Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me

by Kristen Chandler

Two teenagers become close as the citizens of their town fight over the packs of wolves that have been reintroduced into the nearby Yellowstone National Park.

• ISBN10: 0670011428
• ISBN13: 9780670011421
• Publish Date: 13 May 2010
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Viking Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[jeannamichel]

I set out expecting to love this book. Unfortunately, that's not what happened.

I adored the small town vibes. Since I am also from a small town, Chandler truly captures the essence of one with everyone knowing everyone else's business, waving to each other on the street, etc. Also being a farmer, I could definitely relate to the rancher's perspective of the wolves but also see the wildlife preservation POV. This book explores two sides of a major debate about wolves: should the wolves be allowed to stay in Yellowstone. Chandler makes the argument and readers get to see both sides clearly.

However, I wasn't expecting the book to be so heavy in the wolf debate. I was expecting much more boy drama than there was. And even though Chandler gets us deep in the discussion of protecting the wolves, the characters felt rather flat. The brief romance was also understated and rather strange. If I had read this book in high school, I think I would have liked it much better. Now, I didn't really connect to anyone-- and while the topic was interesting, it wasn't enough for me to really love the book.

[sstaley]

Great characters, good story, interesting subject material...I loved it! It also was fun for me to know
the area that the book took place in. We went to Yellowstone National Park every summer. When a certain
area of the park was mentioned I could see it in my mind.

KJ is a character that I liked from the start. I highly recommend this book to teens and adults. I will read this one again.