A review by rvlgonzalez
Gone to the Wolves by John Wray

Reading this was a bit friction-y for me, but I didn't dislike it. Perhaps it's because I didn't grow up in Florida or in the 80s, but the way the characters talked struck me as a little too slick, a little too sardonic, a little too quippy. Also, this is a world where people spend a lot of time antagonizing each other, both as a front to seem hardcore and just because violence, misogyny, and homophobia is more normalized. It wasn't necessarily more extreme than reflects reality or than that you would read in other "young people culture" narratives, it's just because it's more of the point, it felt more front-loaded. And I just don't really care as much about being immersed in that world. Ironically, the climax, which is sort of meant to be a dam break showing how the culture can tip over the edge into horror and violence, could have been way more detailed, illustrative, and narratively contributive. On the positives, it's a different world than I know and it's always interesting to hear someone discuss their passions with excitement and depth and precision, and it's pretty cool to read about such loving and deep, long lasting friendships.