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Wolfpack
This shocking, suspenseful novel about a group of teenage girls living in a cult reveals the terrifying paranoia and suspicion that emerges when one of them goes missing– perfect for fans of We Were Liars.
Nine girls bound together
in beautiful, virtuous Havenwood,
a refuge from an unsafe world.
Then there are eight
one of them gone —
departed with no warning.
Did this member of their pack
stray willingly,
or did something more sinister occur?
The girls seek answers
not knowing if they should be angry
or frightened
or perhaps,
they should be both.
Nine girls bound together
in beautiful, virtuous Havenwood,
a refuge from an unsafe world.
Then there are eight
one of them gone —
departed with no warning.
Did this member of their pack
stray willingly,
or did something more sinister occur?
The girls seek answers
not knowing if they should be angry
or frightened
or perhaps,
they should be both.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2023
19 people are currently reading
3981 people want to read
About the author
Amelia Brunskill
3 books135 followersAmelia Brunskill grew up mostly in Washington state where she picked a lot of blackberries, read a lot of books, and failed to properly appreciate the epic beauty of the mountains and the Pacific ocean.
She now lives in the Midwest where she eats as much Thai food as possible and hangs out with her dog.
She now lives in the Midwest where she eats as much Thai food as possible and hangs out with her dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
August 29, 2023
It felt so good to be in a verse novel again. Funny thing is the format used to terrify me, but now serves as one of my favorite examples of word magic. The power and wonder of words are on full display!
Wolfpack by Amelia Brunskill is a tightly wound mystery. One that unfolds in a sheltered, religious cult living in the woods. Nine girls (Daisy, Fern, Ivy, Rose, Laurel, Oleanna, Poppy, Violet, and Willow) work, live, and move together as a pack within the larger group. They know everything about each other. Or do they? When one of them goes missing, the girls soon realize they might not know each other at all. As they quietly search for the truth, secrets soon surface that alter the girls’ view of each other and their community forever.
“we miss her, but also we miss
the people
the group
we were when she was here.”
Brunskill paints a chilling portrait of a group that has been cut off from society for a long time. Individuals lost in grief, pain, or addiction find their way to this off the grid community in search of help and peace. But the quick, matter-of-fact references to guns, scars, betrayals, and punishments both shock and perhaps reveal just how creepy and manipulative the cult as a whole and the girls themselves could be.
The silence is what got me! Days tick by without anyone even asking about Rose, the missing girl. Voices taught or forced to keep silent hold such weight. I could feel the tension and fear in the air around the unsaid words. Clues and suspects begin to pile up and point in all sort of directions. Does their charismatic leader know what happened? Did one of his chosen successors hurt her? Or maybe an outsider has taken Rose from them? Pictures, missing knives, memories, and more! The tension and creepiness quietly build. Someone knows the truth and these girls are determined to find it.
“Someone tried to hurt the community
someone is going to be made to pay.
We are angry.
We are excited.
We are sickened.
We are thrilled.”
The writing is stunning. Little, descriptive lines like “the woods fold her into their darkness” or “the sky kitten gray” set the stage perfectly. From the surrounding woods to the changing weather! It all highlights the uncertainty and aloneness of the girls and the darkness and danger of the group. The characters could have been fleshed out more, but as a whole—the nine girls together were a force on the page.
A strong, creepy read that will keep you guessing until the end.
Recommended read.
March 13, 2023
I love books written in free verse and this one is no different. About 9 girls who live in a cult and who have bonded. Tight knit until one of them go missing. Each girls name is a plant and I just loved that so much. The mystery and intrigue of this novel were so well done. I loved every minute of it!
May 4, 2023
"While we are girls, we are also wolves."
I'm fast becoming a fan of novels in verse. That being said, I enjoyed the gorgeous language of the story and of each point of view. There was a deep layer that gets peeled back with every chapter and watching it unfold was mesmerizing. The mystery of Rose's disappearance comes in the form of hints trickled in the chapters like breadcrumbs; it kept my mind wondering why she left and what happened to her.
