Creatures, All
- Downloads：2131
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-08-01 11:21:20
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Charlotte McConaghy
- ISBN：1250804299
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Melissa
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This book is layered with stories of brutality- of men， wolves， and the overall challenges of life and death。 It is both fascinating （especially when there are opportunities to learn about wolves） and harrowing （when dealing with domestic abuse）。 In a way， it's also a story about learning your limits and how to overcome the ghosts of the past that continuously sneek up on you later on in life。 A challenging yet beautifully written book。 This book is layered with stories of brutality- of men， wolves， and the overall challenges of life and death。 It is both fascinating （especially when there are opportunities to learn about wolves） and harrowing （when dealing with domestic abuse）。 In a way， it's also a story about learning your limits and how to overcome the ghosts of the past that continuously sneek up on you later on in life。 A challenging yet beautifully written book。 。。。more
Tami
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Set in the Scottish Highlands， Once There Were Wolves describes the life of Inti Flynn as she reintroduces the wolves into the Highlands against the wishes of the local residents。I found this to be a dark， foreboding tale， full of past mysteries that are slowly revealed。 Inti has brought along her twin sister， who has suffered a traumatic event。 Inti also has a special gift （or curse） called mirror touch synesthesia， which causes her to feel other’s pain。Inti quickly becomes romantically involve Set in the Scottish Highlands， Once There Were Wolves describes the life of Inti Flynn as she reintroduces the wolves into the Highlands against the wishes of the local residents。I found this to be a dark， foreboding tale， full of past mysteries that are slowly revealed。 Inti has brought along her twin sister， who has suffered a traumatic event。 Inti also has a special gift （or curse） called mirror touch synesthesia， which causes her to feel other’s pain。Inti quickly becomes romantically involved with Duncan， the local sheriff。 Theirs is a complicated relationship， as they both have a past full of painful secrets。Bringing the wolves was important to the area to restore the dying landscape and help with the over population of deer in the area。 However， the locals are fearful of the wolves killing their sheep and cattle and they are not very friendly to Inti when she arrives with the wolves。 I was fascinated by the process of releasing the wolves into the wild and learning about their nature。 I also loved how Inti was so intuitive to their needs。This is a complicated and at times violent story， so sensitive readers may not want to read this。 I listened on audio， with Saskia Maarleveld narrating。 She did a wonderful job。 I intend to visit this story again in book form。 It’s definitely one worth re-reading。Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for allowing me to listen to an early audio release and give my honest review。 。。。more
Darcia Helle
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Once There Were Wolves is atmospheric literary suspense about one woman’s passion for saving wolves from extinction。Charlotte McConaghy’s writing is beautiful and easy to fall into。 I loved the way she wove the story around the importance of wolves to the environment， and the human tendency toward selfishness and even cruelty when wildlife inconveniences us。If you sensed a but coming， here it is。 I felt the scope of the plot was too all encompassing。 We have the backdrop of extinction， with what Once There Were Wolves is atmospheric literary suspense about one woman’s passion for saving wolves from extinction。Charlotte McConaghy’s writing is beautiful and easy to fall into。 I loved the way she wove the story around the importance of wolves to the environment， and the human tendency toward selfishness and even cruelty when wildlife inconveniences us。If you sensed a but coming， here it is。 I felt the scope of the plot was too all encompassing。 We have the backdrop of extinction， with what it means to the environment up against the human disregard of wildlife， which is powerful on its own。 Added to the mix are serious mental health issues， sexual abuse and torture， murder， and an awkward budding romance。 The complexities of all these issues overcomplicated the plot， so it became muddled and convoluted。A narrower focus would’ve made a big difference for me。 I felt that the serious issues of sexual abuse and mental health battled with， rather than complemented， the main plot with the wolves。 The romance was just uncomfortable and didn’t need to be there at all。 Consequently， the murder mystery aspect of the story got swallowed up and fell short。Still， the writing and message here are undeniable。 The issues I had are specific to me， and you might love the story as is。*I received an eARC from Flatiron Books in a Goodreads giveaway。* 。。。more
Beth
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I loved McConaghy's Migrations， but I love this book more。On the surface， it's the story of how a woman moves to northern Scotland to head a team of scientists who are attempting to reintroduce wolves to the area。 There are conflicts with the local farmers。 On the deeper levels it's a story of sisters （twins） and domestic violence against women。I love McConaghy's writing style and her ability to create a mood and take me inside the heads of her characters。 This is a powerful book that will stick I loved McConaghy's Migrations， but I love this book more。On the surface， it's the story of how a woman moves to northern Scotland to head a team of scientists who are attempting to reintroduce wolves to the area。 There are conflicts with the local farmers。 On the deeper levels it's a story of sisters （twins） and domestic violence against women。I love McConaghy's writing style and her ability to create a mood and take me inside the heads of her characters。 This is a powerful book that will stick with me for a long time。Thanks to the publishers for review copies in a variety of media。 Audiobook fans: Saskia Maarleveld does a fine job with the narration， though her accents could have been stronger and more distinct。 。。。more
