Rating: 54% | ★ Warnings: + Violence + Self-Harm (for magical purposes) Synopsis (from Goodreads): As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose-to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he'll return the world's captured gods. Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can't control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can't hurt those she loves. Again. But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn't learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood-and her world-whole. Spoiler-Free Review: I desperately wanted to like this book. I did. Other reviewers raved about it online and persuaded me to request an advance copy of For the Wolf (thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books, for providing me with an ARC), which ended up languishing on my Kindle app for a month before I finally gave in. This book contains everything that usually attracts me: a romance that shouldn't work, a dark fairytale retelling, a vaguely historical setting. But it left much to be desired, in its plot, its writing, and its world building. My biggest issue is the world building. Whitten throws her reader in the deep end with For the Wolf's complicated world, which not only involves a complex magic system but also a complex political system. My head is still spinning from trying to untangle the intricacies of the Wilderwood. Whitten's writing style also adds to the confusion; the dual point of view between Red and Neve blurs the focus of the story and expands the novel's world to the point of bursting. I also didn't find the characters outside the Wilderwood particularly compelling. Neve appears rather two-dimensional throughout her entire quest, and the actions of those outside the Wilderwood are frustratingly predictable. I would have preferred the entire story to be focused on Red and the Wolf. Finally, the ending was far too clean for me. Had the ending been a little more ambiguous (or had I liked Neve more), I would have seriously considered picking up the next book upon its release. However, Whitten neatly ended this novel, and I don't find the state of affairs as they currently stand to be compelling enough for me to continue the series. That being said, I know some other readers absolutely adore For the Wolf, and I encourage everyone to give it a try. (Click "Read More" for spoilers.) Plot (15/30)
Beginning (4/10), Middle (5/10), End (6/10) The good: the book's improvement over the course of the plot. The bad: its consistently low scores. I very nearly quit For the Wolf about halfway through its first chapter. Whitten chucks complicated fantasy world building details at her reader from the very start, which does not make for a comfortable beginning to the story. Even without the world building, the beginning limps along; it takes Red a few chapters to actually enter the Wilderwood, to meet Eammon, to bond with Eammon, and to learn the Wilderwood's needs. The urge to constantly put the book down didn't subside until after Red and Eammon's marriage (call me a bleeding romantic, but I'm just being honest). From that point onwards, everything runs a little more smoothly and Red finally and fully comes into her own in terms of what she can do with the forest. But it's the ending—the messy, confusing, full-of-unnecessary-events ending—that kicks the novel's tempo up into the speed at which it needs to be. Never mind the underdeveloped Neve-and-Kiri plot or Red's brief sojourn back to her sister; this was the only act of the book for which I was fully paying attention. It's still bogged down by the heavy weight of a world that doesn't fully make sense and a plot that seems to run in circles, but it's more exciting than anything that comes before it. Characters (20/30) Development (10/15) and Lure (10/15) This is the strongest part of the novel. The ten points come completely from the development of the characters within the Wilderwood; the five point deduction comes from the lack of/middling development Neve has. While I don't think Red develops much as a character over the course of the novel—she enters and exits the Wilderwood the same brave, determined individual—I think that her character is well thought-out and developed. In essence, Red as a concept is better than Red as a dynamic character, but both versions are commendable. Eammon, however, is not only an alluring character but also a greatly dynamic one, shifting from self-sacrificing and guilty to protective and strong. I was most irritated by Neve's half-hearted character development. The Valleydan Interludes are by far my least favorite parts of the novel, not helped by the fact that Neve insists on following what is clearly a villain in the form of Kiri. Neve does not exist as a character beyond her determination to save Red, and while that in and of itself is admirable, it does not make up for her being a flat character. Neve's lack of development is also the strongest reason why I will not be reading the second book when it is released. Writing (10/20) Descriptions (3/5), Flow (3/5), and World Building (4/10) Whitten is clearly someone who knows how to write well. It's evident in her extensive detailing of the Wilderwood. But after reading chapter after chapter of descriptions of leaves, branches, and trees, it's hard not to feel your eyes glazing over. For all of her attention to botanical details, the characters and their emotions are disappointingly hollow. The novel's flow is also frustrating. The biggest culprit is the Valleydan Interludes, which blurs the focus of the story and jolts the reader out of the Wilderwood's happenings. The interludes don't add much to the story; in fact, if they were removed altogether, I think the story would still be cohesive—especially considering that Kiri is all but gone by the end of the novel. The world building in For the Wolf is . . . complicated. And frustrating. Those are the only two words I can use. The political landscape is as confusing as the magical, physical landscape of the Wilderwood, and there are few expository crutches for the readers to use. It took me twice as long to read this book as I took with other, comparable books; much of that extra time was spent rereading passages describing either the magical or political systems. Even now, I'm not sure I could pass a standard exit ticket quiz on the world of For the Wolf. Closure/Set-Up (9/20) Logic (4/10) and Lure (5/10) As I mentioned before, I won't be reading the second book. For me, this novel could have been a standalone. Red and Eammon are together and the Wilderwood is more or less healed—is there much left to discuss? Moreover, the ending is incredibly messy, from Solomir's sudden reveal to the confusing breach in the Wilderwood to Eammon's transformation into the Wilderwood. It simply doesn't make sense to me, and consequently, in regards to logic, I cannot rate it higher. The lure of the ending is more divisive. I, having little to no connection with Neve, don't find the next book compelling at all. But for another reader, someone who is more enshrined and fascinated by Red's world, the ending proposes a perfectly tantalizing second book.
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