I can't really say this was a happy, hopeful book. Instead, I will say it's a visceral, merciless book. The ending shocked me to no end.
Overall, I did enjoy this one. Thank you NOVL and Little Brown for Young Readers for the arc.
I'm fast becoming a fan of novels in verse. That being said, I enjoyed the gorgeous language of the story and of each point of view. There was a deep layer that gets peeled back with every chapter and watching it unfold was mesmerizing. The mystery of Rose's disappearance comes in the form of hints trickled in the chapters like breadcrumbs; it kept my mind wondering why she left and what happened to her.
I can't really say this was a happy, hopeful book. Instead, I will say it's a visceral, merciless book. The ending shocked me to no end.
Overall, I did enjoy this one. Thank you NOVL and Little Brown for Young Readers for the arc.
July 4, 2023
2.5 🌟
I liked that it’s free verse and there was a smooth flow of words but that’s all that I did like. I couldn’t find myself getting emotionally invested in the lives of the characters, nor could I really connect or empathise with them.
I chose this book for my book club’s summer prompt “a book you judged by its cover” for it certainly does have an interesting cover
I liked that it’s free verse and there was a smooth flow of words but that’s all that I did like. I couldn’t find myself getting emotionally invested in the lives of the characters, nor could I really connect or empathise with them.
I chose this book for my book club’s summer prompt “a book you judged by its cover” for it certainly does have an interesting cover
July 25, 2024
if there’s one thing i’m gonna eat up it’s a book about cults
June 2, 2023
WOLFPACK is a consuming novel in verse. The book follows 9 girls, who live in Havenwood, by their unique rules. Since a particularly troubling episode when they were younger, they all stick together in a separate cabin which locks. However, one of the girls has gone missing, and as the others band together, they also wonder what happened to their friend and whether she may have left of her own free will. The end reveals the shocking truths that lead to their own actions.
What I loved: The writing style was expertly selected and employed in this book to provide all the context and information in a really visceral and emotional way. The style made the girls' feelings seem more raw and intense as the reader travels through the group in terms of perspectives. Their curiosity, pain, and anger really came through the scenes where it applied.
The cult-like setting of Havenwood was interesting as a backdrop. While the rules were not all laid out, it did seem to follow the formulas that other cults do, such as estrangement from the outside world (one of the girls is tasked with sorting and opening the mail to cult members, which will never be delivered), girls stopping education early and never being considered for leadership positions, control over relationships, and other things along those lines. These elements, while background to the mystery of what happened to their friend, were fascinating and gave it a heavier feel, knowing all the secrets and lies that are kept and told.
While there were definitely some elements of the ending that I had guessed, it still managed to shock me, and the way it unfolded was particularly potent and evocative.
What left me wanting more: The girls all felt rather the same, as there was not a style or descriptive change that occurred from one perspective to another, and the only differentiating factor was the label of whose it was. This may have actually been intentional to set them up as a cohesive set/group with almost a hivemind. In practice, it did make it easier to read, as the reader did not need to be bothered so much with who was who - the standouts that differentiated themselves were made clear.
Final verdict: WOLFPACK is a visceral and evocative novel in verse that captivated me from start to shocking end. Recommend for fans of THE PROJECT and I AM MARGARET MOORE.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
What I loved: The writing style was expertly selected and employed in this book to provide all the context and information in a really visceral and emotional way. The style made the girls' feelings seem more raw and intense as the reader travels through the group in terms of perspectives. Their curiosity, pain, and anger really came through the scenes where it applied.
The cult-like setting of Havenwood was interesting as a backdrop. While the rules were not all laid out, it did seem to follow the formulas that other cults do, such as estrangement from the outside world (one of the girls is tasked with sorting and opening the mail to cult members, which will never be delivered), girls stopping education early and never being considered for leadership positions, control over relationships, and other things along those lines. These elements, while background to the mystery of what happened to their friend, were fascinating and gave it a heavier feel, knowing all the secrets and lies that are kept and told.
