DNF

Just not competitive with similar titles in young adult ficiton, it’s a saturated market and this book just lacks anything to set it apart or pull me in as a reader.

The narrators voice can be a little off putting at first but you quickly get used to it and the story that follows is as haunting as it is enjoyable in the end. There are a number of interesting characters and the story and setting are so unique that you can't help but read on. While some people might be frustrated by both the first person, accented writing and the lack of details about this post-apocalyptic world's history, I quickly grew to love it. The ambiguity of the world building helps to make Elka's story feel more real and approachable.

The Wolf Read was easily one of my favorite reads of the year.

An amazing dystopian/thriller book! Pretty man, serial killer all set in a land without technology. How can you go wrong?

The Wolf Road is an intimate cat-and-mouse tale of revenge and redemption, played out against a vast, unforgiving landscape--told by an indomitable young heroine fighting to escape her past and rejoin humanity.

This was an amazing ride. I opened it up with high expectations after reviews I'd read and heard, and those expectations weren't met, they were exceeded. Ridiculously readable stuff, this.

Elka is 7 years old when her grandmother disappears in a storm and never comes back. Her parents had left Elka (not her name at the time) with Nana in order to head north to strike it rich in the newly-found gold veins, exposed and loosened by the war that destroyed much of the world - at least the technological part. Yes, this is a dystopian thriller, in which the characters live in the aftermath of a nuclear war that had taken place perhaps as much as a century before the narrative begins, a world not unlike the American wild west.

Elka wanders away from her hut, more interested in trying to find food than find her unsympathetic grandmother. She gets too close to the fresh jerky laid out by a trapper, and is taken prisoner for the crime of eating the meat. Before long, we see that the trapper is becoming a father figure to the child, teaching her to hunt, trap, essentially live off the land. He is gone for days at a time on wolf hunts, and she is left alone to perfect the skills he has been teaching her.

Fast forward 10 years, and Elka - through a number of circumstances - is given good reason to believe that the man she only knows as Trapper is actually a serial killer, wanted for the gruesome murders of several women and one young boy.

Then All. Hell. Breaks. Loose.

What I've described takes place in the first few chapters; the entire book is a non-stop roller coaster as Elka finds herself on the run, unsure of how much to believe about the man she knew as Trapper, and unsure of what to believe about herself as she finds her own image on wanted posters next to the killer.

There are several unlikely - but mostly believable - friendships scattered throughout the pages, revenge and redemption on many levels, and understanding human nature enough to know that the more we look for the truth, the more likely we'll unlock doors in our memory that perhaps should have stayed locked for our own well being and that of those around us.

When asked to describe the book in 140 characters or less, the author Beth Lewis offered this: "In a war-torn wilderness, Elka discovers the man who raised her is a killer so flees to find her parents, but he’s not letting her go easily."

Five star review, folks. An outstanding book.

I really wanted to love this book, and it started out strong. But it lost me about hallway through, and I ended up not finishing. The writing was good, but the story just wasn't compelling to me.

I loved the concept and description of this book, but I could not get into the characters enough to get more than a third of the way though. The style is very spare and stark, so the reader has to appreciate that style of writing.

This was a good read but I would definitely purchase it for people who like a darker story! Great flow!

Unfortunately it took me a very long time to finish it because it was a DNF FOUR times.

I though I was going to love Elka since she was “tough” after having to learn how to in the woods because she was abandoned by her parents after an apocalyptic event.

But unfortunately I didn’t.

The writing style wasn't for me. I have read other post apocalyptic with rural, slang writing that I liked very much like Blood Red Road. However for some reason this one was very hard for me to get through.

The fact that Elka was an unreliable narrator and I wasn’t ever able to connect with her played a big part on it.

Also since you kind of know how is going to end it made it less enjoyable.

Wow, this was a good book but a tough one to read at times. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, a young girl uprooted in a storm is taken in by a man she calls Trapper, but as a young adult she finds out he is actually a serial killer, and goes in search of her real parents. Definitely a page-turner but quite dark, so be warned. If you liked "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, this definitely has a similar feel.

This was a book that surprised me, because of how it was a post-apocalyptic western. I wasn't expecting the post-apocalyptic part and that threw me for awhile because I was trying to figure out what exactly happened.
Elka is a young woman who was left with her grandma when her parents went to pan gold, but a 'thunderhead' ended up taking her far far away. This is when she meets 'trapper' who ends up becoming a father figure to her.

Some bad things end up happening, forcing Elka to have to leave, but trapper isn't far behind her and it's almost like he's taunting her.



Elka will now have to survive on her own in the wild with next to no supplies and her mind all confused about what her life has been like for the past few years.



Overall I really struggled to read this book because of how slow paced it was. I just kept wanting to start getting answers or for things to at least make sense for a change. Having said that though, by the last quarter of the book I did start enjoying it. When Pen got involved I ended up like Elka a little bit more as well, she just brought out the best in her. Truthfully I'm still not sure what my exact feelings for this book are. On one hand, I did enjoy it, but on the other, I'm still disgusted about the things that trapper had her doing. Just no. not okay....

