Name: Margo Koss's review of Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
Item: Once There Were Wolves
Author: Margo Koss

Charlotte McConaghy

* INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the author of the beloved national bestseller Migrations, a pulse-pounding new novel set in the wild Scottish Highlands. Inti Flynn arrives in Scotland with her twin sister, Aggie, to lead a team of biologists tasked with reintroducing fourteen gray wolves into the remote Highlands. She hopes to heal not only the dying landscape, but Aggie, too, unmade by the terrible secrets that drove the sisters out of Alaska. Inti is not the woman she once was, either, changed by the harm she’s witnessed—inflicted by humans on both the wild and each other. Yet as the wolves surprise everyone by thriving, Inti begins to let her guard down, even opening herself up to the possibility of love. But when a farmer is found dead, Inti knows where the town will lay blame. Unable to accept her wolves could be responsible, Inti makes a reckless decision to protect them. But if the wolves didn’t make the kill, then who did? And what will Inti do when the man she is falling for seems to be the prime suspect? Propulsive and spell-binding, Charlotte McConaghy's Once There Were Wolves is the unforgettable story of a woman desperate to save the creatures she loves—if she isn’t consumed by a wild that was once her refuge.

Once There Were Wolves

From the author of the beloved national bestseller Migrations, a pulse-pounding new novel about a woman who will do anything to save the wolves of Scotland, and her twin sister Inti Flynn has never believed in the story of the big bad wolf. She knows the truth: it is men who are the real monsters. Inti arrives in the Scottish Highlands to lead a team of scientists tasked with reintroducing wolves into the wild, fiercely determined that nothing will distract her. But at home in her new cottage, where her traumatized twin sister Aggie barely leaves her bed, Inti can’t help but remember the painful secrets that drove them out of Alaska. As the wolves surprise everyone by thriving, Inti settles into the rhythms of her new life. She begins to let her guard down, making friends and even opening herself up to the possibility of romance. Her fragile peace is shattered when a farmer is mauled to death, and Inti can feel the town turning against her. Unable to believe her wolves could be responsible, Inti makes a reckless decision to protect them. But if the wolves didn’t make the kill, then who did? And will they strike again? Fiercely beautiful and propulsive, Once There Were Wolves is the unforgettable story of a woman desperate to save the creatures she loves, and, perhaps, save herself and her sister along the way—if she isn’t consumed by a wild that was once her refuge.

abi a

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.

Kylie Robinson

You have gone into the wild to die. Or maybe, you have gone to live. 

Yeah, people do bad things to each other. And we remember those stories, we remember the pain, but we remember it because it stands out. It's the blip in the timeline, the thing that doesn't fit, and that's because the rest of the timeline, which is our whole lives really, is made of kindness. That's what's normal, it's so normal we don't even notice it.

All creatures know love, Dad used to say. All creatures.

I try to explain that she's a wild creature in mourning. But the thought of a beast grieving her mate in such a confronting, almost human way is too much for most folk. None of us can help carrying her voice within us.

 It is easy to tell myself that what passes between them is only biology, nature, but then who said love does not exist in the nature of all things?

“If I were you I’d be more worried about the wives and daughters going out to run with the wolves.”

From the author of the beloved national bestseller Migrations, a pulse-pounding new novel set in the wild Scottish Highlands. Inti Flynn arrives in Scotland with her twin sister, Aggie, to lead a team of biologists tasked with reintroducing fourteen gray wolves into the remote Highlands. She hopes to heal not only the dying landscape, but Aggie, too, unmade by the terrible secrets that drove the sisters out of Alaska. Inti is not the woman she once was, either, changed by the harm she’s witnessed—inflicted by humans on both the wild and each other. Yet as the wolves surprise everyone by thriving, Inti begins to let her guard down, even opening herself up to the possibility of love. But when a farmer is found dead, Inti knows where the town will lay blame. Unable to accept her wolves could be responsible, Inti makes a reckless decision to protect them. But if the wolves didn’t make the kill, then who did? And what will Inti do when the man she is falling for seems to be the prime suspect? Propulsive and spell-binding, Charlotte McConaghy's Once There Were Wolves is the unforgettable story of a woman desperate to save the creatures she loves—if she isn’t consumed by a wild that was once her refuge.

Francine Hancox 

Jenny

Jordan Peet

Open up a book with twins in it and it’s going to be the most batshit thing you’ve ever read. Why? I don’t know, but authors seem to all agree on this 

Margo Koss

Really lovely. Enjoyed the intimacy of this so much

Katharine kollman

Yes, would you like a book to just hurt you? Call 1-800-PAIN and get your copy of this book shipped straight you you today! 

Cw: domestic abuse, assault, SA, birth, animal death, trauma

Apiecalypse Jen

Yes, would you like a book to just hurt you? Call 1-800-PAIN and get your copy of this book shipped straight you you today! 

