Book Review: Wolves and Men by

Is anyone else looking for something not-quite-horror to read this fall? Because I have a little something for you. Natasha Wittman's Wolves and Men delivers sufficient creepiness, action, and nature scenery (which for some reason I always associate with fall) to keep you feeling frisky and leave you with a satisfying read.

One of my very favorite things about reading books is seeing characters that like books as much as I do. For me, it just adds a whole new level of intimacy with the main character and I have also discovered a lot of new reading material by seeking out books that my favorite protagonists had read. This might be why I ultimately enjoyed Natasha Wittman's work. In Wolves and Men, the protagonist is a brainy, highly troubled poetry major who not only uses the wilderness to sort out her problems, but frames her experiences amid the myriad books she has read and loved over the years. This is a novel that is rich in literary allusion, and no slouch when it comes to a well-built character and a sense of suspense. 

Right off the bat Wittman begins building mystery, surrounding her main character, Charlotte, in vague memories of a painful past, as well as a strange and secluded physical landscape that takes the form of the Ouachita mountains. Charlotte has been sent to a remote woodland cabin to contemplate the issues—among them the death of a friend and a subsequent eating disorder—that led to her taking an imposed break from college. Yes, there are references to Thoreau, and yes, the descriptions of the landscape are beautiful and poetic. It is in these descriptions that Wittman really hits her stride, establishing Charlotte as a woman at a loss. A young woman who has been pushing herself to the limit in an effort not to deal with what is really troubling her, and a woman who will be forced to confront much more than the demons she brought with her.

Because there is more than just gorgeous scenery in Willow's Bend. A strange disease caused by the imposed interbreeding of wild dogs is infecting the residents and leading them to acts of staggering, inhuman violence. Charlotte is forced to flee for her life with the few people not infected, and in the process, she must run straight into the arms of her inner problems. By learning to trust Roden, the only man not infected, and a man with a painful past of his own, Charlotte is able to finally articulate what exactly brought her to Willows Bend in the first place. 

All that being said, this is a novel that does a lot of things well, though a reader needs to be on his toes to keep on top of reality. Wittman incorporates elements of a mix of genres, and while the story itself ends up meshing, the novel treads a fine line between action and chaos. Taken at face value, Wolves and Men may seem like a simple horror/survival novel about an outbreak of a mysterious and threatening illness, the truth is much more gratifying. Instead we are treated to a fairly realistic portrayal of how rabies affects human beings, and a highly relatable personal journey to healing and redemption. The more touchy-feely moments are juxtaposed nicely with the brutality and callousness of disease outbreak and quarantine.

There is no denying that it is a pleasure to read about Charlotte. She is a character with incredible insight into others and eventually, into herself. She is practical and easygoing, and it is certainly easy to see how readers, particularly young, female ones, would relate to and even admire her. As she struggles just to stay alive amid the chaos that is thrown unceremoniously into her lap, we see her grow, and we see her learn just what humans are capable of when pushed to the breaking point. That is, she is able to see the thinnest line that separates humans from animals and fights to stay on the human side of the line. And all this is accomplished through the eyes of a voracious reader, one who is able to put her incredibly harrowing experiences into the context of fiction, and move forward into the reality of her future. Through Charlotte, Natasha Wittman has created a poetic landscape, full of lush, vivid detail, and a thoroughly romantic character through which to enjoy it. This is a novel for fans of many genres, but particularly those readers who are most concerned with character growth.

Bottom Line: This adroit little novel will provide pleasing page turning and leave the reader feeling satisfied.

***Natasha will be having a book signing on October 24 at the Hastings in Norman. There will also be a chance to win a Hastings gift certificate! Definitely go check it out. You won't be sorry.***