While there were definitely some elements of the ending that I had guessed, it still managed to shock me, and the way it unfolded was particularly potent and evocative.
What left me wanting more: The girls all felt rather the same, as there was not a style or descriptive change that occurred from one perspective to another, and the only differentiating factor was the label of whose it was. This may have actually been intentional to set them up as a cohesive set/group with almost a hivemind. In practice, it did make it easier to read, as the reader did not need to be bothered so much with who was who - the standouts that differentiated themselves were made clear.
Final verdict: WOLFPACK is a visceral and evocative novel in verse that captivated me from start to shocking end. Recommend for fans of THE PROJECT and I AM MARGARET MOORE.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
April 11, 2023
2.5
I typically avoid books in verse, and books about cults. So tell me why tf I picked up this book in verse about a cult expecting ANYTHING to be for me...
It was the cover. And of course the idea that a girl went missing from the cult!
But this book is about a group of 9 girls within a cult, and other than the missing girl, I think they all have their own POV? And I say I think because they all have very similar names and every single POV felt like it was from the same exact person.
Idk, I just can't bring myself to care
There was a good reveal, not about the missing girl, but about something else in their lives, but a lot of the reveals were kind of important and hit with NO feeling... it is just an odd book and I guess I don't care that I wasted an hour reading it but like I could have been playing candy crush soda saga so
I typically avoid books in verse, and books about cults. So tell me why tf I picked up this book in verse about a cult expecting ANYTHING to be for me...
It was the cover. And of course the idea that a girl went missing from the cult!
But this book is about a group of 9 girls within a cult, and other than the missing girl, I think they all have their own POV? And I say I think because they all have very similar names and every single POV felt like it was from the same exact person.
Idk, I just can't bring myself to care
There was a good reveal, not about the missing girl, but about something else in their lives, but a lot of the reveals were kind of important and hit with NO feeling... it is just an odd book and I guess I don't care that I wasted an hour reading it but like I could have been playing candy crush soda saga so
October 4, 2023
Part story, part poetry. Wolfpack tells a story of young women living in a religious group but within that group they've created a toxic pack. At times it reminded me of Yellowjackets.
August 9, 2023
When I picked this up, I didn’t expect to be finished within hours. I feel like I hear the word cult from a synopsis and I immediately need to pick it up. There is something about a cult that just draws me in, to the point that I think it a sexy leader tried to bring me in with his charm I’d probably be an easy mark.😅
Wolfpack is about a tight-knit group of 9 girls who live under one roof and do everything together. They are so attached that when one of them goes missing, it’s almost like a limb has been removed. They need to know why… so they decide to figure that out themselves.
Like most, if not all, cult fiction that I’ve read, the women have no power. They are cut off from the world, their education is cut off at an early age, and any form of relationship has to be chosen by a leader to be okayed. Their lives and paths are chosen for them… so when one does something she’s not supposed to, what will happen to her?
We learn quickly what happens to a decenter. When money is found in the bag of one of the men in camp that was not his, his punishment is chosen and enacted swiftly. Each person within the community is given stones…. and he is killed. We don’t get the full vivid picture, but it’s drawn out enough to know what happens.
I think this was such a quick read before it’s written in free verse. The pages are shorter, but almost lyrical. We get violence and intimidation, but in a beautiful way. 😂
The one negative I have is that I am not a huge fan of more than dual or triple POV, because I get confused by really large casts of POV characters. Had we been able to read as only 2 or 3 of the girls, my rating would have been higher.
3.5⭐️
Wolfpack is about a tight-knit group of 9 girls who live under one roof and do everything together. They are so attached that when one of them goes missing, it’s almost like a limb has been removed. They need to know why… so they decide to figure that out themselves.
Like most, if not all, cult fiction that I’ve read, the women have no power. They are cut off from the world, their education is cut off at an early age, and any form of relationship has to be chosen by a leader to be okayed. Their lives and paths are chosen for them… so when one does something she’s not supposed to, what will happen to her?