Cw: domestic abuse, assault, SA, birth, animal death, trauma

Well-plotted and well-written. McConaghy has a knack for blending eco-fiction with dark drama. 

That said, she seems to regurgitate a lot of what she accomplished in Migrations. Parts felt overwrought.

elizabeth

Well-plotted and well-written. McConaghy has a knack for blending eco-fiction with dark drama. 

That said, she seems to regurgitate a lot of what she accomplished in Migrations. Parts felt overwrought.

“You must know monsters well, wolf girl.”

“I’ve never met one in the wild. They don’t live there.”

Not for the faint of heart, or particularly gifted empaths—this book explores the very best and worst of human nature and how it coincides to the natural world around us.

Twins Inti and Aggie have been irrevocably changed after a truly cruel and traumatizing event. Aggie, due to having experienced it directly and Inti through her mirror-touch synesthesia; she feels whatever she sees.

Inti drags her all but but comatose sister with her to rural Scotland where her Rewild Scotland project is close to reintroducing wolves to the landscape for the first time in over a hundred years. This puts her and her team at odds with the locals— generational farmers who are worried about the impact the predators will have on their livestock and thus their livelihood. 

Inti, deeply hardened towards other humans by the events of the past, has no desire to make friends here. She feels most at home with her wolves and any other wild, inhuman thing.

And with Duncan, the police chief who struggles with horrors of his own.

Her project begins with success, but then livestock start dying and, suddenly, so are people. Inti refuses to sit and watch while every wolf is hunted down and slaughtered for crimes she can’t prove they committed. Especially not when she isn’t sure that the man she’s growing to love isn’t the true culprit.

A heartbreaking lament to the rape and pillage of our natural world and a resounding apology to the creatures, big and small, we have disinherited.

 shows you the ugliest truths about yourself; the things living within you that you cannot or will not name. And then it peels back a curtain, offering you a path forward and out of the dark.

Catherine

“You must know monsters well, wolf girl.”

“I’ve never met one in the wild. They don’t live there.”

Not for the faint of heart, or particularly gifted empaths—this book explores the very best and worst of human nature and how it coincides to the natural world around us.

Twins Inti and Aggie have been irrevocably changed after a truly cruel and traumatizing event. Aggie, due to having experienced it directly and Inti through her mirror-touch synesthesia; she feels whatever she sees.

Inti drags her all but but comatose sister with her to rural Scotland where her Rewild Scotland project is close to reintroducing wolves to the landscape for the first time in over a hundred years. This puts her and her team at odds with the locals— generational farmers who are worried about the impact the predators will have on their livestock and thus their livelihood. 

Inti, deeply hardened towards other humans by the events of the past, has no desire to make friends here. She feels most at home with her wolves and any other wild, inhuman thing.

And with Duncan, the police chief who struggles with horrors of his own.

Her project begins with success, but then livestock start dying and, suddenly, so are people. Inti refuses to sit and watch while every wolf is hunted down and slaughtered for crimes she can’t prove they committed. Especially not when she isn’t sure that the man she’s growing to love isn’t the true culprit.

A heartbreaking lament to the rape and pillage of our natural world and a resounding apology to the creatures, big and small, we have disinherited.

Once There Were Wolves shows you the ugliest truths about yourself; the things living within you that you cannot or will not name. And then it peels back a curtain, offering you a path forward and out of the dark.

Jessie Farris

Pretty dark and sad. Could have done with more wolves but I know that wasn’t the whole point of this book.

Claire Cantlon

This was a strange story. The stream of conscious telling of the events was a little hard to follow at times and I almost didn't stick with it. However, I just had to know what was going to happen to the wolves so I stuck it through and this story blossomed. Inti is a complex, detailed character that will leave you concerned and invested in her story. Inti and her wolves somehow managed to teach me a lesson about being just a little bit more caring for the world. Worth the read. 

Jackelyn

This was a strange story. The stream of conscious telling of the events was a little hard to follow at times and I almost didn't stick with it. However, I just had to know what was going to happen to the wolves so I stuck it through and this story blossomed. Inti is a complex, detailed character that will leave you concerned and invested in her story. Inti and her wolves somehow managed to teach me a lesson about being just a little bit more caring for the world. Worth the read. 



Jerilynn Hallett 

Kristen Claiborn

The Book of the Month main picks have rarely disappointed me. I avoid the fantasy and sci-fi selections because I'm well aware I won't love them, but for the most part the rest of them have been thoroughly enjoyable. While this one wasn't bad, it won't make my list of favorites ( or even close to favorites) for 2021. 
 I found the majority of this book unnecessarily vague. Even the ending left me feeling like very little got resolved. I mean...there was actual murder that seemed to have been met with nothing more than a slight shrug of the shoulders. The characters aren't even deeply developed...they felt, again, vague. Like we were only given snippets of a whole story and were expected to not only live with those snippets, but appreciate them. It just wasn't enough for me. This one fell a little flat as a whole. It was saved, unfortunately, by it's length. It was mercifully short.

