Scan barcode
A review by silvae
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
5.0
[TW: domestic abuse, rape (semi-graphic), animal cruelty (graphic), freezing, pregnancy, violence, mental illness, death of parent, grief, murder]
The short review up front: if you loved Migrations and are looking for a book with a similar feel to it that isn't a direct clone, Once There Were Wolves may be the book for you!
Charlotte McConaghy has a very clear voice and a knack for creating likeable characters that in all honesty should not be likeable at all. Inti and Franny (of Migrations) are very similar, while nonetheless being their own people, with their own flaws, motives, fears and passions. I really enjoy the general themes of lonely, grieving women finding comfort in nature, in animals and with other equally lonesome people. Where her first literary novel was quite slow and melancholic, Once There Were Wolves felt more violent, more hurt, more angry at the state of the world. Conflicts take place on the streets and the fields, amongst the wolves, amongst the farmers and within Inti's past, weaving a thick tapestry of the kind of anger that only grief and fear can form towards the end of the story.
My only issue with the story were the ambiguous feelings I felt in the first third or so - the plot takes a while to get going and then picks up full speed towards the end, which you wouldn't think from the start. This definitely isn't much of an issue at all, but definitely something I took note of, so it might help to see me mention this if you are struggling in the first part of the book.
I don't think I enjoyed this quite as much as Migrations (though this is surely due to the comparisons I kept making between the two - I'm sure reading this before Migrations might have a similar effect on the enjoyment of the second book you read), but it is nonetheless a stellar story that is equal parts thrilling and heartwrenching. I'm excited to see what the author writes next; I'm seeing her as a future "must-buy" author for me.
The short review up front: if you loved Migrations and are looking for a book with a similar feel to it that isn't a direct clone, Once There Were Wolves may be the book for you!
Charlotte McConaghy has a very clear voice and a knack for creating likeable characters that in all honesty should not be likeable at all. Inti and Franny (of Migrations) are very similar, while nonetheless being their own people, with their own flaws, motives, fears and passions. I really enjoy the general themes of lonely, grieving women finding comfort in nature, in animals and with other equally lonesome people. Where her first literary novel was quite slow and melancholic, Once There Were Wolves felt more violent, more hurt, more angry at the state of the world. Conflicts take place on the streets and the fields, amongst the wolves, amongst the farmers and within Inti's past, weaving a thick tapestry of the kind of anger that only grief and fear can form towards the end of the story.
My only issue with the story were the ambiguous feelings I felt in the first third or so - the plot takes a while to get going and then picks up full speed towards the end, which you wouldn't think from the start. This definitely isn't much of an issue at all, but definitely something I took note of, so it might help to see me mention this if you are struggling in the first part of the book.
I don't think I enjoyed this quite as much as Migrations (though this is surely due to the comparisons I kept making between the two - I'm sure reading this before Migrations might have a similar effect on the enjoyment of the second book you read), but it is nonetheless a stellar story that is equal parts thrilling and heartwrenching. I'm excited to see what the author writes next; I'm seeing her as a future "must-buy" author for me.