We learn quickly what happens to a decenter. When money is found in the bag of one of the men in camp that was not his, his punishment is chosen and enacted swiftly. Each person within the community is given stones…. and he is killed. We don’t get the full vivid picture, but it’s drawn out enough to know what happens.
I think this was such a quick read before it’s written in free verse. The pages are shorter, but almost lyrical. We get violence and intimidation, but in a beautiful way. 😂
The one negative I have is that I am not a huge fan of more than dual or triple POV, because I get confused by really large casts of POV characters. Had we been able to read as only 2 or 3 of the girls, my rating would have been higher.
3.5⭐️
August 4, 2023
A verse novel with "wolf" in the title about a cult? Literally made for me. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. There were too many characters, the world building was nonexistent, and it was sooo. slooooow. It took me 2 months to finish, and it's not even 300 pages. Very bummed.
November 26, 2024
to have randomly picked this off the shelf at the library and then i saw dana mele rated it 5 stars yup yup yup i knew this was gonna be good. normally hate books using this format of writing, but i was instantly pulled in and loved the intrigue. the reveal felt well paced and thought just the right amount of info was shared throughout the story
April 19, 2023
Review to come
May 17, 2023
I received an ebook ARC copy from NetGalley.
In lyrical verse, Amelia Brunskill gives readers inside the very tightknit group of nine girls inside Havenwood, a closed off community with strict rules that must be followed or one is cast out or worse. To these girls though, it is home and it is safe.
Then one of their own goes missing and they must untangle secrets to find out where she went and why.
The writing is beautiful and the story is so engaging. There is a mystery that you are trying to solve right along with the girls. While Havenwood could definitely be labeled a cult, it is truly a credit to the author that she was able to make the characters relatable and also make readers understand why the members of the community would stay and find comfort in Havenwood.
I will be talking about and recommending this book to everyone who is about 14 and up. This makes a good recommendation because while sex is mentioned, it does not happen on page and it is more referenced as something that happened.
I literally cannot say enough good things about this book.
In lyrical verse, Amelia Brunskill gives readers inside the very tightknit group of nine girls inside Havenwood, a closed off community with strict rules that must be followed or one is cast out or worse. To these girls though, it is home and it is safe.
Then one of their own goes missing and they must untangle secrets to find out where she went and why.
The writing is beautiful and the story is so engaging. There is a mystery that you are trying to solve right along with the girls. While Havenwood could definitely be labeled a cult, it is truly a credit to the author that she was able to make the characters relatable and also make readers understand why the members of the community would stay and find comfort in Havenwood.
I will be talking about and recommending this book to everyone who is about 14 and up. This makes a good recommendation because while sex is mentioned, it does not happen on page and it is more referenced as something that happened.
I literally cannot say enough good things about this book.
May 18, 2023
Told in verse, this novel tells the story of 9 girls In a commune-type situation when one girl goes missing. None of the characters are fleshed out, so it's hard to keep track of who was talking or really get attached to any of them. And no one really talks about their culture, which is what I was interested in. Nothing much happens, other than the mystery being solved in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2023
“For we’ve learned something about ourselves, something we should have realized long ago: that while we are girls we are also wolves.”
A propulsive novel written in verse focusing on nine teen girls who live in an isolated, restrictive community in the woods. One of the nine goes missing. What I loved most about this story is how it leans into many conventional tropes: girls trapped in a cult with a messianic leader, a leader prone to violence and a secretive, forbidden romance that may or may not have been consensual. It leans into those tropes and then like a grenade with the pin pulled sends all the pieces into unexpected places. I will not spoil this for you. You deserve to read it for yourself. If you are a fan of We Were Liars, you’ll find much to like. If you didn’t like We Were Liars, this is the experience those fans wanted for you. If you loved the Grace Year or the Year of the Witching and would be willing to enjoy them without the fantasy, you’ll love this one. If you live for Courtney Summers capacity for writing the complexities of relationships between young women and their communities: especially Sadie, I’m the Girl and the Project this should already be on your tbr. If you are a teen librarian or high school ELA teacher you’ll want multiple copies of this one. (check CW depending on the school climate). The friends in your class who adore realistic young women dealing with complex decisions in complicated situations will absolutely devour this one.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this title.