I am struggling to put into words the myriad of thoughts and impressions I have of this book. It's like a living wild thing of its own, darting, ephemeral, and hard to pin down.  The very first chapter filled me with such a longing, I knew the book would move me. And it did, to tears, twice. But while I'd hoped it'd be my new favourite, it took on an entirely different nature than I'd anticipated. As certain literary fiction is prone to, it alluded to genres (thriller, crime fiction, romance) without ever adhering to one. However, the beating pulse of the novel was composed of those of the wolves. Theirs were the heartbeats that brought the book to life. And I felt, at times, that the other stories detracted from them. The novel subverted the expectations of a human/animal tale and became unpredictable. I admired the originality and the movement of it. The way it refused to settle. But at times it seemed to subvert in ways that felt contradictory to the message of the story that was fairly laden in the dialogue, sometimes to the point of feeling too fictional, too didactic. And perhaps that was to attempt to refrain from 'taming' the wolves in order to make the story and its beliefs more palatable. I appreciated the raw honesty of it. The gruesome, gritty details. The juxtaposition of the cruelty and anger of the human world against the wildness of theirs. But I'm not sure it was as effective as I'd hoped. And then the ending felt all too predictable in ways and yet divisive and aggravating in others. The characters didn't feel fully fleshed and I had trouble connecting to them. I struggled to trust them, which could be argued was intentional, but ultimately I just felt far away from them. Which made the story harder to reach. I honestly just wanted more. Which speaks to the success of the concept and introduction but perhaps not the book as a whole. It felt driven by plot in ways I don't think it needed. As though it was trying to hook the reader with macabre morsels instead of simply letting the characters and animals live and breathe and exist. It felt strangely plot driven for a book I genuinely wanted to be about the earth and the wild. And for all the wildness promised, I was left with the sour taste of too much humanity and not a lot of hope for it...

𝔢𝔪

McKenzie McWhorter

This was so impactful, it was beautifully written and a very layered story. I felt a wide range of emotions reading it, I think McConaghy did a great job with this book.

Lydia White

"Most days I think we couldn't be farther from [the wild], that it was slowly bred from us until we became more like machines than animals."
"And the other days?"
"On the other days, I think I will go mad with wildness."


I originally picked up this book because of the blurb that mentioned that the MC was a biologist, Inti, and the added touch of murder mystery. 

Inti has recently moved to the Scottish Highlands to oversee a project that is reintroducing gray wolves to the lands they used to command, where she has to maneuveur around unhappy townsfolk fearing for their livestock, while also battling her own demons from past trauma. 

Within the first chapter we learn that Inti has mirror-touch synesthesia; she feels the tactile sensations of those she observes. Throughout the story we begin to unravel Inti and her sisters past, how it has shaped them to this moment, the subsequent repercussions, and what it means to be "strong".

This book balances the line of literary fiction and psychological thriller, that left me feeling haunted. This is a dark read that dives into the impacts of trauma, how it can follow a person through the rest of their life and although some may be able to eventually move past, others are still looking over their shoulder.

I was quickly immersed in the small town and could have read another book about these characters. The pacing was perfect; I loved the side plots and never felts as though they detracted from the main story. 

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫.

It is going to stick with me for a while. Looking forward to re-reading and annotating my favourite sections, and I reading McConaghy's previous book, Migrations. 

cw animal death, domestic abuse, sexual assualt, murder, violence, blood

Julie Weber

Ahhhh, this book was fantastic. I picked it up after loving Migrations and this one was just as good, if not better. It was so atmospheric and you could just disappear into the story, but McConaghey didn’t shy away from touching on darker themes throughout the book. Easy 5/5

**The New York Times Bestseller** 'So damn good. A page-turner that makes you think and has a huge emotional impact' Jeff VanderMeer A wild and gripping novel about one woman's quest to reintroduce wolves to the Scottish Highlands at any cost Inti Flynn arrives in the Scottish Highlands with fourteen grey wolves, a traumatised sister and fierce tenacity. As a biologist, she knows the animals are the best hope for rewilding the ruined landscape and she cares little for local opposition. As a sister, she hopes the remote project will offer her twin, Aggie, a chance to heal after the horrific events that drove them both out of Alaska. But violence dogs their footsteps and one night Inti stumbles over the body of a farmer. Unable to accept that her wolves could be responsible, she makes a reckless decision to protect them. But if the wolves didn't make the kill, then who did? And can she trust the man she is beginning to love when he becomes the main suspect? Propulsive and unforgettable, Once There Were Wolves is the spellbinding story of a woman desperate to save her family, the wild animals and the natural world she loves, at any cost. 'One of those very rare, special novels that changes you as you read' Laurie Frankel

Fraser Simons

Unhinged women is rapidly just becoming a subgenre that ticks all my boxes, apparently. Combined with climate fiction (cli-fi), the thematic considerations work in tandem with the unhinged narration angle. It’s fraught, a difficult read, cuts you to quick, and forces you to confront questions in which there is no easy or “good answer”. 

