Tuesday 7 June 2011

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Source: Library
Publisher: Egmont
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 418

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?

Raised by Wolves was a truly excellent novel that kept me flipping pages until the very end.

The main character, Bryn, was a wonderful protagonist. She is sassy and clever, brave and fierce. Honestly, I found myself forgetting multiple times that she was fifteen - the same age as me. Bryn, like any other person, is shaped and sculpted because of her experiences. In this case, Bryn has, as the title reveals, been raised by wolves. She is constantly surrounded by them and she fights hard not to fall into the typical hierarchy and submit to her superiors.

Raised by Wolves is a novel where I can say that I genuinely liked most, if not all, of the supporting characters a lot. Plus, since most of the characters were wolves, I loved that they actually acted like wolves. I mean, I'm all for creative license with mythical creatures but it was nice to just see the wolf dynamic shine through in this book. The characters were protective, possessive and just generally wolfish.

To be honest, the reason I liked this book isn't because of the romance. Don't get me wrong, I thought Chase was a very decent guy and I like him so far, it just didn't dominate for me. I loved that. There was enough going on with Bryn's search for independance and growth as a person, not to mention the mysterious threat looming over their heads, that I didn't want the romance to overshadow anything. I was much more interested in the relationship between Bryn and Callum, who fascinates me. The way he balanced between a father figure and a pack alpha never ceased to intrigue me.

Overall, Raised by Wolves is definitely a book I think you should read. I could go on about it a lot more but I'll leave you with the little that I have mentioned. Happy reading!

Cover Comments: I like it! It has the feel of a werewolf book with the dark tones and full moon and the font is pretty. Plus, there are trees! As you might know, I'm a little obsessed with pictures of trees.

3 comments:

  1. Sounds good! I might actually pull it soon from my TBR shelf. I love when the wolves dynamics are respected. Like you, a little creative license doesn't bother me, but sometimes the classic ideas are just the best.

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  2. I have had this book for ages and still haven't got round to reading it, but it sounds great! I'm glad the main character is likeable, I've read a lot of books recently where I just couldn't relate to the MC at all. Thanks for the review, I'll bump this up my TBR list!

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  3. Kay: It is good! I just feel like the whole wolf dynamic is so fascinating anyways that it's a shame we don't see it as often.

    Liz: I find it so hard to like a book if I don't like the MC since I'm definitely more character-oriented (usually anyway) than anything else. Thank YOU! :)

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