Review: Wolf Hollow

Author: Lauren Wolk

Started reading: December 11th 2021

Finished the book: January 12th 2022

Pages: 304

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade

Published: May 3rd 2016

Source: Audible

Goodreads score: 4.17

My score:

Synopsis

Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and while her bullying seems isolated at first, things quickly escalate, and reclusive World War I veteran Toby becomes a target of her attacks. While others have always seen Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. She will soon need to find the courage to stand as a lone voice of justice as tensions mount.

My thoughts

This book was such a unique, beautiful book. I listened to it in the car while driving, and was always excited to continue the story. The cast of characters is exactly what was needed for this book, with an amazing main character and well written side characters. The plot is something I couldn't predict and left me silent in the end.

Pros

• Small story, big book: I don't really know how to explain this, but this feels like a small story in every good way possible. I mean that it doesn't have huge action scenes, doesn't have a HUGE cast of characters and doesn't have the mayor plot twists some of the books out there have. In those terms it's a "small story". I also feel that action scenes and huge plot twist wouldn't fit his book. This is a huge book in the way the cast is written, it's a big book in the way the story is evolving. The beauty of the story, the lessons behind the story: those were big, big and something I admired in this book.
  I do hope I explained myself in a good way there :)
• Ending: This is not what I hoped and not what I expected. I love stories that don't give you what you want in the end. I was hoping for revenge, I was hoping for justice. I'm not sure if I got what I wanted, and if I did; I'm not sure if this is the WAY I wanted it. I love how a book can make you feel that way! It's exceptionally done by the author.

Cons

• Not sure: I'm not sure if I can name a big con, but I'm also not sure if this is a 5 star book for me. The ending was a bit dark maybe for some Middle Graders. I also felt that some small things were just not what I'd hoped for? I'm not going to spoil but I can name you some examples.

Overall

Such a great book with a beautiful story. The ending left me silent and does remind us all that life isn't always fair. Life will not always give you what you deserve and neither will it to others. The audiobook is definitely recommended, I loved the way it was told and it definitely fit the story.

Other opinions on this book

"Wolf Hollow has stayed with me long after I closed the book. It has the feel of an instant classic."

- Linda Sue Park, NYT bestselling author of A Long Walk to Water

Memorable quotes from this book

"But the wind always swept my words away like cloud shadows, as if it mattered more that I said them, than who heard them."

Thanks for reading!

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