Pacing is off. Story is flat. ( )

Time for a re-read. And it STILL gets 5 stars.

This was a fantastic book and the best book that I've read in awhile-one of those that you don't put down until finished and where you've got this excited feeling in the middle of your chest.
Written in the first person by a 15-yr old, it has a maturity that is not common in today's youth, but nevertheless believable.
While I consider it to be a self-contained story, by the end of the book, there are indications that it could be the 1st in a series. I really, really, hope so because Bryn's voice and story have the potential to become an awesome UF series.
Many female protagonists in today's UF series really irritate me. Despite her age, Bryn displays a maturity, clear and intelligent thought process and subtle, but very clear bad-assedness that a lot of other UF protagonists lack. She is sarcastic, knows her own mind, and her actions remain true to her character throughout the book.
In a glut of UF books that are starting to seem cookie-cutter, this book is a welcome (and VERY good) breath of fresh air.
( )

I read Raised by Wolves in one sitting, completely absorbed by the novel. Something about Bryn called to me and made me want to know that things work out for her. That she finds what she is looking for. Does she have a bad life? Not really. Its maybe not a normal life, nor a particularly safe one at times, but overall she is cared for and loved, has people who will protect her and fight for her. A best friend who dotes on her, a foster mother who adores her and a guardian that looks out for her.

Its possible that if Chase had not shown up Bryn's life wouldn't have changed. Other than a certain restlessness, she doesn't feel an impetus to leave the Pack or truly buck Callum's authority. Maybe this would have changed as she had gotten older, and the ending suggests that the outcome was inevitable, but possibly it would have gone over better. Been less messy as they say.

Bryn makes mistakes, and isn't afraid to ask for help, or to go against the grain and risk everything for something she believes in. She isn't Miss All Powerful, in a pack of werewolves she barely is as powerful as a toddler quite frankly, but she's clever. She sees loopholes and works them to her advantage. This leads to problems between herself and Callum, or one of the others in charge, but that doesn't stop her. I liked that about her. I liked that she understood all the risks, but didn't let that faze her. She was strong, and resourceful and resilient.

Chase was intriguing. He didn't quite act like what Bryn had expected, and thus nothing like what I was expecting from her descriptions of newly made weres, but sometimes it was obvious. The way he stressed a word or the way his eyes followed Bryn. As pieces of what happened to him and pieces of Bryn's past converged, the comfortableness that seemed to be between them almost from the first meeting only intensified. I wonder if Callum understood that completely. It was a little frustrating just having things from Bryn's point of view; I wanted to understand Callum better, beyond what Bryn theorized and he let out.

Sometimes he terrified me and sometimes I was envious of Bryn for having such a protector. Right or wrong, justified or otherwise, Callum always had Bryn's well-being and safety foremost in his actions. And it saddened me that such a thing had to shatter. Almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy--Callum did what he did, said what he said to protect Bryn and keep her close, but by doing so he drove her away.

The book, in a word, was enthralling and I look forward to reading more of Barnes' novels! ( )

Fabulous ( )

I was recommended this on amazon and i seen it in the library so i thought id give it a whirl as it were.

First off if you like sarcasm or good come backs this will catch your attention for the first part of the book its full of bryn being herself and its great but that goes when you go further into the book which is sad.
I found this book very predictable. It was like i had a knack of seeing it coming. But all the same the book was interesting and well worth the read

i did find the story line starting to drag on a bit to much at times but i read on and it picked up again. But overall it was a good read. ( )