Basically, it’s everything I want from this intersection. 

The main characters are two women; twins, raised by separated parents with views that overlap in the distrust of humanity, go to Scotland to introduce wolves to an ecology that has been altered by human occupation. Deer run rampant, systems are out of whack. The Scots think they know what they’re doing. The team going to Scotland to introduce the wolves think they know what they’re doing. 

The past trauma—which is quite vivid, and deserves a content warning for sexual assault and domestic abuse, both physical and emotional—the women have suffered directly correlate to the plot and themes. The releasing of wolves into the wild is an apt comparison to loosing traumatized people who have not come to grips with their trauma into a similar unknown habitat. 

When a person goes missing, events conspire to force the twins to confront their past, as well as every characters’ preconceived notions regarding nature and the degree to which a person, or animal, can alter the fundamental components at its core. 

Lived experience, internalized trauma, socialization, ingrained, primal response. The animal aspects of human nature interrogated here create so much interesting tension in the plot. We know and learn as little about ourselves in our lifetime as we like to think we know about ecology and nature and the earth. Our very presence and continued existence is both something we cannot change and a force that rarely comes to anything but destruction. 

In a real way, this story is a demonstration in intent vs impact, as much as everything else. 

It’s a feat, then, that it’s such a pleasure to read. You’re in the head of those people dwelling in hurt and pain. It’s unsettling and impossible not to empathize with and get caught up in. But as with many trauma survivors, the ability to empathize, especially in one woman’s case, is heightened and their perceptions altered. But the rhythm and cadence of the disturbing makes it enticing, too. As if it begs, just like anger, to be listened to and allowed to encompass a person whole.

Floofyflower

I genuinely loved this book. The last few chapters are an emotional suspenseful rollercoaster, and the way McConaghy reveals the answers is beautiful. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because I wanted a little more character development, and I really wanted more growth and depth in the relationship between the two characters who fall in love. 

Katelyn Broad

The writing in this book was beautiful and I think the book was objectively good and interesting but it just wasn't it for me.

Josefina

3.5
if you get upset with animals dying, then this is not the book for you, i almost sobbed

Katie Doonan

** spoiler alert **
           I wanted to love this book, but I ended up so disappointed. The narration was contrived, preachy, and patronizing and the characters stayed unlikable throughout. The conservation writing, coming from a conservationist, felt like the author tried really hard to evoke an emotional tie while also berating you. The ending was especially contrived between the childbirth in the snow on horseback, her sister murdering men without repercussions, and everyone was just happy from there on out? I spent a good amount of effort trying to give the book a chance, but I would not recommend at all.

juliana

Anything wolves is an instant addition to my tbr and the Scottish highlands setting just made my want to read this even more so. I went into this book with just knowing those two things and was very pleasantly surprised. There's a great mystery/thriller intwined into the mc's story when her personal life gets intwined in the small town where these wolves are being rehabilitated. Great story, if you have an interest in wolves and like mysteries I definitely recommend!! Also a nice quick read and beautifully written.

Logan Schenk

4/4.5! I wasn’t too sure when I first started it but it hooked me around the middle point of the book

anna retana

I laughed, I cried, I gasped. This book... it's just so good. It deals with two very important topics, one I wouldn't have drifted towards if it weren't for the other. I'm thankful for that. I simply loved this novel, it is mysterious, heartbreaking, informative and more. Charlotte McConaghy is a must-read author for me from now on.

“There are languages without words and violence is one of them.”

*CONTENT WARNINGS: animal abuse, animal death, sexual assault

Scottish Highlands? Check. 
Wolves? Check. 
Highlander Chief of Police with a seedy past for a love interest? Check. 
Murder mystery? Check check check. 
This book is incredible. It started a bit slow, so I was uncertain at first, but then I just could not put it down. It absolutely consumed me. It made me smile so hard my face hurt and it made me cry. Inti was such a fascinating character and I loved being in her head. By far one of the best books I’ve read in a while.

Izzy Judy

Heather Killeen

Rating: 4.5/5 hides in the Scottish Highlands

This 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.

Jordan Peet &
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

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Jordan Peet &Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

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Jordan Peet &
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy