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librariandest 's review for:
Wolf Hollow
by Lauren Wolk
I really loved this book. It's gorgeously written, full of wisdom, and hard to put down. The thing is, I'm not entirely convinced it's a children's book. Someone told me the author originally imagined it being marketed to adults but she was persuaded to turn it into a middle grade novel. Even if that's not true, it seems true. Like [b:The Catcher in the Rye|5107|The Catcher in the Rye|J.D. Salinger|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1398034300s/5107.jpg|3036731] and [b:To Kill a Mockingbird|2657|To Kill a Mockingbird|Harper Lee|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1361975680s/2657.jpg|3275794], this book is complex enough for any adult, but happens to follow the experiences of a young person. Does that in itself make it a YA or middle grade book? As I was reading I noted many places where the meaning was so subtle, I had to re-read it and then put the book down for a minute to ponder. It was also so heart-wrenching at times, so real, that tears sprang to my eyes. I'm not saying this book is "inappropriate" for children. I'm saying most children are probably not mature enough to really sink their teeth into it. The voice of the narration is that of an older Annabelle looking back on the year before she turned 12. It's not fully an 11-year-old's voice, though the narration accounts for what she perceived at the time, versus what she understands in retrospect.
Literature is literature, no matter who it's marketed to, but I feel like this will present a challenge to award committees. This is, without a doubt, one of the finest books I've ever read. But I can't imagine recommending it to many children. Teens, yes. Adults, definitely. It is my sincere hope that it finds a wide readership despite being sold as middle grade fiction. It explores prejudice against people who are perceived as "odd" and the difficult balance between doing what is right and what is expected. Annabelle's mother has some wonderfully powerful lines - the one about numbness and hurt comes to mind. Toby is a character that reminds me (and a lot of readers) of Boo Radley, but he also made me thing of [b:The Things They Carried|133518|The Things They Carried|Tim O'Brien|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1424663847s/133518.jpg|1235619], especially because he carries those heavy guns on his back. Annabelle as a narrator reminded me a little of Briony in [b:Atonement|6867|Atonement|Ian McEwan|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1320449708s/6867.jpg|2307233] because of her perspicacity and also her unusual position of power as a child in an adult world. Betty, though a villain, still inspires traces of sympathy. But, I have to admit, I thought mostly of Macaulay Culkin's character in the movie The Good Son (which I just googled and learned was written by Ian McEwan! Who knew?)
If you've made it this far and haven't read the book, I hope you do.
Literature is literature, no matter who it's marketed to, but I feel like this will present a challenge to award committees. This is, without a doubt, one of the finest books I've ever read. But I can't imagine recommending it to many children. Teens, yes. Adults, definitely. It is my sincere hope that it finds a wide readership despite being sold as middle grade fiction. It explores prejudice against people who are perceived as "odd" and the difficult balance between doing what is right and what is expected. Annabelle's mother has some wonderfully powerful lines - the one about numbness and hurt comes to mind. Toby is a character that reminds me (and a lot of readers) of Boo Radley, but he also made me thing of [b:The Things They Carried|133518|The Things They Carried|Tim O'Brien|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1424663847s/133518.jpg|1235619], especially because he carries those heavy guns on his back. Annabelle as a narrator reminded me a little of Briony in [b:Atonement|6867|Atonement|Ian McEwan|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1320449708s/6867.jpg|2307233] because of her perspicacity and also her unusual position of power as a child in an adult world. Betty, though a villain, still inspires traces of sympathy. But, I have to admit, I thought mostly of Macaulay Culkin's character in the movie The Good Son (which I just googled and learned was written by Ian McEwan! Who knew?)
If you've made it this far and haven't read the book, I hope you do.