Jodi Picoult, doing her thing very well. Those of you who read her much know that her "thing" tends to be these medical-legal-ethical-family dramas told from all view points. Some of her stuff is different, but a lot of it is this. That said, brava! This didn't feel like the same story regurgitated with new names and diseases.

Basic plot, you can read in the summary. So wolf-loving (and boy, is that an understatement) zoologist who sacrifices his human family for a pack. Car accident, unrecoverable brain damage, fragmented family members trying to figure out how to handle it. Picoult always, in my opinion, handles relationship development and exploration beautifully. No exception here. She is also an amazing researcher, therefore able to weave intricately believable tales.

The voice of the dad-zoologist-wolf-loving-patient was heard through passages of his writings about the wolf packs, his experiences with them, what he learned about how they live and interact. (some reviewers have found this to be boring, but I was fascinated.) And it always, of course, reflects back to what is happening with the humans around him. This reminds me of "The Prodigal Summer" by Barbara Kingsolver (one of my favorites of hers). I don't know that this was inspired by that, but I kept getting that feeling, just a bit, and that tends to turn me off just a little. But Picoult pulled it off brilliantly, so no huge complaints.

A satisfying ending, which is not always the case with Picoult. Definite recommend.