A propulsive novel written in verse focusing on nine teen girls who live in an isolated, restrictive community in the woods. One of the nine goes missing. What I loved most about this story is how it leans into many conventional tropes: girls trapped in a cult with a messianic leader, a leader prone to violence and a secretive, forbidden romance that may or may not have been consensual. It leans into those tropes and then like a grenade with the pin pulled sends all the pieces into unexpected places. I will not spoil this for you. You deserve to read it for yourself. If you are a fan of We Were Liars, you’ll find much to like. If you didn’t like We Were Liars, this is the experience those fans wanted for you. If you loved the Grace Year or the Year of the Witching and would be willing to enjoy them without the fantasy, you’ll love this one. If you live for Courtney Summers capacity for writing the complexities of relationships between young women and their communities: especially Sadie, I’m the Girl and the Project this should already be on your tbr. If you are a teen librarian or high school ELA teacher you’ll want multiple copies of this one. (check CW depending on the school climate). The friends in your class who adore realistic young women dealing with complex decisions in complicated situations will absolutely devour this one.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this title.
February 1, 2024
holy fucking shit.
June 11, 2023
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: cult, referenced sexual assault, implied murder of animals including a dog, dementia, knife violence, stoning
3.5
I've never been much a novel-in-verse reader, but I do think a lot of the reason why is because I'm not a big fan of the types of stories they tend to tell. There's nothing wrong with the emotional, usually depressing, coming of age stories they usually follow, but very rarely do they do anything more as a reader. So I'm always intrigued when I find a novel-in-verse that does something different- like Wolfpack, a mystery story taking place in a cult.
Surprisingly, this story has really good layers. My other big complaints with NIVs is that they tend to be more focused on the feeling than on a strong plot, so you get one string to follow and the rest of empty air. But this is a story with multiple girls narrating it, in a strange place with rules we never fully learn, and their individual stories and the future of the cult are actually pretty riveting. The mystery is center stage, but it's supported by actually fleshed out characters and issues.
The mystery, too, felt paced well. You get more new information slowly enough that it feels organic, and yet quickly enough to keep things moving. You learn about not just what happened here, but who Rose herself is, via blank space and threats, teased open in the middle of everything else.
However, after hearing that this was cult-based, I was expecting more of an atmosphere. There is some creepiness, and a sense of danger, but I wanted more from the cult setting.
I also found myself unsatisfied with the ending. Though the crux of the story ends well, it feels like bringing it past that point was making way for a reckoning, and there isn't really one.
TW: cult, referenced sexual assault, implied murder of animals including a dog, dementia, knife violence, stoning
3.5
I've never been much a novel-in-verse reader, but I do think a lot of the reason why is because I'm not a big fan of the types of stories they tend to tell. There's nothing wrong with the emotional, usually depressing, coming of age stories they usually follow, but very rarely do they do anything more as a reader. So I'm always intrigued when I find a novel-in-verse that does something different- like Wolfpack, a mystery story taking place in a cult.
Surprisingly, this story has really good layers. My other big complaints with NIVs is that they tend to be more focused on the feeling than on a strong plot, so you get one string to follow and the rest of empty air. But this is a story with multiple girls narrating it, in a strange place with rules we never fully learn, and their individual stories and the future of the cult are actually pretty riveting. The mystery is center stage, but it's supported by actually fleshed out characters and issues.
The mystery, too, felt paced well. You get more new information slowly enough that it feels organic, and yet quickly enough to keep things moving. You learn about not just what happened here, but who Rose herself is, via blank space and threats, teased open in the middle of everything else.
