hard pass. The fixation on knowing whether or not Sam was a virgin when he died killed this book for me. Dying without having partnered sex is not the end of the world. It's also a creepy thing for a sister to care about.

Winter of the Wolf was a good book.

It will take you on an emotional ride and you will definitely learn some interesting things alone the way.

you will meet Bean and you will also find out that her brother Sam has died. No one knows what exactly happened but all signs lead to suicide at the moment. Of course, Bean doesn't think that's the truth and she is very determined to find out what really happened to her brother.

I will admit, learning about Sam along the way was pretty interesting. He was into a lot of things and hearing about how his family and friends could potentially feel or see his presence in an animal. It also made me pretty happy that they were talking about making him a totem pole just to honor him.

Then I got to the ending, and honestly - wow. I didn't know that whatever he was doing was a real thing. I'm also shocked with how many people have died doing this as well. I wasn't expecting this kind of ending at all but I am happy that they found out the truth.

•Character development- 4☆
• Story Plot- 3☆
• Side characters- 3.5☆
• Flow of the story- 4☆
• Overall - 3.5☆

Sorry, this one didn't live up to the expectations that I placed upon it.
Unlikeable MC, appropriation of Inuit culture, sensitive topics that were not dealt with in an appropriate manner - personal opinion of coarse, no suspense, and a weak/messy plot. And seriously, Bean? I know that is superficial to write in my review but.... seriously.
I think if the author chose to either focuses on being character driven or plot driven this story may have been better formatted, but it felt neither were the driving force.

Winter of the Wolf is about the tragic and untimely death of a teenage boy and how his family and friends work towards grieving and eventually accepting his loss.

This was just an okay read for me. The writing was a little clunky. The stuff near the end, on one hand it was a beautiful concept but it also felt rushed and not quite real. It was a bit jarring with the previous tones of the story. It wasn't bad by any means but it took me out of the story a bit and had me side-eyeing the characters.

Still enjoyed the book, just not as much as I wanted to.

CONTENT WARNING: teenage suicide

Okay, this wasn't good...

Winter of the Wolf (I honestly have NO idea why it's called that) is a story about a self-centered teenage girl who is obsessing over her big brother and his suicide and tries to connect that with his Inuit beliefs. She even goes as far as to perform a shamanic ritual to connect with her brother's soul and discover if he is still there and if he is okay (?).

So, yes, Bean (real name!) has this strange obsession with her year older (now dead) brother. But the obsession goes back to the moment of her birth, because they are, excuse me, soulmates.
Not only that she can't go a page without talking about how amazing her brother was, but she even obsesses about his sex life. At one point, she even says that it would be so tragic to die without having had sex.
She doesn't give a damn about her parents or other brothers, Sam (the dead one) is the only one that matters.

She also constantly whines about her father making her cook and do dishes and her mom not getting out of her bed.

I was ready to hate on the mom because she is sulking in her misery while she has more children to take care of. I closely know a person who lost a child, but she got up and took care of her other 2 children. HOWEVER, Bean is the youngest one and she is 15. The other 2 boys are, like 18 and 20 (or something). So get up from your spoiled little butt and pick up that broom, Bean!

I didn't like her narration either. She will be talking about her dead brother and how amazing he is, and then she will just start talking about how cute she is and how boys are seeing her, and how her brother is noticing that her boobs have grown. WTF!

Then, there is this whole obsession with Inuits and their culture. I have no knowledge about this, so I'm not the right person to comment, really. But let me say that some parts were just.... dumb!

So here is Sam who wants his dead body to be dropped in the woods so that he can connect to the nature. He, mind you, started liking Inuit culture and COULD IMMEDIATELY COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD!

Bean and her friend decide to go do a SHAMANIC RITUAL, in the dead of winter, in northern Minnesota, in the forest next to the frozen lake. And the parents are just like "yeah, you do you".

And maybe the most problematic of all is that Sam took a knife and basically OPENED HIS STOMACH because he killed a deer!!!! And the parents were just like "oh, you know, Inuit obsession, not a biggie".

***SPOILER AHEAD***

And then there is that horrible anticlimactic ending where Sam's best friend, who didn't even come to the funeral, shows up and tells the family how he gave Sam a belt and instructions on how to choke himself for pleasure or to get high and that's how he died.

And the family is like "wohooooo, he didn't commit a suicide, he just wanted to get high!".

And then there is all that shit like "he was there for just as long as it was meant to be and he had to die and go into another body for his soul to grow"!

And not a single person is upset! Not a single loving member of Sam's family is upset that he killed himself, ACCIDENTALLY mind you, while wanting to get high.

THE END

That is all. There is no more. This.... was not good!