Katelyn Beane
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Charlotte McConaghy writes such atmospheric books。 Her writing is spell-binding and beautiful。 I love how much thought and care she puts into her books。 This book made love and respect wolves。 She created a world I wanted to see， touch， hear， and taste; and in reading her words I did， I traveled to Scotland and was captivated by its beauty。
Amber
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Let me just start with wow！ I was kind of apprehensive about this book because of all the trigger warnings such as domestic violence and in a few parts， there are some gruesome parts and animal death too。 However， I think this book is amazing！ It has a lot of love， healing， and mystery added to it as well！ Inti Flynn is part of a group that is bringing the wolves back， they want to help with the climate and are basically reintroducing wolves in Scotland。 However， as livestock and farming are the Let me just start with wow！ I was kind of apprehensive about this book because of all the trigger warnings such as domestic violence and in a few parts， there are some gruesome parts and animal death too。 However， I think this book is amazing！ It has a lot of love， healing， and mystery added to it as well！ Inti Flynn is part of a group that is bringing the wolves back， they want to help with the climate and are basically reintroducing wolves in Scotland。 However， as livestock and farming are the majority of the breadwinning there they are met with a lot of agitation and hostility towards the wolves。 The farmers are ready to go to bat about not wanting the wolves around because they are concerned about their livestock。 So while we have all that going on there are flashbacks between Inti and her sister and their past basically。 There are stories about their mother， father and basically growing up with each other。 While each other always had the other one to lean on a bad domestic violence situation between her sister and her sister's husband left both the sisters with scars and drastic issues。 While another issue going on is that Inti has a condition or gift where she literally feels any pain or anything that she sees， so if someone gets punched she feels it as well。 That in itself is an interesting part of the story！ Well， when Inti is going home one night from her boyfriends/friends with benefits type of person she discovers a man who is abdomen is sliced open and unable to think of her wolves doing this because if the wolves were at fault then they would all be put down and her mission would have failed。 So， she protects her wolves by burying the body and this starts the whole investigation of a missing man。 Unable to accept that her wolves may be at fault she protects them with all her power and strength。 But things still happen and some wolves are killed and in order to save her wolves from the blame she sets out on a mission to find out who actually killed the man and she finds out what her real priorities are。 This book once I started it was hard to put down！ I loved the flashbacks that explained soo much and I loved the ending！ It was a spectacular ending！ 。。。more
Jabberbooky
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Migrations was so interesting and quirky and unexpected and I loved it。 Once There Were Wolves brings forward the importance of nature and humans just as well。 Inti has always loved wolves and now is involved in bringing them to the Highlands of Scotland where they are not welcome。 The backstory of Inti and her twin is intense as well as all that happens in the town near the base camp。 I could not turn the pages （ok， push the digital pages） fast enough。 Read this book！ It's satisfying， suspensef Migrations was so interesting and quirky and unexpected and I loved it。 Once There Were Wolves brings forward the importance of nature and humans just as well。 Inti has always loved wolves and now is involved in bringing them to the Highlands of Scotland where they are not welcome。 The backstory of Inti and her twin is intense as well as all that happens in the town near the base camp。 I could not turn the pages （ok， push the digital pages） fast enough。 Read this book！ It's satisfying， suspenseful and special。 。。。more
Ann
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In my review of Charlotte McConaghy's Migrations， I wrote that the laser-focus on nature， in all senses of the word， gives the book both a timeless and timely theme。 I feel the same about Once There Were Wolves。 McConaghy once again writes achingly gorgeous prose aimed to make us readers feel what's at stake， what's vulnerable， delicate， worth fighting tooth and claw for。 "My boots hit the ground with a crunch。 An eerie world， this night place。 A carpet of snow reaches up for the moon， glowing f In my review of Charlotte McConaghy's Migrations， I wrote that the laser-focus on nature， in all senses of the word， gives the book both a timeless and timely theme。 I feel the same about Once There Were Wolves。 McConaghy once again writes achingly gorgeous prose aimed to make us readers feel what's at stake， what's vulnerable， delicate， worth fighting tooth and claw for。 "My boots hit the ground with a crunch。 An eerie world， this night place。 A carpet of snow reaches up for the moon， glowing for her。 Naked trees cast in silver。 My breath making clouds。" In this book， we are in the wilds of Scotland， with flashback stops in British Columbia and Utah forests。 Inti Flynn is a wildlife biologist leading a team tasked with reintroducing wolves into the remote Scottish Highlands。 Inti must tread carefully in this land， where sheep farming defines the way of life， and wolves represent a definitive threat。 But she must also tread carefully with her broken twin sister， Aggie， whom Inti has brought along to care for。 When a local farmer goes missing， Inti's protective instincts -- for the wolves， for her twin Aggie， for her own heart -- further awaken。 I'm here for the author's morsels （and often meaty bites） of natural history， her inclusion of an 18th century， pre-photographic guide called Werner's Nomenclature of Colours， and her gifting of Inti with an obscure neurological condition， mirror-touch synesthesia， that recreates in Inti's body the sensory experiences of living creatures。 In other words， her empathy meter goes to 11。 This book pings high on my read-o-meter。 It's not an 11。 Migrations is an 11。 I had bones to pick with this book's ending。 That said， I devoured it in two sittings and highly recommend Once There Were Wolves to readers of all types， particularly fans of environmental fiction， of wolves， and of writing so beautiful it makes you feel it in your body。 [Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion。] 。。。more
