Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Täällä oli susia by Charlotte McConaghy

34 reviews

downtown_kb's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

" My father used to say the world turned wrong when we started separating ourselves from the wild, when we stopped being one with the rest of nature, and sat apart. He said we might survive this mistake if we found a way to rewild ourselves. But I don’t know how to do that when our existence frightens the creatures we must reconnect with."

Inti is in Scotland with her team to reintroduce several wolves into the wild, hoping to "rewild" Scotland and save the forests that are dying. The locals are against her and Inti knows that the wolves must not only survive the wild but also the farmers who do not welcome the idea of predators.

This book captivated me. Not only is the writing very atmospheric and poetic but the story had a surprisingly gritty darkness to it. Things unfold slowly but build to a perfect fever pitch towards the end. It makes the reader face the question of how violence changes us and how far we are willing to go for the things we love.

This is a story about Inti, a story about her sister, a story about the wolves, and a story about nature and the planet we are set on destroying and a story that looks at the darkness of humans. And there is also a romance. (Not the focus, but not a side note either).

"This is how the world dies, he said, with laziness."

I just fell in love with how McConaghy slowly showed us who Inti was and didn't hold back from the darker side of this story. I did not see if coming at all. And honestly, these characters are flawed and messy and they make mistakes but they also learn to find a lifeline and pull themselves out of the darkness of their past. I fell in love with Inti. If you like a gritty murder mystery and if you like nature you should really give this a read. TW: domestic violence.

This is, and I imagine it will remain, one of my favorite reads this year.

"We all have that choice, and most of us make it. There is cruelty to survive, to fight against, but there is gentleness more than anything, our roots deep and entangled. That is what we hold inside, what we take with us, the way we look after each other. "
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mainereading's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I am in awe. This book was incredible, and it had a powerful message. It explores the relationship between humans and animals. But also the connection between humans and nature. It was a beautiful story but also very difficult to read at times. I feel like anyone who reads this would take something away from it. Also, I couldn’t help but think of the song Colors of the Wind by Judy Kuhn while reading this, which made it much more memorable.

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malonesilence's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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lonelyghost173's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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moonbasket's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced
  • 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

3.25

The prose is lyrical and visceral. I enjoyed most of the book, but was turned off completely by the end and specifically the turn at the end.
As a twin, having Aggie be the secret killer instead of wolf number 10 really threw me for a loop. Having her then also commit suicide leaving for the wilderness and having Inti be complety fine with it was entirely out of the realm of believability.


I wish the book had focused more on family and relationships and less on the small town drama and traumatic backstory that felt, at times, over the top, and down-right voyeuristic. I do not want to discount the very real trauma that real life people have been through that may be similar, but the extent of the trauma felt beyond the edge of the bell curve to the point of voyeurism.

All told, I would not recommend the book. The ending spoiled the whole story for me. The only redeeming quality is the prose and inclusion of conservationism and rewilding.
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chelle22's review against another edition

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dark hopeful informative mysterious

3.0

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csoyars's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I was really compelled by the themes in this book - the impacts of trauma, the damage humans have made to our environment, the need for community engagement in conservation efforts, the danger of misplaced fear, and the comparison and contrast between humans and wolves as predators. This book tackled important societal questions in a unique story.

However I also struggled with the flashbacks during the beginning of the book, predicted the ending, and wish that the characters took more accountability for their actions. Ultimately I think the story was a vessel for important messages, but the plot itself left a bit to be desired.
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jaedee09's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What a beautiful, tense, emotional story. This book made me feel so many things - anger, love, sadness...strength. At first I wasn't sure about the flashbacks, but quickly came to appreciate how poetic the story was written.
That birth scene was incredibly powerful!
Such a poingant way to blend a story of conservation, family ties, murder, and love.
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ankellogg's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Trigger warnings galore!! 
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himpersonal's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I expected more, and I find myself thinking about this book even after finishing it, in the wrongest ways...
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