If you read Picoult's books, then you know her style - multiple narrators, current controversial topics,twists to the story, strong character development, court/legal scenes, and characters with issues/secrets. This one follows the format, but the controversy is not as controversial as most, and one of the twists was obvious (I expected it all along). The other twist was good, and I particularly enjoyed the passages from Luke's book. I learned so much about wolves, and I like the connections of these wolf passages to Luke's family dynamics. His pragmatism and acceptance of the pack mentality explains the choice he makes with the aftermath of the twist.

I found it hard to believe that a man could spend two years with wolves and that would irrevocably change him so that he can no longer function fully in human society (or even have the desire to do so). Yes, we see war do this to others, so I guess this is realistic, and I do think Luke had a personality like this all along. We all understand the archetype of the father who works too hard and sacrifices his family for his work. For Luke, it's not just work; the wolves are his life.

I didn't care for the final chapter in this book. It was overkill and beneath the writer.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Picoult writes characters that are real, tangible, and believable. Her books are formulaic, but they always make me think. The more I think about this book, the more I like it because it makes me question what responsibility a parent has to (and for) his/her child and what responsibility a child has to his/her parent.

I would prefer to give this book 3.5 stars, but since I can't, I will be generous with the 4 star rating.