Caroline Hoppe
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Thank you to Flatiron Books for my advanced copy of this novel。 Having read and loved Migrations previously， I had high hopes for this one and it lived up to my expectations。 It was amazing。 It starts at a softer pace getting you used to time lines and characters。 Then it starts to unfold and I did not want to put it down。 The author creates characters that are passionate and flawed while writing a story that has a mystery element that is compelling。 The characters are fighting to overcome their Thank you to Flatiron Books for my advanced copy of this novel。 Having read and loved Migrations previously， I had high hopes for this one and it lived up to my expectations。 It was amazing。 It starts at a softer pace getting you used to time lines and characters。 Then it starts to unfold and I did not want to put it down。 The author creates characters that are passionate and flawed while writing a story that has a mystery element that is compelling。 The characters are fighting to overcome their past traumas and figuring out how to integrate themselves in a life that can move forward。 The past/present timelines are woven in at just the right moments giving more depth to the story。 This book， as was “Migrations，” is a love story about our beautiful planet and how to save it but also how love saves these characters too。 I look forward to seeing what Charlotte McConaghy writes next。 Review posted on Instagram @carolinehoppereads 。。。more
Susan
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Audiobook provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review。CW: domestic abuse， human and animal violence and deathInti Flynn grew up in Australia where she split time living with her career driven， policewoman mother， and her logger-turned-environmentalist father。 Inti and her twin sister， Aggie， vowed in their teens to never live apart。 And as with many twins， they developed their own language to communicate with each other。 Inti has mirror-touch synesthesia， which was Audiobook provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review。CW: domestic abuse， human and animal violence and deathInti Flynn grew up in Australia where she split time living with her career driven， policewoman mother， and her logger-turned-environmentalist father。 Inti and her twin sister， Aggie， vowed in their teens to never live apart。 And as with many twins， they developed their own language to communicate with each other。 Inti has mirror-touch synesthesia， which was an interesting addition to the overall plot。 As Aggie follows Inti to Denali， Alaska so that Inti could study wolves， their life changes forever。 Still reeling from the events that happened， Inti and Aggie are now in Scotland with Inti's scientific team as they reintroduce fourteen wolves into the remote Highlands。。。 where the locals are less than pleased to see them。 For me， the introduction of the wolves into a land where they had been eradicated was fascinating and I wanted to know more about it。Now that the wolves are loose， Inti and her team are tracking how they acclimate to Scotland。 They walk a tenuous line of letting the wolves be free， and also attempting to keep the Scottish farmers happy as too many of them are more than willing to shoot a wolf on sight to save their livestock。 Especially after someone goes missing and the locals blame Inti's wolves。 As Inti attempts to prove her wolves are innocent， she is forced to grapple with the horrors of her own past in order to solve the mystery。This was a solid 4 star book for me。。。。 until the last 10% when it was hard to accept how the events were playing out。 It just didn't seem realistic to me when so much of ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES felt like it focused on the realities of typical wolf behavior vs。 the misconceptions humans have about them。It still was a really enjoyable read， but McConaghy just lost me there at the end。 Saskia Maarleveld does a fabulous job with the audiobook narration， Maarleveld is quickly becoming one of my favorite audiobook narrators。 。。。more
Leslie Horton
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Just finished this wonderful audiobook。 The narrator is amazing which to me can make or break a book。 This book is about wolves that I knew nothing about， but the story is so much more。 Two very different sisters， Aggie and Inti are the main human story。 Inti is a wolf specialist challenged with reintroducing 14 wolves to the Scottish Highlands and Aggie is her messed up sister。 Secrets are revealed through flashbacks。 I have a new respect and understanding for wolves。 I highly recommend this au Just finished this wonderful audiobook。 The narrator is amazing which to me can make or break a book。 This book is about wolves that I knew nothing about， but the story is so much more。 Two very different sisters， Aggie and Inti are the main human story。 Inti is a wolf specialist challenged with reintroducing 14 wolves to the Scottish Highlands and Aggie is her messed up sister。 Secrets are revealed through flashbacks。 I have a new respect and understanding for wolves。 I highly recommend this audiobook。 Thanks to #netgalley and #macmillanaudio for my advanced copy。 。。。more
The Bookend Diner
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Thank you， Flatiron Books， for the gifted copy of Once There Were Wolves {partner}Genre: Fiction/MysteryPub Date: 8。3。21Author: @CharlottemcconaghyStar Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ “We have to do our bit to slow the changing of our planet's climate， to halt its degradation。 That means reducing our impact as much as we can， living as lightly upon this Earth as we’re able。 We’re not here to consume until everything’s gone。” Here comes another book that made me feel something outside of my bubble。 I always love h Thank you， Flatiron Books， for the gifted copy of Once There Were Wolves {partner}Genre: Fiction/MysteryPub Date: 8。3。21Author: @CharlottemcconaghyStar Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ “We have to do our bit to slow the changing of our planet's climate， to halt its degradation。 That means reducing our impact as much as we can， living as lightly upon this Earth as we’re able。 We’re not here to consume until everything’s gone。” Here comes another book that made me feel something outside of my bubble。 I always love how McConaghy writes her books - they are full of such fierce devotion to drawing attention to a cause that is often right under our noses。 Last year， Migrations broke my heart with the description of a failing planet。 But， this year， with Once There Were Wolves， I closed the book with a different understanding of our world。 At first， I thought there was too much in the book （she tackles domestic violence， species endangerment， loss of vegetation， and mental illness。 The more I thought about these things， the more I realized that， in my opinion， she was showing a correlation between the packs of wolves and the packs of people。 Both groups hunt together and fight one another to lay claim to their territory。 Essentially， McConaghy showed me that the people in this book were not different from the wolves they were fighting against; both became aggressive when provoked and were guilty of lashing out。 Yes， the wolves can be silent but aren’t people equally as guilty of violence？ 🏞 Beautiful description of the land🐺 Learn a lot about wolves， their packs， and how they work👯♀️ Twin sisters😢 Inti has an interesting illness Trigger warnings: Domestic violence， animal abuse， rape， mental illnessOverall， this is a book that I would recommend to someone if they enjoyed reading Migrations or any other books that offer an eye-opening look at our world。What is your last five-star read？ 。。。more
Patti
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This book gave me a new perspective on wolves and how family oriented they are。 I watched a pack of wolves in Alaska， at a sanctuary， they act like dogs you forget they’re wild animals。 This book is a mix of whodunnit， love story and tragedy。
Raychel
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This was a tough one to get through。 I listened to the audiobook （narrated by Saskia Maarleveld who did *absolutely* incredibly） and it has taken me about a month and a half to get through the entire thing。 It's not very long--just 8。5 hours as an audio--but the content was so dark and triggering at times that I had to take week-long breaks at a time。 That being said， it was a heartbreakingly beautiful book， just tread lightly if you have any triggers associated with abusive relationships， sexua This was a tough one to get through。 I listened to the audiobook （narrated by Saskia Maarleveld who did *absolutely* incredibly） and it has taken me about a month and a half to get through the entire thing。 It's not very long--just 8。5 hours as an audio--but the content was so dark and triggering at times that I had to take week-long breaks at a time。 That being said， it was a heartbreakingly beautiful book， just tread lightly if you have any triggers associated with abusive relationships， sexual assault， animal death and violence， suicide， and dependent relationships。I think the best way to describe this book is that it is about violence。 Violence against women。 Violence against animals。 Violence against the environment。 Violence brought on by trauma。 Violence associated with mental health。 Violence against humanity。 Violence。 But in the midst of this， there is a lingering， faint message of hope。 Once There Were Wolves follows twin sisters Inti and Aggie。 Inti and her team have traveled to Scotland to reintroduce wolves to an environment that they were exterminated in hundreds of years ago。 The inhabitants of the Scottish village are upset， hostile， and afraid of the wolves being on their land and it does not make the experience easy。 As a larger narrative unfolds of Inti desperately trying to save these wolves， we are also told about Inti and Aggie's childhood， teenage years， and the events that lead to Aggie now being mute and unable to function in society。 There is a lot to unpack in this book， and I don't really think the conversation can be condensed into a review。 I think this would be a fabulous book for a book club or some other discussion。 The fact that I received the audiobook was significant for me as a reader because I was absolutely enchanted by Saskia Maarleveld's narration。 There were several points where I think I would have put it in down if I was reading a physical copy because it was really emotionally hard to get through for me。I cried multiple times throughout this and I think the characters are going to sit with me for a long time。 For people that can read its contents， I think this is an important book。 I'm happy I read it and I will have my eye out in the future for more Charlotte McConaghy books and Saskia Maarleveld's narrations。 Solid 4 out of 5 stars。 **I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher！ 。。。more
Stephanie
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I loved Charlotte McConaghy's writing in Migrations last year。 Once There Were Wolves has cemented her as one of my favorite authors。Once There Were Wolves deals with some tough subjects， but it is written so beautifully and I couldn't put it down。 Ms。 McConaghy sprinkles in the past and Inti's backstory throughout the book， but she does it seamlessly。 I like how the flashbacks fit in perfectly with the present without losing the flow of the story。 The Scottish Highlands comes to life while read I loved Charlotte McConaghy's writing in Migrations last year。 Once There Were Wolves has cemented her as one of my favorite authors。Once There Were Wolves deals with some tough subjects， but it is written so beautifully and I couldn't put it down。 Ms。 McConaghy sprinkles in the past and Inti's backstory throughout the book， but she does it seamlessly。 I like how the flashbacks fit in perfectly with the present without losing the flow of the story。 The Scottish Highlands comes to life while reading。 The characters are flawed， but real and relatable。 I like how Ms。 McConaghy's books have many layers so it will appeal to a lot of different readers。I think Once There Were Wolves will be a book that a lot of people will be talking about and will be on many lists this year。 I know that the book and characters will be staying with me for a long time and I look forward to reading many， many more books by Charlotte McConaghy。Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Rachel Rooney
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Oh my gosh， I loved this book！ It put me through an emotional wringer， but it was earned and so so good！ The book is about a woman who studies wolves， who moves to Scotland for a project to reintroduce wolves to Scotland in the hope of reversing climate change。 She is accompanied by her twin sister， who was once a vibrant person but is now largely a mute husk of a person。 The townspeople are wary of the wolf project。 They are worried for their livestock and their livelihoods。 Then something happ Oh my gosh， I loved this book！ It put me through an emotional wringer， but it was earned and so so good！ The book is about a woman who studies wolves， who moves to Scotland for a project to reintroduce wolves to Scotland in the hope of reversing climate change。 She is accompanied by her twin sister， who was once a vibrant person but is now largely a mute husk of a person。 The townspeople are wary of the wolf project。 They are worried for their livestock and their livelihoods。 Then something happens， and our heroine covers it up。 But who is she covering for？ 。。。more
Mer Mendoza （Merlyn’s Book Hoard）
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I picked this book up for its absolutely killer title。 It was definitely a judge-by-the-cover moment for me。 And I was rewarded for that impulse！ This was definitely one of my top reads of the year so far。I listened to this book in just a couple of sittings。 Saskia Maarleveld is a great narrator （I also loved her narration for Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network）， and really added a sense of immediacy and emotion to the text – particularly in the information heavy segments about the wolf reintroducti I picked this book up for its absolutely killer title。 It was definitely a judge-by-the-cover moment for me。 And I was rewarded for that impulse！ This was definitely one of my top reads of the year so far。I listened to this book in just a couple of sittings。 Saskia Maarleveld is a great narrator （I also loved her narration for Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network）， and really added a sense of immediacy and emotion to the text – particularly in the information heavy segments about the wolf reintroduction program。 I really like the way the initial exposition was laid out。 As I was unfamiliar with mirror touch synesthesia prior to reading this， Inti’s extreme levels of empathy and sympathetic pain lent an almost supernatural tone to the early chapters – we open on her getting gutted by her father， and what do you do with an opening line like that？ How do you move forward into the real world from that point？A warning to anyone thinking about picking up this book: It deals heavily and occasionally graphically with themes of domestic abuse and sexual assault。 This was a throughline in the plot that shared， or maybe even superseded， prominence with the storyline that followed the wolves。 I wasn’t expecting this。 It was well done and moving and really interesting way to fill out the story， both as a way to parallel the narrative and to complicate the goals of reintegrating wolves into the wild。 And this was done so well！ At times early on in the story， I was worried about the ways the parallels were being drawn， worried that I’d turn a page and reach a point where the idea of predator reintroduction programs would hit too close a line to comparing the wolves to the human predators in the story—it seemed like the low hanging metaphorical fruit – but every explicit parallel that was drawn took the harder path of advocating for the wolves and the victims of domestic violence in ways that advocated for them all along the way。***************Very mild spoilers below***************I honestly struggled with rating this book， because as I said it is easily one of my top reads of the year so far， and it even inspired me to purchase the one of the author’s other books， Migrations， which I plan to read in the immediate future。 The one thing that threw me off was pacing – I’d say that the first ¾ of the book were on track for a 5 star rating and the denouement did something of a speed run to wrap up the plot in ways that lost the more organic feel of the earlier parts of the story。 The “mystery” resolves， as mysteries do， in the final chapters， but it was an easy conclusion to spot miles earlier in the story。 And that was mostly ok for me！ I was more interested in the wolves and the interpersonal relationships anyways （and I suspect the author was as well）， but I don’t think the dominoes were quite lined up for the cascade of climactic moments that piled up there at the end。TW: Domestic violence， sexual assault， animal abuse， mutilation of a corpse （both animal and human）， animal death （dog and wolf） 。。。more
Katie
