Reviews

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

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). 

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.

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

talia1007's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

venla_reads's review against another edition

5.0

Absolutely amazing. I wasn't quite sold in the beginning, but it just kept getting better and the ending was excellent. Beautiful prose, intriguing mystery, important themes.

hannahpdunne's review against another edition

4.0

Hm. This book pulled me way out of my comfort zone!!! but in a good way!! Kinda made me obsessed with wolves??? The beginning was slow but the last half of the book was so hard to put down and the twist at the end!?! Omg. I think i had really high expectations for this book and i did really like it but i wasn’t obsessed obsessed and i can’t figure out why!! Still would recommend 10/10. Also s/o Inti and her weird super powers that aren’t actually super powers???

jadalea's review against another edition

4.0

this was such an unexpected book for me. the imagery in this was so vivid & beautiful, I felt like I was in the forests of Scotland seeing what Inti was seeing. the way the author made you understand humanity and animals and how connected we are while also having a subplot of a murder mystery going on was so fascinating. The writing style was so stunning and poetic, I just loved it.

lowemal's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25