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kerrianne 's review for:
Julie of the Wolves
by John Schoenherr, Jean Craighead George
For the better part of a week I was convinced I was never going to be able to finish traipsing through the 201 pages of this book, and even when I realized I was too stubborn not to finish, I remained convinced I was never going to enjoy the story. Touché, Jean Craighead George. Touché. While George ended up hooking me, she didn't successfully do it until page 120, and until then I was sure I'd been wandering the Arctic tundra for three lifetimes waiting for the real story to unfold.
While I can understand why George saw fit to tell the story in three separate (mostly) non-chronological parts, the absence of chapters made the story feel run-on in places. More importantly (to me), it's quite difficult to care about a character until some amount of backstory is shared. (Part III is definitely my favorite, save for it also being the most depressing.)
The back of the book shares that George herself "traveled extensively to report on the behavior of animals in the wild", and the shining moments within this story definitely lie in the details of the wolves, caribou, the Arctic fox, and the golden plovers. Miyax/Julie is both endearing and wholly unbelievable as a narrator and lone survivalist, but where Julie lacks credibility and depth, the Arctic tundra and all its wild inhabitants are authentic and vibrant, engaging and ever-changing.
To end this review before I write a five paragraph essay on how the story SHOULD have ended, a favorite quote/Miyax mantra:
"When fear seizes," she whispered, "change what you are doing. You are doing something wrong."
[Three stars for a wild and captivating world, and beautiful wolves.]
While I can understand why George saw fit to tell the story in three separate (mostly) non-chronological parts, the absence of chapters made the story feel run-on in places. More importantly (to me), it's quite difficult to care about a character until some amount of backstory is shared. (Part III is definitely my favorite, save for it also being the most depressing.)
The back of the book shares that George herself "traveled extensively to report on the behavior of animals in the wild", and the shining moments within this story definitely lie in the details of the wolves, caribou, the Arctic fox, and the golden plovers. Miyax/Julie is both endearing and wholly unbelievable as a narrator and lone survivalist, but where Julie lacks credibility and depth, the Arctic tundra and all its wild inhabitants are authentic and vibrant, engaging and ever-changing.
To end this review before I write a five paragraph essay on how the story SHOULD have ended, a favorite quote/Miyax mantra:
"When fear seizes," she whispered, "change what you are doing. You are doing something wrong."
[Three stars for a wild and captivating world, and beautiful wolves.]