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"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。" The narration of this audiobook was really well done especially for a single narrator。 The "accents/voices" of different characters didn't feel forced or exaggerated。 The story itself had a lot going on and at times felt like this really could have been conceptualized into a couple of books instead of all being in this one story。 It ended up coming together for the most part "I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。" The narration of this audiobook was really well done especially for a single narrator。 The "accents/voices" of different characters didn't feel forced or exaggerated。 The story itself had a lot going on and at times felt like this really could have been conceptualized into a couple of books instead of all being in this one story。 It ended up coming together for the most part， although I think the ending was a little too clean/happy for the rest of the context of the book。 。。。more
Theresa
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3。5
Heather - hturningpages
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Rating: 4。5/5 hides in the Scottish HighlandsThis was such a beautiful and eye-opening novel！ I am really interested in conservation so setting a conservation project at the heart of this story was really fascinating。 I loved learning about how reintroducing predators （like wolves） can entirely revitalize an ecosystem that has disappeared。 This is such a valiant effort and Scotland is actually working on a project like this！ so adding visibility to this issue is so cool。I also loved the relation Rating: 4。5/5 hides in the Scottish HighlandsThis was such a beautiful and eye-opening novel！ I am really interested in conservation so setting a conservation project at the heart of this story was really fascinating。 I loved learning about how reintroducing predators （like wolves） can entirely revitalize an ecosystem that has disappeared。 This is such a valiant effort and Scotland is actually working on a project like this！ so adding visibility to this issue is so cool。I also loved the relationships and the mystery in the second half。 The mc has complicated relationships with her twin sister and a town unfamiliar and unwelcoming to her。 Her passion for the wolves and the layers of her past trauma are woven together to make a beautifully complex tale about inner strength， family， and protection。I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys nature or a murder mystery！ Note of warning， there are depictions of animal cruelty， animal death， domestic abuse， and violence in this book。 。。。more
Marilyn
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Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy was a beautifully written book set in the wild Scottish Highlands where many sheep farmers existed。 Charlotte McConaghy’s talents shone through once again。 She was able to combine a good murder mystery with the good intentions and influences of a small group of biologists。 The group of biologists were trying to balance and improve the ecosystem by reintroducing 14 gray wolves back into the remote Highlands。 Unfortunately， they were met with great opp Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy was a beautifully written book set in the wild Scottish Highlands where many sheep farmers existed。 Charlotte McConaghy’s talents shone through once again。 She was able to combine a good murder mystery with the good intentions and influences of a small group of biologists。 The group of biologists were trying to balance and improve the ecosystem by reintroducing 14 gray wolves back into the remote Highlands。 Unfortunately， they were met with great opposition from the over abundance of skeptical and fearful sheep farmers。 The biologists believed that this was the solution to restoring order to the world’s ecosystem and they were determined to see it through despite the opposition。Twin sisters， Inti Flynn and Aggie Flynn were born in Australia。 Inti arrived in the Scottish Highlands as the leader of the group of biologists she headed。 She was accompanied by her twin sister， Aggie， who for undisclosed reasons was broken。 Aggie could no longer find her voice or venture from the safety of the cabin she shared with Inti。 She was totally reliant on her twin sister for all her basic necessities。 Something terrible made Inti and Aggie have to leave Alaska so abruptly and jump into this new endeavor。 Inti was determined and committed to reintegrate gray wolves into the wild to save the ecosystem。 Her secret hope was to also save her twin sister as well who was presently mute and very traumatized。 Inti’s focus was steadfast until a farmer disappeared and was suspected to have become prey to the wolves she was responsible for。 Inti knew in her heart that a wolf would not attack in the circumstances the farmers believed had happened。 Although， Inti disliked this farmer that disappeared， she was determined to prove that her wolves had no part in his death。Once There Were Wolves was beautifully written and as memorable as Migrations。 The characters in Once There Were Wolves were strong and complex and stayed with me long after I finished this book。 I listened to the audiobook that was narrated by Saskia Maarleveld。 Her performance was stellar。 She easily transitioned from one character to the next and kept my attention throughout。 Charlotte McConaghy was able to combine the elements of mystery， rape， romance， sisterly devotion， physical and emotional abuse of women， family drama， survival and hope in her newest book， Once There Were Wolves。 She also was able to recapture the recurring theme of climate change and the damage humans had caused our planet。 It was both heartbreaking and hopeful。 I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy and I highly recommend it。 Once There Were Wolves will be published on August 3， 2021。Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Kayla Garcia
