her off and give her a little confidence! I didn't think she was gaining self confidence at the rate I think she would as she was the team leader of this interesting project. I felt as though her team and the Earl had more confidence in her and she wasn't seeing it and it was so frustrating. Besides this character flaw, I enjoyed reading her and her journey.

I loved her team. They were eccentric and each added to the story.

bmg20's review against another edition

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DNF

Having read and loved [b:The Beautiful Indifference: Stories|15818482|The Beautiful Indifference Stories|Sarah Hall|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345162807s/15818482.jpg|17130525], a collection of short stories by this author, I was willing to take a chance on this one despite my hesitation. The subject matter definitely had potential but I read so very little of what is considered 'literary fiction' these days and clearly for good reason.

The concept is interesting: Rachel Caine, a zoologist that grew up in the UK now lives in rural Idaho monitoring wolves. She has been asked to come back to the UK in hopes of hiring her for a project a local Earl has set his sights on: the reintegration wolves to the English countryside. Interested in how long exactly it had been since wolves were common in England, I did a little research myself. Apparently around 1281, the complete destruction of wolves in England was ordered by the current ruler, Edward I and while there were a few mentions of wolves in subsequent years, most appeared to have been exterminated. So despite the modern disadvantages, this Earl wants to bring that park of medieval England back to life and he believes Rachel would be the best bet for this project to be a success. Interesting, but not fascinating enough to capture my complete interest.

Rachel herself was a strange character, seemingly as wild as the wolves she watches, but I struggled with the balance between the topic of the wolves with the overpowering focus on her uninspiring personal life. Then there was the stereotypical Earl, Pennington, and his determination towards this project that was ultimately left unexplained. Emphasis was constantly placed on the fact that he had money and power and he always got what he want without any real meaning behind his actions. The side characters weren't much better and I would have preferred more of a focus on the wolves themselves, alas despite the assumption that they were they definitely took the back burner of the story even with the clear attempt to parallel their story with Rachel's. It just didn't work for me.

The prose is lovely, as I knew she was capable of from her short story collection, but being confronted with another literary story where the quotation marks are experiencing a severe shortage is tiresome. Having to constantly reread passages because I can't determine whether it was something that was actually said out loud or was merely internal dialogue isn't something a reader should have to struggle with. It's a literary style that I will never be on board with.