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raegancihammers 's review for:
Tell the Wolves I'm Home
by Carol Rifka Brunt
This book surprised me. Not that I was expecting it to be bad. I just wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. On its surface, its the story of the tenuous friendship June and Toby build after June loses her uncle Finn to AIDS in 1987. But it is also the story of June and her sister Greta. And the story of Toby and Finn. And the story of Finn and June's mother, Danni.
Brunt did an wonderful job pulling all the threads of this story togethers. There were so many layers of complexity and themes being dealt with here: sibling relationships(Greta and June; Finn and Danni), romantic vs. platonic vs. familial love and where the line is between them, regrets and missed opportunities, jealousy, betrayal, growing up, loss, shame. And in spite of the complexity, none of the rich story-lines felt unfinished, or rushed, or forgotten about.
In fact, there was one detail introduced two-thirds of the way through the book having to do with a stack of paintings that I was particularly curious about. It was not mentioned again and as I was nearing the end of the book I figured we would never find out what happened to them. But you sneaky Brunt, there it was on the second-to-last page - the answer to my question.
The other thing I'll say about this book is that it contained some of the most raw moments, and alternately some of the most and tender moments, I've read all year. Other reviewers have confessed to having been reduced to sobbing piles by the end of this book. There were definitely moments were I had to blink the tears away to keep reading, but I think this one is going to be a slow burn for me. One of those stories that follows me around. And in a world over-flowing with stories and personal tragedies, its rare to run across a story so acute that it continues to haunt you long after you finish it.
Brunt did an wonderful job pulling all the threads of this story togethers. There were so many layers of complexity and themes being dealt with here: sibling relationships(Greta and June; Finn and Danni), romantic vs. platonic vs. familial love and where the line is between them, regrets and missed opportunities, jealousy, betrayal, growing up, loss, shame. And in spite of the complexity, none of the rich story-lines felt unfinished, or rushed, or forgotten about.
In fact, there was one detail introduced two-thirds of the way through the book having to do with a stack of paintings that I was particularly curious about. It was not mentioned again and as I was nearing the end of the book I figured we would never find out what happened to them. But you sneaky Brunt, there it was on the second-to-last page - the answer to my question.
The other thing I'll say about this book is that it contained some of the most raw moments, and alternately some of the most and tender moments, I've read all year. Other reviewers have confessed to having been reduced to sobbing piles by the end of this book. There were definitely moments were I had to blink the tears away to keep reading, but I think this one is going to be a slow burn for me. One of those stories that follows me around. And in a world over-flowing with stories and personal tragedies, its rare to run across a story so acute that it continues to haunt you long after you finish it.