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"We stomped through the world and crumpled things where we walked， too human， not creature enough。" I already knew it would be。。。best book of the year。Another heart-shattering book by Charlotte McConaghy。 The way she interperses slow-burn mystery and a deep longing for a better earth is astounding。 My soul ached in the best way reading this。 Her storytelling is so rich and atmospheric you can't help but truly care for nature and its inhabitants， both creature and human。 Fully immersive and undou "We stomped through the world and crumpled things where we walked， too human， not creature enough。" I already knew it would be。。。best book of the year。Another heart-shattering book by Charlotte McConaghy。 The way she interperses slow-burn mystery and a deep longing for a better earth is astounding。 My soul ached in the best way reading this。 Her storytelling is so rich and atmospheric you can't help but truly care for nature and its inhabitants， both creature and human。 Fully immersive and undoubtedly unique。Yes， I hugged this book and cried just like I did when I finished， Migrations。 I am in awe of this author。 。。。more
Chelsea Bruning
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Charlotte McConaghy is a first class nature writer。 Stick her in with Barbara Kingsolver。 She does it right。 In “Once There Were Wolves”， Inti and her twin sister Aggie find themselves in rural Scotland as part of a wolf rewilding project and conservation effort。 Inti meets tremendous resistance within the local farming community， and is forced to face some difficult facts when the past catches up with the present。 This complicated story of love and justice was written with meticulous care and t Charlotte McConaghy is a first class nature writer。 Stick her in with Barbara Kingsolver。 She does it right。 In “Once There Were Wolves”， Inti and her twin sister Aggie find themselves in rural Scotland as part of a wolf rewilding project and conservation effort。 Inti meets tremendous resistance within the local farming community， and is forced to face some difficult facts when the past catches up with the present。 This complicated story of love and justice was written with meticulous care and top-notch skill。 。。。more
Taylor
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[4。5/5] review to come**Thanks to Flatiron Books for the gifted review copy
Lisa | Read Between the Spines
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4。5 starsAfter seeing stellar reviews for 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴， McConaghy's last book， I bought it。。。 and it had been sitting in my shelf ever since。 So I was excited to receive an advance copy of 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 from Flatiron Books。𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 is novel about one woman's quest to rewild the Scottish Highlands by reintroducing wolves。 At the same time， it is a love letter to the natural world and a call to conservation。 Charlotte McConaghy manages to effortlessly blend an imperative messa 4。5 starsAfter seeing stellar reviews for 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴， McConaghy's last book， I bought it。。。 and it had been sitting in my shelf ever since。 So I was excited to receive an advance copy of 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 from Flatiron Books。𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 is novel about one woman's quest to rewild the Scottish Highlands by reintroducing wolves。 At the same time， it is a love letter to the natural world and a call to conservation。 Charlotte McConaghy manages to effortlessly blend an imperative message and commentary on the human condition with a compelling story without being preachy。 Charlotte McConaghy had me from the first line， "When we were eight， my dad cut me open from throat to stomach。" Even if she hadn't， her beautiful and atmospheric writing was hard to put down。 The descriptions of the lush forest and wolves were enchanting。 McConaghy's storytelling was gripping and woven with mystery。 Although I would have stayed simply for the mystery， I was completely invested in the characters and their stories。 Inti， the protagonist， is a complex and well-developed character who is haunted by her past and focused on preserving the future。 Her connection to the wolves and nature is powerful。 As she faces her demons and locals opposed to rewilding， Inti shows us what it is to be human。 While I felt right along with Inti， I savored the lessons and learned a great deal。Overall， 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 is a fantastic and unforgettable book that I cannot wait for everyone to read。 I will be recommending it far and wide。 I will also be reading 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 the first chance I get。 Note: Among other triggers， there is violence against animals in this book。I received a gifted copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review 。。。more
Rachael | Booklist Queen
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Inti Flynn arrives in Scotland with one purpose - to reintroduce gray wolves into the highlands despite the fierce resistance from the local population。 When a farmer is mauled to death， Inti buries the evidence， terrified the locals will accuse her beloved wolves。 But if the wolves aren't to blame， who caused his death？ And will it happen again？ McConaghy's August 2021 book release is a hauntingly beautiful novel about healing from trauma - in people and in nature。 McConaghy masterfully navigat Inti Flynn arrives in Scotland with one purpose - to reintroduce gray wolves into the highlands despite the fierce resistance from the local population。 When a farmer is mauled to death， Inti buries the evidence， terrified the locals will accuse her beloved wolves。 But if the wolves aren't to blame， who caused his death？ And will it happen again？ McConaghy's August 2021 book release is a hauntingly beautiful novel about healing from trauma - in people and in nature。 McConaghy masterfully navigates communicating her message of conservation while still giving an enthralling fictional story that hooks you from the beginning。I received a complimentary copy of this book from Flatiron Books。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Sally
