![]() ![]() I responded, “I think I felt something for Betty – that the poison ivy happened fairly early on suggested to me that she was a person and not an inexorable plot device bad things do happen to her, and I was a little surprised but appreciative that the author did kill her off. Another might be allowing us to have no feeling at all for Betty…Aunt Lily is another flaw for me she’s too much of a caricature. That Toby had to die was too clear from early on I guess somehow that would be my complaint. Trying to be as critical as we could, she wrote: “Annabelle’s mix of giving in and standing up is a good mix: she’s credible, except it was hard for me to believe she couldn’t go to her family a little sooner. She agreed this was a “remarkable” book and wrote, ” I think children will want to read it, although I confess I’ll have a hard time handing it to many, but I will try.” I frequently discuss books with my town’s childrens’ book store owner, and I’m just going to quote our e-mail correspondence about WOLF HOLLOW. (And since we are frequently referring back to The Hired Girl discussion, I note that arguments to “trust” the reader didn’t really seem to fly with those arguing against it.) I worry that “trust” and “respect” for the audience suggests difficulties that may not help its chances. I agree with everyone who thinks this one of the strongest books of the year, perhaps the strongest, but am not sure how it holds up in the “presentation for children” department. I think feedback from children will be important for this book, so I am glad to hear this. ![]() Plus, I didn’t think any character could be more vicious than Ada’s mom in last year’s WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE, but boy… Betty is one of the most sinister characters I’ve ever encountered in lit!Īlthough I have many other favorites this year, I wouldn’t at all be disappointed if this one wins the big gold.Īnd I know it doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, but my Mock Newbery kids are loving this one big time. Although the violence is a bit brutal (the eye sequence just about did me in), it works so well in the context of the theme and the message Wolk is delivering. It gives readers so much to think about and it does so without talking down to them. To call this book a powerhouse is, in my estimation, an understatement. Love at first sentence is the perfect description, Sharon.Įxquisite writing, a beautifully rendered setting, a clearly delineated (and difficult theme), inviting characterization, and a knock-out, ambiguous ending – all those unanswered questions! But at the end of the book she, like the wolves the hollow is named after, is dead in a pit. Is she evil? Is she disturbed? Is she the product of a hard childhood? These questions aren’t answered. We don’t know anything about her past or what led her to where she is, but we do know that death is of no concern to her, and we learn this early on when she kills a quail in her bare hands. It is clear that Betty is beyond a bully and is something more sinister, less forgivable, and maybe, in a way, less morally complex. The title tells us that the name Wolf Hollow is important and the book nearly opens with the description of how the town got its name and a grandfather’s assessment that “A wolf is not a dog and never will be,” “no matter how you raise it.” Then enters Betty, a wolf if ever there was one. The narration includes powerful foreshadowing. The author shows great respect for this audience by trusting them to understand without being talked down to in spite of the gravity of theme and plot and complexity of morality. Although the narration has an adult feel to it – nostalgic, analytical – it still maintains enough of the 12-year-old Annabelle for a young audience to connect. The story is told in past-tense as Annabelle looks back at this time in her life. One of the strengths of this book is the narrator’s voice. ![]() Providing all the detail needed, without losing her audience in unnecessary description. Always saying just what needs to be said – no more and no less. Short, powerful, and simple spare sentences. ![]()
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