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shadyhabanero's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kyliegeorgia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
inkedbibliomaniac's review against another edition
4.0
The writing and style of this book caught me off-guard when I first started it. The grammar and punctuation is very unusual, and it kind of annoyed me. However, the story captivated me and, after a while, I didn’t even notice.
Overall, this was a beautiful story, filled with lots of pain, trauma, redemption, growth, and love. The wildness of the wolves and the environment in general was a wonderful backdrop to this book. I loved the elements of sustainability too, as it’s something I’m very passionate about.
I will say this book definitely needs trigger warnings. I was not prepared for the violence, animal abuse/death, assault and gore. However, I think they were gracefully placed in the story in important and devastating ways.
I guessed the “twist,” and I also don’t know if I love the ending but overall, this was a very atmospheric, powerful read.
Overall, this was a beautiful story, filled with lots of pain, trauma, redemption, growth, and love. The wildness of the wolves and the environment in general was a wonderful backdrop to this book. I loved the elements of sustainability too, as it’s something I’m very passionate about.
I will say this book definitely needs trigger warnings. I was not prepared for the violence, animal abuse/death, assault and gore. However, I think they were gracefully placed in the story in important and devastating ways.
I guessed the “twist,” and I also don’t know if I love the ending but overall, this was a very atmospheric, powerful read.
yulimaru's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The writing in this was so beautiful. I felt like I had mirror touch myself just like inti.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty
tobebookish's review against another edition
4.0
TW: domestic abuse, rape
Beautifully written story about the wild within the forest, as well as the wild within ourselves.
Beautifully written story about the wild within the forest, as well as the wild within ourselves.
mepresley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was a lovely, heartbreaking novel. I was enchanted by its focus on the natural world and the human relationship to it, the ways that we have lost our interconnectedness and our wildness. Once There Were Wolves is to wolf conservation what The Overstory is to trees (--though there's a fair bit about trees in Once There Were Wolves as well.) The setting is captivating and richly explored.
Inti is a beautifully drawn character, and her relationship with Aggie is compelling. McConaghy did such a nice job showing how Inti went from believing in the inherent good of people to trying to shut herself off from the world, and McConaghy's narrative brilliantly shows Inti's slow, hard journey toward beginning to heal in parallel to the slow, hard journey of the wolves beginning to restore the Scottish landscape.
It's another mark of the talent at work here that McConaghy seamlessly interweaves the wolf project, Inti and Aggie's history, Inti's relationship with Duncan, and Stuart's disappearance/ death/ the police investigation. Nothing feels out of place.
I saw another review that expressed frustration with Inti's pregnancy plotline, suggesting it was unnecessary and sort of cheap. However, I think it was crucial to the story in terms of breaking down Inti's walls and that it was a perfect echo of the breeding wolves. In the epilogue, we see Inti and her daughter exploring a once-barren terrain as it begins to bud and grow as a result of Inti's wolf project; despite the incredible darkness of Once There Were Wolves, McConaghy builds to a cautious optimism for a better future.
Speaking of textual echoes, McConaghy really pulls off Aggie's goodbye, a mirror of their father's own recognition that he was now broken in dangerous ways, cemented by Inti's vision of her father in the forest as she's fighting to survive and her subsequent conversation with Aggie about it.
Violence, abuse, and trauma are central to the narrative, so it's not a story for everyone, but McConaghy manages to capture the true complexity of being human, firmly rejecting Inti's jaded claim that people are monsters, even as she shows some of the very worst things we can do to one another and our fellow creatures. Once There Were Wolves is a testament to the ways that--as Inti's father told her-- "all creatures know love."
I can't wait to read Migrations (2021) and Wild Dark Shore (2025).
Inti is a beautifully drawn character, and her relationship with Aggie is compelling. McConaghy did such a nice job
It's another mark of the talent at work here that McConaghy seamlessly interweaves the wolf project, Inti and Aggie's history, Inti's relationship with Duncan, and
I saw another review that
Speaking of textual echoes, McConaghy really pulls off
Violence, abuse, and trauma are central to the narrative, so it's not a story for everyone, but McConaghy manages to capture the true complexity of being human, firmly rejecting Inti's jaded claim that people are monsters, even as she shows some of the very worst things we can do to one another and our fellow creatures. Once There Were Wolves is a testament to the ways that--as Inti's father told her-- "all creatures know love."
I can't wait to read Migrations (2021) and Wild Dark Shore (2025).
childawg's review against another edition
5.0
wavered between 4 & 5 stars...ultimately went with 5 for a few reasons:
1. the sections of the book that focused on the wolves were really captivating and very emotional for me to read. they were also quite informative and I felt like I learned a lot.
2. there are layers to the book, which added depth, and some things are left for you to read between the lines, which was appreciated instead of being hit over the head with information.
it was a bit gruesome but it did not bother me at all, though it might upset some readers. I really appreciated the author picking a unique topic, and one that is misunderstood, which also contributes to why I enjoyed this book.
1. the sections of the book that focused on the wolves were really captivating and very emotional for me to read. they were also quite informative and I felt like I learned a lot.
2. there are layers to the book, which added depth, and some things are left for you to read between the lines, which was appreciated instead of being hit over the head with information.
it was a bit gruesome but it did not bother me at all, though it might upset some readers. I really appreciated the author picking a unique topic, and one that is misunderstood, which also contributes to why I enjoyed this book.
mayamrie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
janey's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, I really love McConaghy's writing, although I acknowledge that it takes a certain amount of intestinal fortitude to be able to read this or [b:Migrations|42121525|Migrations|Charlotte McConaghy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612818084l/42121525._SY75_.jpg|65230718] without kind of falling apart emotionally. Which may be why I appreciate them so much.
rrekhaa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0