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After reading her previous novel， Migrations， and now this spell-binding story Once There Were Wolves， Charlotte McConaghy has become one of my go-to authors。 But beware。 These books are not light， fluffy， easy reads。 They bring up strong emotions， put you on edge， and make you think。 It’s well worth it， though。 People are in difficult circumstances with tough choices to make; the best choice isn’t always （usually isn’t） the easy choice that would result in that happy storybook ending。 But these After reading her previous novel， Migrations， and now this spell-binding story Once There Were Wolves， Charlotte McConaghy has become one of my go-to authors。 But beware。 These books are not light， fluffy， easy reads。 They bring up strong emotions， put you on edge， and make you think。 It’s well worth it， though。 People are in difficult circumstances with tough choices to make; the best choice isn’t always （usually isn’t） the easy choice that would result in that happy storybook ending。 But these are strong， layered， dedicated， brave characters that you won’t quickly forget。Once There Were Wolves is all about wolf biologists and rewilding。 Rewilding – what a concept。 Who would have thought that all the “progress” we have made in moving predators out of our way so we can expand， can settle where they used to roam free， would actually result in such an upset to the balance of nature for the entire planet？ The description of the deer， without any wolves to stop them， eating the buds of plants before they have a chance to grow， wiping out any hope of that clearing returning to forest， is startling and thought-provoking。The story is set in Scotland。 Author McConaghy paints a wonderfully desolate picture of the town。 So gray and cold you picture the story in black and white。 Until the picture includes the wolves。 In what should have been one of their natural habitats， the wolves are vibrant， colorful and fascinating。 Inti Flynn and her team of wolf biologists are there to try and successfully reintroduce the wolves back into the Highlands。 But it’s not a popular project with the townspeople。 Wolves were driven out for a reason: they kill livestock - and sometimes children。 They’re dangerous， and they are unwanted。 The conflict between the town and the team is sharp。Your fascination won’t stop with the wolves。 Inti has a condition that causes her to feel everything as if it was happening to her。 People， animals， everything。 Hard to watch， but you can’t turn away。 And because of that she’s turned inward， not willing to make connections and relationships。Once There Were Wolves definitely delivers as promised。 It is spellbinding， evoking a full range of emotions。 I cheered the wolves on as it looked like they were settling in， feared for them when the townspeople became angry and aggressive and wished for a happy ever after for Inti and her twin sister Aggie。 Charlotte McConaghy expertly weaves together the science behind rewilding with the beauty of the wolves and the human emotions and actions to just live life， and wraps it all in a fuzzy world that at times seems almost unreal。 What are Inti’s secrets？ Is Aggie even real， or did she in fact die when Inti remembers how Aggie was hurt and withdrew？ Is Inti’s sister just a sad， painful memory confined to Inti’s cabin？ This is a beautifully crafted story， multi-layered， touching， poignant。 Thanks to Flatiron Books for providing an advance copy of Once There Were Wolves via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest review。 Charlotte McConaghy is a very talented author writing very compelling books。 Keep her on your must-read list。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Bree
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Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy！ This is out 08/03！I tend to love any book that takes place in the Scottish Highlands and this was no different。 I truly loved the narration with this book， I think that it elevated the already lyrical way this story was written （just really wish Netgalley audios didn't have that echo）。 I liked the main character， Inti， and found that her traumas and quirks were portrayed in an authentic way w Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy！ This is out 08/03！I tend to love any book that takes place in the Scottish Highlands and this was no different。 I truly loved the narration with this book， I think that it elevated the already lyrical way this story was written （just really wish Netgalley audios didn't have that echo）。 I liked the main character， Inti， and found that her traumas and quirks were portrayed in an authentic way without anything feeling repetitive。 Her passion for the wolves was intense， but once I learned her story more I started to get it。 I liked how this was about predators and prey and how that could mean not only how we are with our environment， but how we as humans can be with each other。 。。。more
Pamela
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This was a very hard novel to read because it’s full of violence， death， and darkness。 I knew from page one I was going to have a very hard time reading this book。 Too many times to count I decided I’d stop but I kept going because it is also a well written novel。 If you like your novels full of darkness， this book is for you。 If you fall on spectrum of prefer your mysteries to be cozy and any violence to be off the page， stay away from this one。My thanks to Flatiron Books and Edelweiss for an e This was a very hard novel to read because it’s full of violence， death， and darkness。 I knew from page one I was going to have a very hard time reading this book。 Too many times to count I decided I’d stop but I kept going because it is also a well written novel。 If you like your novels full of darkness， this book is for you。 If you fall on spectrum of prefer your mysteries to be cozy and any violence to be off the page， stay away from this one。My thanks to Flatiron Books and Edelweiss for an eARC。 。。。more
✨ Anna ✨ | ReadAllNight
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