Bean's brother, Sam, dies of an apparent suicide. but Bean is not sure that this is the case. Sam and Bean were super close and she does not believe that her brother would commit suicide. He was a nature loving, kind hearted boy who was fascinated with Inuit culture. Did the killing of the deer in the car accident cause Sam to kill himself? Was taking the deer's life too much for him to handle? Was it foul play by someone who snuck into the hose that night? The belt used in Sam's death is not one that anyone in the family remembers seeing before. The pizza delivery guy who delivered that evening has gone missing. There are a lot of unanswered questions. Bean and her BFF Julie are determined to find out what really happened that night. The ending of this story took a turn I had not ever expected. I was not overly happy with the ending, but just because it was not the ending I was looking for does not make it a bad ending. The narrator did a very fine job of the numerous voices. Since we mostly heard the book from Bean and her perspective there was not an overly large need for male voices which I am often turned off by when women try to narrate male voices. I am giving this book a 3.5 rounded to 4. I guess I am not able to give a solid 4 because, I am not a huge fan of the ending. But again, just because it was not the ending I wanted does not make it bad. Thank you to the publisher, NG, and the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3857650879
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I really wanted to like this book, but I'm sorry to say that I didn't. I guess it just wasn't for me, the plot was a bit weak and the characters quite flat. It's probably more suitable for a younger reader.

Sadly, I couldn't finish the book. I had no interest listening to book after an hour. The book just wasn't for me, but maybe for another reader.

Ugh, what can I say about this besides that I hated it. I thought the whole thing seemed rushed, it didn't make sense. But then in the epilogue she wrote it to raise awareness and in memory of someone close to her. Like how can I be critical of something like that...
Boiling it down, it was a nice thought. But the descriptions were weak, characters were flat, and I just didn't like it.

TW for suicide, death, grief.

Winter of the Wolf by Martha Hunt Handler was a thought-provoking, intense, and eye-opening YA novel about a girl named Bean who deals with the loss of her brother Sam and the grief that is associated with his death. This book was extremely powerful, discussed many heavy topics, and did it in such a way that was breath-taking and all consuming. Although I am not within the core demographic for this novel, I still felt a connection to Bean and what her and her family were going through throughout this story. The ending had me in shock and I highly recommend anyone who is interested in this read to pick it up and listen for yourself.

Overall, I loved this book. The audiobook was narrated in such an uplifting way that worked off us the dark subjects this story was exploring. Kelly Pruner did an amazing job at helping the listener understand what they are reading and how Bean and Sam's story intertwined. Overall, this was an easy high rating for me!

Thanks you to Netgally and Greenlead Audiobooks for the chance to listen to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am usually a fan of YA in more supernatural or fantastical spheres. I think the voice of the MC was accurate and this book depicts well our inclination to find some other explanation when someone we care about is suspected to have committed suicide— no matter how unlikely any other story might be. It’s a good examination of how we question how much we know ourselves, and others, when it’s too late to save someone we’ve already lost.

Naturally, I'm very hesitant to pick up a book written by a white American that uses Canada's indigenous and aboriginal peoples to appropriate any sort of plot point in their books.
That being said, I would like to say,
1. An Inuit individual is referred to as an Inuk.
2. The word ‘Indian’ is not correct.
3. Perhaps you might do some more research on these peoples and their culture before you decide to build a character in your book that claims such deep attachment and connection to them. Also, the writing reads more like a middle grade novel.

When I read the description of „Winter of the Wolf“, I knew immediately that I had to read it. It promised to be an interesting short read (or a rather, a listen, as I listened to an audiobook) about nature and Inuit culture, as well as a story about grief and living with it. This book, however, was a bit of letdown.

The story is being told by Bean, a girl in her teens, who very unexpectedly lost her brother, Sam, to what most believed to be a suicide. Having known her brother well, she is unable to accept the idea that Sam would have taken his own life. Bean searches of clues, both in signs, given by nature and, supposedly, by her dead brother, and in stories of people, who had contact with her brother on his last day.

Before starting the book, I thought that Sam’s Inuit beliefs would be something he got from his family or community, but this was not the case, and it disappointed me somewhat (in the books’ defense, I did not do my research about the author or the book beyond what the given description told me). It felt uncomfortable when other characters talked about Sam having picked his ‘totems’, the animals he most related to, and how they believed that he might have reincarnated into these animals. While it seemed that Sam had chosen to live his life by following Inuit beliefs in a completely respectful way, it still rubbed me in the wrong way.

The story itself was entertaining, even if plot points were overly convenient at times. It was interesting to see how throughout the book Bean grew as a character while discovering more sides to the people around her, who to her seemed one-dimensional before Sam’s death. The ending was rather disappointing, but I understand why author wrote it the way she had.