However, after hearing that this was cult-based, I was expecting more of an atmosphere. There is some creepiness, and a sense of danger, but I wanted more from the cult setting.
I also found myself unsatisfied with the ending. Though the crux of the story ends well, it feels like bringing it past that point was making way for a reckoning, and there isn't really one.
April 22, 2023
3.5 Stars
This book is a quick read, and I think that's to its benefit. Because it doesn't really offer much new to cult stories. These girls are enthralled in it. They grew up in this cult environment, and they're all to varying degrees indoctrinated. And of course, something happens to one of them, and the dark layers of their existence get peeled back one by one. I think it was decently written, at least, though I was once again not quite sure why poetry was employed here. Did it make the story more effective? Not that I could see. But maybe I just don't like poetry.
Anyway, my full review will be available May 26, 2023 at Gateway Reviews.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley and Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
This book is a quick read, and I think that's to its benefit. Because it doesn't really offer much new to cult stories. These girls are enthralled in it. They grew up in this cult environment, and they're all to varying degrees indoctrinated. And of course, something happens to one of them, and the dark layers of their existence get peeled back one by one. I think it was decently written, at least, though I was once again not quite sure why poetry was employed here. Did it make the story more effective? Not that I could see. But maybe I just don't like poetry.
Anyway, my full review will be available May 26, 2023 at Gateway Reviews.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley and Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
June 29, 2023
I picked this up on a whim and it didn't disappoint.
Told in prose, this is the story of a group of girls living in a cult. They have to solve the mystery of their friend's disappearance, leading them to uncover secrets about everything they've ever known.
Honestly, I found this story very easy and engaging. But, the topics that it covers are hard to read, tough to process, and can definitely be triggering. However, my listing them can cause spoilers, so just go into this very mindfully and protect yourself.
I didn't see the ending coming until about 80% of the way through, and by then, I wanted to know what was going to happen. I wasn't surprised by what they did, but it was something that still shocked me at how it was worded.
Told in prose, this is the story of a group of girls living in a cult. They have to solve the mystery of their friend's disappearance, leading them to uncover secrets about everything they've ever known.
Honestly, I found this story very easy and engaging. But, the topics that it covers are hard to read, tough to process, and can definitely be triggering. However, my listing them can cause spoilers, so just go into this very mindfully and protect yourself.
I didn't see the ending coming until about 80% of the way through, and by then, I wanted to know what was going to happen. I wasn't surprised by what they did, but it was something that still shocked me at how it was worded.
May 22, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this novel, however all thoughts and opinions are my own
I officially love novels in verse and this was no exception. I read the entirety of this in one sitting. To be fair, I wasn’t feeling well, so reading was about the only thing I could do, but normally I still wouldn’t read the entirety of a book in one sitting. I would take breaks and switch to a different one for awhile, but once I started this I just had to see where it was going.
All nine of the girls have flower names, which I love, but also made them difficult to tell apart at times. Even by the end, I would have been hard-pressed to tell you which girl did what job in the community, but it didn’t really bother me while I was reading. I know some readers will lament that each girl didn’t have a more unique voice, but for me the story flowed so well and felt cohesive that it didn’t bother me. The snippets of each girl that we did see, displayed how much they care for one another and their community.
Speaking of their community, it is basically a cult, but the focus isn’t really on the morality of it. It’s not really a focus generally in the story. If you’re looking for a book that is heavy on the cult elements, I don’t think this is really going to be one for you. If it hadn’t been for the references to certain technology, I would have easily read this as a closed off community in the 1800s, and not a cult at all.
While I do read novels in verse, I don’t read a lot of mysteries, cult, or “missing girl” books. It’s hard for me to discuss whether this book did these things particularly well for readers of these genres because of it. However, I can say that I enjoyed the “twists” that were set up at various intervals throughout the book, particularly the one not actually related to the missing girl. But just generally I found this to be an interesting and compelling read.
