The Wolves of Winter

The Wolves of Winter is a book that surprised me a little bit. I was expecting it to be a bit slow, maybe tedious, after all some reviews calling it literary dystopian made me a little hesitant. I needn't have worried. This book flowed just fine and read like a mix between a YA and an adult dystopian. Seriously, I think it could be classified as either. Lynn (short for Gwendolynn) lives in the Yukon wilderness with her family, some years after an apocalypse has ruined most of the world. Her father died before they left Alaska and they live a very rustic life, staying off the grid and living a subsistence lifestyle. Everything changes though when Lynn comes across a stranger in the woods, and invites him back to their home for a meal. 

First of all, I couldn't believe she did that. As you can imagine that's a pretty foolhardy thing to do, given the nature of the world at this point. But we wouldn't have a story if she hadn't! It turns out the stranger, Jax, is on the run from people who will do anything to catch him- and the reasons why have to do with the flu pandemic that devastated the world after the nuclear apocalypse. Needles to say her family are not happy about this turn of events, but they all have to come together when the proverbial you know what hits the fan. 

Like I said earlier, I thought this was going to be a more literary read but as it progressed it felt more like a YA to me. That's not a criticism though, I liked this book a lot. It's a standalone, so there's no cliffhanger or continuing story, which I liked. Lynn though I had a hard time with at times, just because she's so impulsive and makes very bad decisions. But at the same time I liked her. I also liked her family, especially her uncle Jeryl, who kind of takes care of everyone since her father's death. The story starts out as a fairly plausible dystopian, but as it progresses it does get perhaps a little less realistic? I can't say more without spoilers, but I will say in spite of that I highly recommend this one. The intensity and action really pick up towards the end too, and I liked the choices they had to make. All in all this is a book I took a chance on, and I'm so glad I did. 

FURTHER DISCUSSION/ SPOILERS

A couple of further thoughts. First of all- Lynn. The fact that she invited Jax back to their home floored me- I was like really? She seemed so grounded and realistic up to that point- clearly strangers are a threat- and also her constant desire to leave, and see the world. I mean as a twenty-three year old I get that, she's stuck in a very primitive lifestyle and wants to get out- but the world is wrecked and it's not like she can just go to college or go see the world, you know? So I found that a little iffy. And the fact that her personal history dovetails with Jax' later in the story- her dad's involvement with Immunity- seemed farfetched. I mean, what are the odds? 

In spite of these things though it still worked for me. I loved the imagery, the sense of place- deep in the wilderness, where snow and the cold and even the loneliness are the enemy. I liked the ambiguity of Braylen as well- whose side is she on? She dies trying to save Lynn, and her advice for Lynn to go to Vancouver and seek out someone she doesn't know- can Lynn really trust her? That's up to the reader to decide. I liked Jeryl too, although the way his story ended- I was not a fan. But overall, this was a great read.