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jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
Socialization is what helps us become who we are and interact with other people. Beth Lewis's The Wolf Road follows a young girl raised by one man in the remote woods, whose context for right and wrong, good and bad are skewed toward the moral compass of that one man.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
For the past ten years, Elka has lived with a man she's known as Trapper after wandering into the woods at the age of seven and getting stranded after a thunderhead. She learned how to hunt, how to kill, how to clean animals, and how to survive in the wilderness from Trapper. When she goes in to town to trade and sees Trapper's tattooed face on a wanted poster, her life gets irrevocably changed and her concept of who she is changes dramatically, too. To be rid of the terrible things that Trapper has done, Elka must confront not only him, but the secrets she's locked away from herself.
An intriguing story with the main conflict occurring within the central figure of Elka with the haunting figure of Trapper and his evil lurking quietly off-stage, as it were. I enjoyed how the narrative was written in dialect offered authenticity to the story, even if it was a touch difficult to read at times. While the time period that this novel is set in isn't crucial, it was still a bit disorienting not having a clear idea of the context of when it was taking place and what happened to cause the world to be in the state that it's in. It seemed as if it took place in the post-apocalyptic future since it talked about nuclear bombings, but the technology employed was more along the lines of the Wild West, so it made for an odd mash-up since it wasn't adequately addressed in the text and rather just barely presented and moved on from as if it was the norm and not worth exploring further.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
For the past ten years, Elka has lived with a man she's known as Trapper after wandering into the woods at the age of seven and getting stranded after a thunderhead. She learned how to hunt, how to kill, how to clean animals, and how to survive in the wilderness from Trapper. When she goes in to town to trade and sees Trapper's tattooed face on a wanted poster, her life gets irrevocably changed and her concept of who she is changes dramatically, too. To be rid of the terrible things that Trapper has done, Elka must confront not only him, but the secrets she's locked away from herself.
An intriguing story with the main conflict occurring within the central figure of Elka with the haunting figure of Trapper and his evil lurking quietly off-stage, as it were. I enjoyed how the narrative was written in dialect offered authenticity to the story, even if it was a touch difficult to read at times. While the time period that this novel is set in isn't crucial, it was still a bit disorienting not having a clear idea of the context of when it was taking place and what happened to cause the world to be in the state that it's in. It seemed as if it took place in the post-apocalyptic future since it talked about nuclear bombings, but the technology employed was more along the lines of the Wild West, so it made for an odd mash-up since it wasn't adequately addressed in the text and rather just barely presented and moved on from as if it was the norm and not worth exploring further.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
skynet666's review against another edition
3.0
I think this story could have taken place in any time period and I didn’t really see the point of making this a post-apocalyptic tale. In fact, it took away from the story in my opinion. I thought the main character and story were interesting, but I didn’t really enjoy either enough to recommend.
casebounder's review against another edition
4.0
What a surprise this novel was! If you're a fan of psychological thrillers, I think you'll love this addictive and brutal read. Like, in a dark, dark way.
[b:The Wolf Road|32912923|The Wolf Road|Beth Lewis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479254320s/32912923.jpg|47250685] is a post-apocalyptic suspense story in the vein of a revenge western - think [b:The Revenant|22836957|The Revenant|Michael Punke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409498796s/22836957.jpg|1026225] meets [b:The Road|6288|The Road|Cormac McCarthy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1439197219s/6288.jpg|3355573]. It's a strong debut novel, gripping and beautiful at the same time. [a:Beth Lewis|14716797|Beth Lewis|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1448753145p2/14716797.jpg] also has a great nose for cliffhangers, and never lets the tension up after beginning her first chapter in medias res.
Elka, the incredibly willful 17-year-old protagonist, treks north into unknown territory with a terrifying monster stalking her trail. As Elka faces one horrible threat after another, I believe Lewis is commenting on the constant and repeated violence threatening the female gender in society. Time and again Elka trusts a stranger only to then discover their harmful intentions. Even the terrain and weather are dangerous, ruined by the reckless actions of generations past.
But Elka is a real badass, and a terrific voice to lead us through this journey. She has absolutely no one to rely on, and forging any new worthwhile connections seems almost impossible. That is, until a chance encounter with someone quite different from Elka lights a spark of hope in the proverbial tinder box.
If I have a criticism, I'll say that some readers may have an issue with a few twists of fate in the plot. But I honestly wasn't bothered by the choices.