I can see the comparison of it to true grit as Elka is a bit like the character from that book, but honestly true grit (John Wayne movie) is so much better in my opinion.

I honestly couldn’t tell you why I requested a review copy of The Wolf Road, as it is WAY outside my reading comfort zone.  Was it the cover?  Maybe.  Was it the thrilling book description?  Possibly.  For whatever reason, I hit that request button and was approved a copy for review.  Later I looked back and wondered what I was thinking?  A post-apocalyptic thriller?  A survival type story that takes place in the wilderness?  Definitely not my typically read…. Despite my reservations, I’m so glad I gave this book a chance!  I have no doubt in my mind that this book will be among my top reads of 2017…

What would you do if the man who has been your father figure for the past 10 years  turned out to be a cold blooded killer?  The man who has taken you in from a harsh and lonely world and raised you… Who has taught you to hunt & how to survive in an unrelenting world?  What if that man started hunting you… With a unique setting, strong female main character, and an intense “edge of your seat” plotline, The Wolf Road completely drew me in and captivated me until the very end.  

This was a very unique post apocalyptic book and unlike any I had ever read before.  If you think the post apocalyptic genre has been way overdone, then I would encourage you to pick up The Wolf Road and let Beth Lewis change your mind.   While this is a post apocalyptic setting, the post apocalyptic elements are not the focus of the story.  We actually never truly learn what really happened to bring about the current situation, only that an event (referred to as “The Damn Stupid”) was then followed by a second event (the “Second Conflict”) which brought about the current world.  These events are briefly mentioned, but not much detail is given, so we are just kind of thrown into this world.  We don’t know much about this new world but we do know that the climate is now treacherous at times and prone to violent storms, and life has lapsed to earlier times.  The setting actually felt more like a reversion back to 19th century “Wild West” era: people live in more isolation on farms & ranches, but still have to travel into town for supplies; food is obtained by hunting & farming; travel is on foot, horseback, or by boat, etc. etc.

"You ever seen a bear jump off a cliff ’cause life handed him a few rough draws? No, you haven’t. The wild keeps going till it don’t have strength in its muscles and bones. The wild don’t give up; it’s forever, and so was I."

Elka was such a complex character.  You really see her growth over the course of the book from her sheltered life with Trapper, to where she has to navigate the wilderness and life on her own.  We really get a sense of her strength and determination to survive.  We also get to see the more human side of Elka as she struggles with her internal conflict over Trapper.  How can she just stop “loving” the man who has raised her from the past 10 years?  How could he be the monster she now knows he is?  Lewis chose to tell this story through Elka’s perspective, but since Elka has been raised in the wilderness, she was not formally educated.  The narration and dialogue is not exactly grammatically correct, which I would have thought would have bothered me, but in reality it made the story feel more authentic.

"One a’ them rules is don’t go trusting another man’s path…People do it, they do what their mommies and daddies did, they make them same mistakes, they have them same joys and hurts, they just repeating. Trees don’t grow exactly where their momma is; ain’t no room…I weren’t following no one up through life."

This book has more of a “survival thriller” feel where the focus is on Elka’s struggle to survive not only the treacherous wilderness & unforgiving climate, but also the man that is hunting her.  To say that I was on the edge of my seat for the majority of this book is an understatement.  Never in my life have I felt such tension while reading a book.  This book also 100% side swiped me with the twist.  I never saw it coming.  Looking back, I cannot believe the thought never crossed my mind, as the author did leave hints, but it all went way over my head.  Kudos to Lewis for completely knocking me on my ass and making my jaw hit the floor.

I would like to mention that certain situations in this book may be triggering to some.  I am a huge wuss when it comes to gore and graphic violence… The thought of blood often makes me queasy.  I would be lying if I didn’t say this book was a struggle for me at times.  I often had to take a break and compose myself while reading, but I was so engrossed in the story that I just HAD to continue on despite my discomfort.  Needless to say there are a few graphic parts, and some of the subject matter (particularly the big reveal) may be a little much for some to handle.  This book isn’t going to be for everyone.

Since this book spans genres, I think it appeals to a wide variety of readers.  If you enjoy thrillers, sci-fi (post apocalyptic), westerns, or wilderness survival stories, then I would highly recommend this book to you!  HOWEVER if you don’t typically read within any of these genres (like me) and are looking for something “different,” I would still highly recommend this one to you.

Loved this book
Didn't want it to end
Highly recommended

Absolutely LOVED this audiobook. I wanted to keep driving in order to listen, which is always a good sign! The production was amazing, the narrator perfect, and, once I got past the poor grammar of the main character, I was sucked into the woods and Elka's story. It's a bit twisted, which I like, but redemption is available, which I like, too.

