This review is based on an ARC of Beartooth which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Spiegel & Grau).

This is a novel that will stick with me, with prose as unsuspecting, beautiful, rugged as the land in which it's set. Beautiful and rough-hewn too are the brothers Beartooth centers on: man-children adrift after the loss of their father, sinking in debt, holding dear to their meager belongings and morals as debt-collectors and deadlines close in.

I really enjoyed this story. The pacing, the wording, the atmosphere; the working parts of this novel are well-tuned and play well together. What I enjoyed most is the believability of it all. This could be a memoir just as readily as fiction (albeit with a touch fancier prose).

Why I do not grant Beartooth a full five stars is because of its' anticlimactic ramp-ups. In every case where the tension builds, the lead-up grows intense, the drama is about to peak-- suddenly circumstances change and the tension drops like a broken thread. The anxiety is broken by contrived and rather ideal outcomes. As a reader, I (however unintentionally) expect stories to follow a certain pattern, and Wink does not abide by this pattern. I cannot fault the author too harshly though--his style certainly kept me curious and kept the storyline rolling.

For lovers of sibling stories, edge-of-civilization settings, slice-of-life dramas, or the atmosphere of the melancholy ghost towns of the modern American West, Beartooth is for you.

The teasers for this book sold it was Cormac McCarthy-esque and I can definitely see it. This was BEAUTIFUL imagery of Montana and the Yellowstone area. This book follows That and Hazen, brothers who live on the edge of the wilderness, grieving the recent loss of their father who was the glue that allowed them to make ends meet. That spends most of his time managing Hazen, who has a bit of a failure to launch vibe. When the brothers, desperate for money, end up in an illegal poaching scheme with a threatening local, they are forced to reckon with what kind of people they want to be and the trajectory of That's life starts to change after he's gravely injured.

This book was a super interesting commentary on familial relationships and the intersection of man and nature. What can we claim, and what belongs to the land? An absolutely gorgeous book that was a tense, slow burn.

Thank you NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for allowing me to read and review this eARC!

First and foremost, I think Callan Wink is a ridiculously talented writer. His flair for creating intense imagery with his words and setting descriptions is a huge asset and I think will keep him on the path to success as an author. Beartooth was not a book I think I would typically gravitate towards but the cover and synopsis intrigued me so greatly that I had to try it. The positives of this book to me were, as previously stated, the amazing writing and imagery as well as the well-done character development. Thad in particular changed so much from the start of the book to the end especially regarding his motivations and his outlook on life. He slowly became my favourite character and I ended the book hoping so much for him and his success. I was also happy to learn more about Sacajawea as the book went on, I believe her back story was vital for us to understand her motivations and to heal her relationship with Thad. Hazen to me was fully fledged from the beginning, he was just not fully understood by Thad.

My criticisms of Beartooth are mostly about the flow of the plot and overall story. I felt at some times that the plot was jumping from moment to moment far too quickly. I did not understand how we had moved to another part of the story so quickly without any guiding. This possibly may have been due to the layout of the eBook version, but I believe more concise chapter separations or just some more concise wording about the passage of time/change of scenery would have helped me in reading this novel. I also felt like the story of the Scot and Naomi was not fully fleshed out at all. I truly believe we needed to understand more about what was going on with them, especially once Naomi came to live with Thad and Sacajawea, it was all just wrapped up far too quickly for me.

Overall, I would rate this book a 3.5/5 and I would certainly pick up more from Callan Wink!

A huge thanks to Mr. Wink and Netgalley for the ARC. This was my first experience with this author’s work, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The official description held high praise, and was compared to two of my favorite writers, so I was compelled to pick it up.

“Two brothers in dire straits, living on the edge of Yellowstone, agree to a desperate act of survival in this taut, propulsive novel reminiscent of the works of Peter Heller and Donald Ray Pollock.”

While I agree that there are certainly elements of Peter Heller, I’d disagree with the inclusion of Pollack. Not to say that’s a bad thing. I adore Pollack, but Beartooth more resembled Cormac McCarthy’s early work, with a sprinkling of Michael Farris Smith. McCarthy is, of course, the GOAT, so that alone should encourage you to grab a copy.

The pacing was near perfect, and the dialogue was spot on. Wink did an amazing job of fleshing out the characters while maintaining critical plot points. The conflict/ tension was held tight, allowing the story to move forward through the main story, as well as the subplot.

The description was, well, quite perfect. It’s clear that Wink has the American West running through his veins. This book was expertly crafted, and I’m excited to see what this author does next.

Not my usual type of book, but I enjoyed the ride just the same. This reminded me of books I enjoyed as a kid - Hatchet, My Side of the Mountain - but with real adult fears thrown in: debt, injury, the existential dread of an older sibling watching their younger sibling be an adult.

The writing is spare but evocative, I really felt like I was breathing in that fresh Montana air, and I felt every challenge and setback the brothers faced deeply. I wanted a little more from the ending, but I do think it fit the novel overall. Life goes on, Thad and Hazen endure.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Okay so I am in a major phase right now with reading books about survival in the wilderness and I requested this so fast! This book follows two brothers, Hazen and Thad, and their life in the remote Montana wilderness near Yellowstone National Park, where they camp, hike, and live partly off the land while trying to make a living chopping wood and end up engaging in illegal poaching.

I expected this book to be more adventurous than it actually was, and while we do still follow Thad and Hazen's wilderness poaching adventures, this story was much more about the bonds between family members and the effects of poverty and living in remote areas.