The Wolf Road explores stories of suppressed traumas and shame, of survival, forgiveness, and redemption. Lewis asks the reader: do you believe humans are capable of symbiosis with the earth? With one another? If not, perhaps we're each truly alone in this world.
[b:The Wolf Road|32912923|The Wolf Road|Beth Lewis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479254320s/32912923.jpg|47250685] is a post-apocalyptic suspense story in the vein of a revenge western - think [b:The Revenant|22836957|The Revenant|Michael Punke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409498796s/22836957.jpg|1026225] meets [b:The Road|6288|The Road|Cormac McCarthy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1439197219s/6288.jpg|3355573]. It's a strong debut novel, gripping and beautiful at the same time. [a:Beth Lewis|14716797|Beth Lewis|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1448753145p2/14716797.jpg] also has a great nose for cliffhangers, and never lets the tension up after beginning her first chapter in medias res.
Elka, the incredibly willful 17-year-old protagonist, treks north into unknown territory with a terrifying monster stalking her trail. As Elka faces one horrible threat after another, I believe Lewis is commenting on the constant and repeated violence threatening the female gender in society. Time and again Elka trusts a stranger only to then discover their harmful intentions. Even the terrain and weather are dangerous, ruined by the reckless actions of generations past.
But Elka is a real badass, and a terrific voice to lead us through this journey. She has absolutely no one to rely on, and forging any new worthwhile connections seems almost impossible. That is, until a chance encounter with someone quite different from Elka lights a spark of hope in the proverbial tinder box.
If I have a criticism, I'll say that some readers may have an issue with a few twists of fate in the plot. But I honestly wasn't bothered by the choices.
The Wolf Road explores stories of suppressed traumas and shame, of survival, forgiveness, and redemption. Lewis asks the reader: do you believe humans are capable of symbiosis with the earth? With one another? If not, perhaps we're each truly alone in this world.
musicsaves's review against another edition
4.0
FIRST LINE REVIEW: "I sat up high, oak branch 'tween my knees, and watched the tattooed man stride about in the snow." An intriguing start to an intriguing debut novel. Not for the squeamish, but psychologically rich, though also somehow a bit shallow. It's well-written, but I often felt like is was not particularly original, despite the original setting. An okay passage of time that moved quickly, but...
itsmattiebeck's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the suspense of this book! This had such an interesting plot line and I loved the cat and mouse aspect of it. Elka was such an interesting character and I was left with so many emotions watching her develop as a woman and a character. I loved the relationship she had with Penelope and how they grew to be like family after all the horrendous things they faced together, and separately. It was tough figuring out what really went on with the victims of this story and realizing what Elka became apart of. This was a little slow at times, which is why it’s not a 5 star, but I think that was an interesting book overall.
alienclans's review against another edition
4.0
I somehow misunderstood what this book was about. I'll be honest, I don't actually read most synopses. I usually skim them or just read the first sentence. I don't read or write summary heavy reviews either but now I might start because I don't want to make this mistake again. My point is that I would not have read this had I known it was about a trapper. Yes, I know that it clearly says it in the description here on Goodreads. I don't know how I missed it but I do know that I don't like reading this sort of content. I just like wolves and wanted a story that was related to wolves. However, this was actually good, despite the fact that wolves were barely in it and I found most of the book disgusting. I had to see how it would all end for Elka. She's the sort of character you really root for. She's been in a bad situation and she's doing everything she can to get out of it. I liked her best when she was on her own in the forest but the scenes in town with Penelope were still entertaining. My major complaint was her accent. It took me 50 pages to get used to it but I was annoyed with it again by 150. It's just so tiring to read.
I'm giving it four stars because it was engaging but I don't recommend it to anyone who is as repulsed by hunting as I am. Some of those scenes are going to haunt me.
I'm giving it four stars because it was engaging but I don't recommend it to anyone who is as repulsed by hunting as I am. Some of those scenes are going to haunt me.
knit_and_purl's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting and absorbing read. The narrator's voice took a little getting used to at first, but I settled into a rhythm soon enough. There are a few bumps in the road on this one, but overall, I found it a great debut. Elka's a fascinating character and her journey from orphaned child to formidable adult is strong and bittersweet. A great read for anyone interested in westerns, historicals, and light post apocalyptic novels--you really have to read it to understand.
brianahartzell's review against another edition
4.0
Creepy and disturbing- but I couldn't put it down.
jpustka's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the main character, Elka. She was so unique and compelling. The story was good though I found that it did lag at times. This book won't be for everyone, but if you are looking for something a little different, I would highly recommend it.