Hey guys, and happy Thursday! Today I am super excited to be sharing with you a 5* book review, as part of a blogger's blitz to celebrate the publication of Tyrell Johnson's brilliant book The Wolves of Winter! I was so thrilled to get the chance to read this book and hopefully this review will inspire you to go grab a copy before the Christmas holiday! The Wolves of Winter is a dark, gritty and gorgeously written story about Lynn McBride and her family, who after the Asian flu hit America escaped to Yukon, where there is not much to see except snow. At least it's safe. That's what Lynn thought anyway, except now they're not the only ones there anymore. And soon everything in Lynn's world is torn apart, as she finds out the truth about her life before the Yukon.
Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...
Forget the old days. Forget summer. Forget warmth. Forget anything that doesn’t help you survive.
Lynn McBride has learned much since society collapsed in the face of nuclear war and the relentless spread of disease. As memories of her old life haunt her, she has been forced to forge ahead in the snow-covered Canadian Yukon, learning how to hunt and trap to survive.
But her fragile existence is about to be shattered. Shadows of the world before have found her tiny community—most prominently in the enigmatic figure of Jax, who sets in motion a chain of events that will force Lynn to fulfill a destiny she never imagined.
I adored this book from start to finish - it is hands down one of the most evocative and viscerally-descriptive books I have read. Right from the very first page I was hooked. The backdrop of intense cold and isolation was the perfect pairing to the story, and I hung onto every word. I was totally swept inside this world and, although I read it tucked into my warm bed with a hot chocolate, I could almost feel the cold, and see Lynn's world right before my eyes.
It must be tough to create a world so isolated and barren, and make it interesting enough to shape a whole novel, but Johnson accomplished this with flawless mastery. I thought the characters were all brilliant and their dynamics so interesting to read about. I particularly loved Jax (cause obviously) and Wolf (cause even more obviously), and I thought Lynn and Jax's connection was so complex and spirited. Lynn is a brilliant protagonist and is fantastically written, freely talking about her desires and fears and wishes for how her life could be different. I was rooting for her the whole way through, and think she is a fantastic depiction of an unapologetically strong female character.
The Wolves of Winter furiously disregards previous apocalyptic YA tropes and embraces a narrative that is a lot darker, and dare I say more realistic than any story we have seen before. This novel is full of grit and blood and perhaps the rawest of human capabilities, but it is also quietly hopeful, and that is perhaps what is most special about this book.
Make sure you guys check out the rest of the reviews as part of the blogger blitz!
Also, keep an eye out for my interview with Tyrell Johnson coming very soon...
Buy The Wolves of Winter here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolves-Winter-Tyrell-Johnson/dp/0008210136/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543439933&sr=8-1&keywords=the+wolves+of+winter
Check out Tyrell Johnson here: https://www.tyrelljohnsonauthor.com
Until next time :)