Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Could. Not. Put. Down.
Yay!!
It’s been a while since I read a book that I didn’t mind
taking a break from. I started this book yesterday afternoon and couldn’t wait
to pick it up again this morning. Screw the schedule. What schedule? It’s
almost 2:00pm, almost 24 hours later, and I’m ready to write my review. Yay!
As far as Pro’s & Con’s go… I have to say the repetitive
attitude got old. I understood Bryn had lots of attitude, lots of rebellion –
accepted, almost anticipated rebellion, lots of smart comments and didn’t mind
getting hurt or in trouble. The repetitive explaining of her outlook is what
got old. I totally got it the first time, as well as the relationships,
dynamics, etc, etc. I’m not saying the concept wasn’t complicated enough to
repeat, but the excessive repeating had me eye-ballin’ the length of the book
thinking how many pages could have been trimmed in honor of intelligent
readers?
That’s my only complaint. I loved the character of Bryn and
Callum. The others: Devon, Alli, Chase weren’t as developed, but I didn’t mind
after delving so deeply in the first two. There were layers of meaning
everywhere, which was great. But mostly an exciting premise and an incredible
look into the world of wolves and pack life. Especially coming from a human
girl, it was easy to grasp the differences and accept or reject them along with
Bryn.
I read somewhere that the author had studied Apes? I have no
idea where I saw that, but the idea was she had a different look at the
dominance factor and how it worked. Her background added a lot of depth to the
book, so I read. I wish I could remember where I saw that. I chose this book
out of many Werewolf books out there right now because of that review. I’m
happy with my choice. Reading this book was satisfactory along the lines of
guilty pleasure, almost, read-it-quick before I realize I’m 40 years old and
can’t think like a 15 year old anymore. Ha!
The speed was fast despite the massive amount of information
crammed in at the beginning. The author barely establishes what “normal” is
before Bryn breaks every rule I just learned about. The storyline gallops,
which is so fun. It wasn’t predictable, either, even though the main story line
flowed on it’s fast-paced singular course. There were no sex scenes, which is a
relief. The violence is primarily described theoretically. The fight scenes
that unfold play by play are exciting and not gory. The bad guy, the Big Bad
Wolf, is really bad and leaves horrible memories and flashbacks and mind-controlling
creepiness, with hints at what might show up any day on the news.
So I would recommend this book to anyone interested in
reading about werewolves, especially, or even how canines communicate! The main
character is 15 years old, but she isn’t overrun with hormones and emotions.
She discovers things about herself and her surroundings that are logical and
commendable. And how often do you find a book you really can’t put down? Way
too fun. I’ve spend a memorable 24 hours. Time to get back to LIFE!!
Rating: Pretty Darn GOOD! Fast read, moments of "Cute".