The narrator voiced the two teenage characters in different, yet equally annoying ‘teenager’ voices, and I’m not sure if I’m impressed or would rather never hear anything like that again. Overall, it didn’t hinder my listening experience much.

All in all, even though I read the book with expectations that did not match well with what I received, I had a good time listening to it.

I have received a copy of this book via NetGalley for an honest review.

A mystery surrounding the death of her brother. Bean the teenage sister to Sam can't come to terms with his apparent suicide. Sam held strong spiritual Inuit beliefs. and Bean is determined to figure out the truth. Her parents grief is strong and heavy and it is effecting everyone's life since everyone second guesses why Sam would take his own life. Bean looks into the native practices that Sam was so interested in and believes she is going to find answers. This audio book is a great version of the novel and this YA book is bound to hold your attention. Characters are well developed and the questions Bean has are finally answered.

This book had wonderful imagery details that made it feel as though I was there as well as the voice helping as a vocal aid to set the scene as you read through the chapters.

Winter of the Wolf is the story of a young teenage girl named Bean, who is struggling with the death of one of her older brothers. The cause of death was said to be suicide, but Bean doesn't believe that her brother would've chosen to die that way, due to his strong Inuit beliefs. Bean searches to discover the truth about what really happened to her beloved brother. This novel reflects on what it is like to question death, to feel guilt, to forgive, and to heal.

As much as I enjoyed this novel, I feel that I would have preferred it in print as opposed to audio. The narrator was able to create different voices for the characters, but I found them somewhat grating. I almost stopped partway into the book, but continued because I found the story intriguing. The last 2 chapters could have been wrapped up into 1. The story seemed to get repetitive and drag toward the end.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a chance to listen to an ARC of #WinteroftheWolf by#MarthaHuntHandler

First I want to thank Netgalley for the review copy and I must say that this book was much needed in my life right now. My Mom recently passed away and this book tackles the hard subject of death and the afterlife. The book follows Bean, a 15 yr old girl that has to face the death of her brother, Sam, and the mystery behind it. She can't believe that he would ever commit suicide and this story follows her journey to find out just what happened that night. I definitely recommend it to all who lost a loved one.

Bean is a 15-year-old girl whose older brother, Sam, has died, apparently by suicide. The story takes us into the life of this family, including their parents and two older brothers, grieving their loss and trying to move on past their grief. Bean, who was very close to Sam, does not believe Sam would kill himself, and tries to connect with Sam’s spirit to find out what really happened. She is determined to do all she can to connect with him, which leads her to what could be a dangerous road.
The Winter of The Wolf seemed to be aimed more toward teen readers and tries to cover a subject that affects young people without really talking about it until the ending. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this novel.

A story about grief, spirituality and uncovering the truth. Sounds interesting, right?
My biggest problem with this book was Bean. She’s 14/15 years old and insufferable at times. Bean is obsessed with Sam, her brother. He can do no wrong, he’s perfect and, to quote Bean herself, he’s her soulmate… It felt a little weird, how much Bean and her mother both absolutely adored Sam.

The dialogue was lame, really. I can think of no other word to describe it. The conversations between Bean and her best friend Julie seemed like how adults think 12 year old girls speak.
Julie and Bean’s friendship is something I want to praise. Julie, despite being pushed away from Bean, is supportive and there for her throughout the entirety of the story. It was lovely to read about two young girls being there for each other with no judgement at all.

Everyone deals with grief differently, but I never felt Bean’s grief despite how much Sam meant to her. She talked a lot about how sad she was, I just didn’t really believe it, it didn’t show in her actions.

Throughout the book, we’re definitely building up to something; a reveal, a climax etc. Unfortunately, I was left thinking that’s it? That was what we’ve spent this whole time waiting for?

All in all, it was quick to get through and the narrator did a great job.

I received this book from NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review.

There are a lot of good things about this book for me at least. I like the author's exploration of other cultures and shamanism in general. I like how she even briefly in her own way mentioned paganism/wicca. I don't come across these topics often in a lot of fiction and as a Pagan I really enjoyed that nugget in there.

I loved Bean's character and how the author took us into her life and her world and wrote a beautiful and haunting story of grief and healing and hope. The 'mystery' of how Sam died kept me going too, because like Bean something didn't add up for me. I was a little shocked to find out how he died, but after listening to the notes at the end understand why the author worked it out this way.

Overall, this is a beautiful coming of age story that ends with the MC finding her one way in life and happily not giving everything up for a guy - even one she's been head over heels about for a while now. I loved that about Bean.