A review by keenanmaree
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

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

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

Minor: Child death, Infertility, and Suicide