Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me, by Kristen Chandler, is about KJ Carson, the only daughter of a widowed fishing guide and a junior in the tiny Montana town of West End, near Yellowstone. When Virgil moves in so his mom can study the local wolf packs, KJ is enchanted at first glance. Soon she and Virgil start spending a lot of time wolf-watching together, and KJ finds herself falling in love with the wolves (...and *SPOILER ALERT* one especially attractive boy whose name may or may not start with the letter "V"). The residents of West End, many of whom are ranchers whose animals occasionally supply the wolves' dinner, don't exactly feel the same way, though, and it's up to KJ to stand up for her wild friends or say good-bye to them.
I know, I know. It sounds SO cheesy, but it's a wonderful book, and I really came to care about KJ as the story progressed. I think that was one of the things that really made Chandler's story memorable- the characterization was fantastic. The dialogue in particular, in addition to KJ's witty narration, helped me to understand and relate to the characters, and this really added to the story. I thought it was fascinating to see how ranchers and fishing guides in Montana are not really very different than anyone else; West End has brats and lunatics and grumpy teenagers just like any other town, and we all have feelings.
The one political issue that this story brought up, though it's fiction, was whether wolves should be left in Yellowstone or taken away. The book was published only three years ago, but this was a huge controversial issue around 1997. And while her story is purely narrative, Chandler clearly sided with the wolves. I have to say that I completely agree. I totally can understand why people might have felt differently when this was an issue, but as I learned about the wolves and how similar in nature they are to humans, I couldn't help but agree with KJ.
I should warn any boys that the narrator is a grumpy, love-sick and hormonal teenage girl, and the general public that there are a few swear words in here, though they are in places where they work and there aren't too many. Altogether, I thought this was a splendiferous book (I like big words- so sue me). KJ's wit, sarcasm and personality make it fun and readable. I look forward to Chandler's next novel, especially if it is anything like this one. A.
1 comment:
Thanks for the suggestion! I'm reading this book and it is sooo good! Wolves have always been interesting to me as a crazy animal person, and when you throw that in a book with a cool character and a cute boy, it's so fun to read! Great book review too :)
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