The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis

The Wolf Road
By Beth Lewis
Published by The Borough Press (23 March 2017)
ISBN: 978-0008145484

Publisher's description

Trapper was my family even though I didn’t know a sure thing about him… Trapper was the kind a’ family you choose for yourself, the kind that gets closer’n blood.

He was what I chose and I chose wrong.

Lost in the harsh forest as a child, Elka was taken in and raised by the man she calls Trapper, the solitary hunter who taught her all she knows. So when Elka sees the Wanted poster in town, her simple existence is shattered. Her Trapper – Kreagar Hallet – is wanted for murder. Even worse, Magistrate Lyon is hot on his trail, and she wants to talk to Elka.

As winter sets in, Elka flees into the vast wilderness, determined to find her real parents. But Lyon is never far behind, and she’s not the only one following Elka’s every move. Soon Elka must confront the darkest memories of her past- and end Trapper’s killing spree for good.

My verdict
The Wolf Road totally 'wowed' me, and not many books do that. It's intelligent and unique and filled with raw emotion.

Set in a post-apocalyptic Canada, after what seems to be a nuclear war, it's about a girl's epic journey searching for her parents, who abandoned her as a young child. While this is a dystopian novel, it also has a 'Western' feel to it and reads as a thriller in places too, with a mystery at its heart. Definitely a 'cross-genre' book.

The story is narrated in the first person, through the eyes of Elka - in her own language, her own voice, all of her thoughts, feelings and emotions spilling onto the page. A man (Trapper) rescued her after her grandmother died. He taught her how to hunt and survive in the harsh climate and stark surroundings, yet he never became a father to her, remaining distant and aloof over the years. When she discovers something terrible about him, she runs away, realising that maybe Trapper, and their life together, wasn't what it seemed.

The Wolf Road is about Elka discovering who she is and what she believes in and trying to make sense of her past and present. It's very dark, although there are some lighter moments. The writing is beautiful, with highly vivid descriptions of the wilds. This is a fight for survival in a place where food is scarce and danger lurks around each corner.

The Wolf Road is a book that will linger with you for days after finishing it - simply stunning!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through Lovereading.