I officially love novels in verse and this was no exception. I read the entirety of this in one sitting. To be fair, I wasn’t feeling well, so reading was about the only thing I could do, but normally I still wouldn’t read the entirety of a book in one sitting. I would take breaks and switch to a different one for awhile, but once I started this I just had to see where it was going.
All nine of the girls have flower names, which I love, but also made them difficult to tell apart at times. Even by the end, I would have been hard-pressed to tell you which girl did what job in the community, but it didn’t really bother me while I was reading. I know some readers will lament that each girl didn’t have a more unique voice, but for me the story flowed so well and felt cohesive that it didn’t bother me. The snippets of each girl that we did see, displayed how much they care for one another and their community.
Speaking of their community, it is basically a cult, but the focus isn’t really on the morality of it. It’s not really a focus generally in the story. If you’re looking for a book that is heavy on the cult elements, I don’t think this is really going to be one for you. If it hadn’t been for the references to certain technology, I would have easily read this as a closed off community in the 1800s, and not a cult at all.
While I do read novels in verse, I don’t read a lot of mysteries, cult, or “missing girl” books. It’s hard for me to discuss whether this book did these things particularly well for readers of these genres because of it. However, I can say that I enjoyed the “twists” that were set up at various intervals throughout the book, particularly the one not actually related to the missing girl. But just generally I found this to be an interesting and compelling read.
September 30, 2025
I really liked the structure of it and the plot twist was insane. I loved the story, very gripping and intriguing. At first I thought it was about girls stranded in the wilderness, but then the twist of it being a cult really helped ground the information. I loved the subplot of romance. The twist really showed just how much power cults possess over people, even those who are really close together.
June 15, 2023
The subject matter (teen girls in a cult realizing they're being lied to) wasn't anything new, and while I usually don't like reading books written in free-verse (I simply do not know the right way to read them), I still enjoyed this. The ~vibes~ were appropriately haunting and mysterious. And I always love a girl gang realizing their potential. It was also a super quick read; took me about two hours. So I do recommend if this sounds like your kinda thing!
Thank you Hachette for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Hachette for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2024
At once part of a whole, yet isolated and not quite fully individuals, the girls of Havenwood try to solve the mystery of their missing friend. The atmosphere is claustrophobic as the girls try to ascertain if there is a danger and from where it is originating. The differing points of view are interesting, yet slow the story.
September 16, 2023
A very simple read about life in a cult, and I actually really enjoyed it. It was interesting. It did have a lot of characters to follow, but it was short enough that it wasn't too overwhelming. It was just a very nice easy read, which is what I needed
July 28, 2024
This offered me Midsommar vibes and I dig it. This book may seem like a slow read as they try and find their cult member but boy does it pick up. The end was nice 👏 and satisfying.
January 14, 2026
it does not take long, it only takes forever
June 14, 2023
"While we are girls, we are also wolves."
I listened on audiobook. I wish I would have waited for the print copy though so I could have enjoyed the poetry forms.
Interesting twists!
I'm sure there is more nuance that I missed (like the meanings of the names, etc.
I listened on audiobook. I wish I would have waited for the print copy though so I could have enjoyed the poetry forms.
Interesting twists!
I'm sure there is more nuance that I missed (like the meanings of the names, etc.
June 9, 2023
After finishing Wolfpack, I can't stop thinking about Helen and Poppy and the conversation about the stones.
"I could almost imagine how it would feel to throw one."
Wolfpack was powerful and Brunskill does a masterful job from start to finish.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher, the above is my honest opinions.
"I could almost imagine how it would feel to throw one."
Wolfpack was powerful and Brunskill does a masterful job from start to finish.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher, the above is my honest opinions.
January 29, 2024
Is it a cult? A religious sect? Is it strict or is it controlling? It’s beautiful, with the poetry and the way it delicately and emotionally handles difficult topics that we see both in this book's surreal environment and in the real world to this day. It’s harrowing, too; an unraveling story of grief, fear, manipulation, and murder. This book is a horror-mystery written with a grand beauty and tenderness. It’s a philosophical tear jerker of a horror that I highly recommend.
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