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A review by mcbrowning
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
3.0
All creatures know love.
I'm struggling to review this book having just finished it, so don't be surprised if you see this edited several times. The main reason I was drawn to this book was the conservation. Inti, the main character, goes to Scotland as part of a team working to reintroduce wolves to the Highlands. Her team is met with resistance from the community, mostly farmers concerned about losing livestock. Inti, who spent part of her childhood with her naturalist father and the other part with her detective mother, meets the resistance head-on.
Overall, I thought the theme of conflict throughout the story was very interesting. The push between what is wild and what is tame, between softness and violence, and whether love can exist through it all was really well explored. I think where I struggled with parts of the story were the characters and the pacing to a degree, but I can't quite put my finger on why.
There was definitely a feeling of Main Character Syndrome in this book. I also think there was an overuse of tropes (secret twin sister, main character who has a special connection to animals and tames the horse no one else can ride, murder, and secret affairs). It all felt a bit like the kid who gets too into playing wolves on the playground. Honestly, I wanted more conservation.
I'm struggling to review this book having just finished it, so don't be surprised if you see this edited several times. The main reason I was drawn to this book was the conservation. Inti, the main character, goes to Scotland as part of a team working to reintroduce wolves to the Highlands. Her team is met with resistance from the community, mostly farmers concerned about losing livestock. Inti, who spent part of her childhood with her naturalist father and the other part with her detective mother, meets the resistance head-on.
Overall, I thought the theme of conflict throughout the story was very interesting. The push between what is wild and what is tame, between softness and violence, and whether love can exist through it all was really well explored. I think where I struggled with parts of the story were the characters and the pacing to a degree, but I can't quite put my finger on why.
There was definitely a feeling of Main Character Syndrome in this book. I also think there was an overuse of tropes (secret twin sister, main character who has a special connection to animals and tames the horse no one else can ride, murder, and secret affairs). It all felt a bit like the kid who gets too into playing wolves on the playground. Honestly, I wanted more conservation.