I've been putting off reading this book for almost a year. Now I wish I read it sooner. I loved it! Once I started, I was hooked and could not put it down. Granted this book is not for everyone. The slang could be off-putting but it worked perfectly for this book. The story is narrated by an uneducated, feral girl named Elka. She was just seven years old, wandering lost and hungry in the wilderness, when a solitary hunter took her in. Never knowing his name, she called him Trapper. For ten years he taught her how to hunt, shoot, set snares and start fires, everything she needed to survive. Everything changes when she goes to town and sees a Wanted Poster with his picture. She decides to escape his clutches and sets out on a long journey in the hope of finding her long-lost parents. But as the trail of blood and bodies grows in her path, Elka realizes that daddy won't be letting his little girl go without a fight.

This book can be dark and I highly recommend it if you like a post-apocalyptic suspense story.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Crown Publishing for supplying a copy of Beth Lewis's "The Wolf Road" in exchange for an honest review.

This was my second time trying to read this book. The first time I couldn't get past the fourth chapter and this time I ALMOST made it halfway. I did enjoy what I read but after this particular part in the story I felt like it was dragging and I couldn't take much more of it. Maybe I'll go back to finish cause I do have some questions. The book sort of reminded me of The Hunger Games with they no civilization and having to hunt for food type of thing.

Lately I have been reading many serial killer books, listening to Nancy Grace, Up and Vanished and other assorted podcasts. Perhaps it's trying to get my mind off the fact that a creep was voted into presidency in the US..nevertheless, I thank NetGalley and Crown Publishing of the perusal of The Wolf Road. I could not put this book down..what a story!!! It's a must read..only read it with a light on!

The Wolf Road is set sometime in the future after the Damn Stupid (aka war – assumedly nuclear) has decimated much of the population and life has reverted back to something similar to the 1800’s, at least in Elka’s BeeCee (I’d assume British Columbia, Canada). She lives with a grandma until age 7 because her parents went north for the gold rush. Elka has a bit of a Dorothy moment when a thunderhead (a massive storm caused by the bombs dropped during the war) rips her out of her little home and drops her miles from home in the woods. She is found by Trapper, a man living on his own in the woods. He heads to the closest town to see if he can find anything about her grandma and comes back saying she was dead. Trapper takes Elka under his wing and teaches her how to live in the woods; hunting, trapping, etc. She thinks she has a decent life, even if her “daddy” is a little cold.

But Elka’s life changes when she goes to town as a teenager to do some trading and sees Trapper’s face on a wanted poster for murder. That act starts the true story as Elka decides to leave her life with Trapper behind and head north to try and find her parents. We follow her trials and tribulations as she tries to get to her ultimate goal, to find her family.

As Elka travels, you quickly see that she has all the practical skills to get to where she is going. However, the her social skills are sorely lacking. She is taken advantage of, thrown off course, and almost killed. But she continues to persevere. Her strength and ability to adapt are amazing. That is the core of this book. Not only that, it is also the relationships she has with others. While some are toxic, like with Trapper, there are wonderful friendships with others.

But overshadowing everything is that Elka knows that Trapper is coming after her. He won’t stop until he has her back. The longer that she is away from him, the more she recalls from her childhood with him. And it isn’t pretty. While she continues to run, she knows that she will have to face him, or everything around her will turn to ash.

The ending is satisfying, with both positives and negatives. I would recommend this book to anyone, but be prepared for darkness and adult themes. One other note, the writing isn’t in “proper” English. It reads as Elka talks, which is with slang and poor English. At times I found it kind of annoying, but it does add to the overall feel of the book.

Overall: The Wolf Road Review
This was a fascinating book. You have strong characters, an interesting setting, and a storyline that pulls you in. I would recommend it.

Title: The Wolf Road
Author: Beth Lewis
Release Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: Crown

At first, I wasn't sure what to think of Beth Lewis's The Wolf Road. It's a quirky book told from the point of view of a barely literate young woman living in a post-apocalyptic future. Very little of how our world became what it is gets explained, however. Instead, the book focuses on our heroine, Elka, and her relationship with her adoptive father who turns out to be a very dark, demented man who is wanted for a series of heinous murders. Elka has a unique understanding of the world and we see things from her perspective as she travels across this troubled world on the run from both the law and the father she had come to love.

The narrators voice can be a little off putting at first but you quickly get used to it and the story that follows is as haunting as it is enjoyable in the end. There are a number of interesting characters and the story and setting are so unique that you can't help but read on. While some people might be frustrated by both the first person, accented writing and the lack of details about this post-apocalyptic world's history, I quickly grew to love it. The ambiguity of the world building helps to make Elka's story feel more real and approachable.

The Wolf Read was easily one of my favorite reads of the year.

Such a well-written book with one of the most engaging main characters I've encountered in a long time. Every time I thought I could predict where the plot was taking me, it veered in a new direction. A truly creative and deeply satisfying read.