Informal buddy read for Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy starting September 6, 2021

[Jenny]

Laura wrote: "I'm in chapter 3 and I love it so far. I need a few uninterrupted hours to devour this!!!

Inti is quite the character. Sometimes switcbing back and forth from present to past just doesn't work but..."

She did that well in Migrations too. Her characters are so complex that it really helps to be fed their back stories that way I think.

It seems unanimous that everyone here is liking the book. YAY!!!!!

[Laura]

I can't wait to dive into Migration after this one!

[Gail]

I finished the book. I am still absorbing it. That was quite an ending! I’m not sure how I felt about it. It was very well written. Not quiet what I expected but it was very good.

[Jenny]

Had you guessed the ending at all? I kept pulling my head back from trying to guess like it was an Agatha Christie book, in order to let it just flow over me. I thought maybe (view spoiler)[the sister had done something, but I was also convinced that she never left the house (hide spoiler)], so the ending had at least elements of surprise for me.

[Laura]

Through chapter 13
(view spoiler)[
Now I understand why Jenny said, Inti what have you done
Who do you all think killed Stuart?
(His wife possibly.)

I really hope the wolves aren't harmed.
(hide spoiler)]

[Jenny]

The question is, who do you think did it?
(view spoiler)[When I read that, my mind was all over the place. I thought maybe Red, or Duncan, or Stuart's wife, or, Inti. I had no idea, and the author doesn't exactly let us know in the moment. (hide spoiler)]
I wasn't exactly sorry that it happened. Which made me feel bad about myself.

[Laura]

In response to Jenny'sabove comments
(view spoiler)[
Yes, I also thought, Stuart's wife, Red, dismissed Duncan because that was too obvious and Inti didn't cross my mind.
I'm not sorry either, Jenny and felt bad for thinking that too but that didn't last long. The biggest harm here is the abuse Stuart's wife suffered on a regular basis and no one doing anything to help. It is disturbing that only a totally stranger (Inti) is willing to stick up or try to help her.

I think there is a slight shift in people/society thinking that life/moral dilemmas are no longer black or white but this big shade of grey in the middle. You can definitely see this in books and movies, shows. Characters are now slightly flawed as compared to say something written in the 80's or 90's. It definitely makes me think more about what I've read.

I think I was more disturbed about Inti burying Stuart and the domestic abuse then Stuart being dead. I'm not sure what that says about me. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenny]

I agree about the grey area. Fiction and movies are getting very good at portraying complexity. Too bad about social media though. A person who is basically good said one bad thing years ago and they are publicly shamed into going away now. Grey are is not a social media thing. Too bad.

I also completely agree about (view spoiler)[Stuart. There should be a special place in hell (and I don't believe in hell) for spouse abusers, abusers of children, and abusers of animals. I don't care what else they do in their lives that may be good. They need to go away. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Social media is brutal. Yes, grey doesn't fit so well there.

[Laura]

In chapter 18
(view spoiler)[
So many questions...did Duncan kill Stuart? If not who did. What happened to Aggie's husband. Where is he? Do the wolves survive? What happens to Inti and Aggie?

I love all the sections of this book giving us information about wolves.

(hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Through chapter 18
(view spoiler)[
Inti killed Aggie's husband because of something he did...harmed Aggie?
(hide spoiler)]

[Jenny]

You still have a couple of revelations coming your way.
I totally get the barrage of questions that are assign your brain right now. This author is very good at the slow reveal, and it works.

I am very much in love with wolves from learning more about them as well.