Book Review: Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Image courtesy of jodipicoult.com

The format of this book made it a very easy read. Each “chapter” symbolized a change in P.O.V. The name of the character who was speaking was the title of the chapter. And, for something new, each character had his/her own type font. I must add that this was an ARC (advanced reading copy) so if this format was changed in the final print edition I am unaware of it. I liked this format and made the story much easier to follow.

This being said, there is no main character. Luke is a divorced father of two who left his family to live with a pack of wolves. Throughout the story he compares the life of a wolf pack with the life of a family – not his, but the similarities were hard to miss. His narrative throughout the story informs the reader about the life of wolves. It was informative and interesting. I would never read a story about wolves but Jodi Picoult’s method of weaving fact with fiction is brilliantly done.

Luke is in a coma after a car accident. His long lost son returns after a 6-year absence to be by his side. As his only next of kin who is over the age of majority, he must decide his father’s future. Edward’s younger sister Cara has been living with her father and is angry at her brother for coming back and taking over, as well as angry that he left in the first place. She is not quite 18 and therefore cannot be the decision maker for her father’s welfare. As she recovers from the same accident she struggles with the return of her long-absent brother, her father’s future, and her own feelings of guilt. Will she resolve the conflict she has with her brother? Will guilt get the best of either brother or sister? Or Luke? And Georgie (Cara and Edward’s mother), where her loyalties lie?

This story is about family. We know we can’t choose our family members but some, like Edward, will leave hoping to never look back living their lives as a Lone Wolf. But if given the chance, we will learn that we can never forget who our family is, that they made us who we are. And love for family never really goes away.

You can purchase this and other books here: http://astore.amazon.ca/headwritguil-20