Hazen and Thad are very close, each having essentially nobody else in the world aside from each other. They were relatively close to their father, but have strained and limited contact with their mother, who was away during most of their childhood. This book takes place after their father has died and their mother has showed up in their lives again, while they struggle to find a way to make ends meet in order to keep their house, leading to the whole poaching situation and unplanned contact with some shady people.

The ending of this book surprised me, as I was expecting a more thriller-type story that would also make me want to go take a walk outside. However, I came away from this book with a sad, lonely feeling and rather than wanting to take a walk outside, it made me want to call up my sister or go into town and be among people. A strange and haunting book!

"beartooth" by callan wink is unlike any book i have ever read before, in the best way.
thad and hazen are compelling each in their own right. the brothers talk quite a bit, but they never really communicate much at all. thad is the stronger of the two. his responsibility and hard work keep them afloat in the wake of the death of their father. hazen, on the other hand, is kept mostly in the dark about the state of their finances and the precariousness of their ownership of the house. when their absent mother shows up, hazen welcomes her with open arms, while thad holds tight to his lingering resentment. thad and hazen disagree on other things as well. the brothers are loggers, which thad is proud of and hazen despises. occasionally, they take on illegal poaching jobs for a man called the Scot, who begins pressuring them to take on an almost impossible job. hazen jumps at the opportunity, but thad objects on both moral and practical grounds. but when thad's truck breaks down, and he has no way to log without the truck but no way to pay for the truck's repair, he decides to take the scot on for the job.
the themes, character struggles and development, and depth of thought that you usually have to dig for in books are directly stated in this one. but i honestly love beartooth more for its directness, its brutal honesty, its power in direct statements. there is also something dark lingering beneath the base text. it's giving Appalachian horror story but with nothing actually happening on that front. wink threads beautiful descriptions throughout the book that hooked me almost instantly.
while this book was so far out of my comfort zone, i ultimately rated it five stars. it was truly incredible. thank you net galley and spiegel&graul for this arc! i highly recommend it.

Beartooth takes place in the mountains of the same name. The story tracks Thad and Hazen, two brothers living in their inherited home and largely doing as they please in the wilds. Callan Wink focuses the narrative lens on Thad. The brothers are a good foil for each other and their interactions lead the story for much of the book.

The book opens with the brothers on a multi-day hunting excursion into the backwoods, where these two characters feel most comfortable. Later, they drift further into the wilds and we see Wink’s prose shine. He pulls us into the wooded areas and gives us clear but not flowery prose that lifts the story and sets it into this world of bears, rocky inclines, and so much wildlife. We can feel and smell the outdoors through his writing. Often with books that focus on the landscape, it can become a character. That certainly happens in Beartooth, with the landscape becoming this secretive friend to the brothers.

At roughly the halfway point, I thought the novel was leading me one way and then it took an unexpected turn. The novel misdirected and rounded back on itself. At first, I thought this was a mistake, but it was a good ruse that led me back into the story, like walking on a trail, losing it for a bit, and then finding that well-worn path.

Thad and Hazen go through a transformation in the novel’s pages. I won’t go into that in the review, but these brothers go through inner battles and we see the results of these fights on the pages. I have issues with the ending, but those are minor.

I’ll be checking out other work by Callan Wink in the future. I highly recommend this one for the masterful descriptions of the outdoors and the ease with which Wink captures the essence of these two characters.

4.5 stars.

This book took me FOREVER to read, but not because it was a hard read or even a bad one. Beartooth by Callan Wink instead demands a very particular part of your attention, undivided and immersed fully in the story. Wink's writing brings so much of the setting and the characters to life without being flowery or forcefully vivid; it relied on the reader wanting to be a part of the story and putting in the work to understand and digest the book.

This isn't necessarily a criticism, but I do think it's important to be said: there aren't ups and downs in this story. It follows a quite linear plotline that is always moving forward, always changing. There is no one central conflict or event - every moment in the plot is equally as important as the last. This isn't me saying that nothing happens. In fact, a lot happens, some very exciting & integral parts of the story. But it happens all on the same plane of necessity, and everything that is shown, done, or said, contributes in a significant way. It's all so deliberate that it's honestly admirable how much of the continuing plot I didn't connect, yet how little it surprised me. As such, it paints a gritty and realistic portrait of life. Nothing is simple, nothing has one cure or one solution, and other problems aren't put on hold just because one larger issue crops up.

Beartooth relied very heavily on the characters. It wasn't primarily a character study, but the characters formed the majority of the plot and the world that Wink was writing about. Thad and Hazen were such interesting and in depth people. While we never saw into Hazen's head as the book was written from Thad's perspective, we got to see Thad's thoughts and his understanding of his little brother, which was a really great way to explore these characters. They're alike, bonded by blood, but possibly as far apart as they could get. I do feel like a lot of the benefit and reward of this story is watching them mature and grow, but also just getting to learn who they are.

Thad and Hazen are two grown men, but Beartooth had all the undertones of a coming of age story, and it was a really rewarding and engaging read. I'm really lucky to have gotten a copy of this ARC, and can't wait for it to come out in February of 2025 for more people to get to enjoy it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

A wonderfully written book about two brothers dealing with hardships of life. After being stricken with grief and dealing with dynamic family issues, these two brothers have to make a living with little to no modern day skills. This book pulls at all the senses as the author does a beautiful job of bringing us the sights, sounds, and smells of living in the rugged mountains. The book has a great storyline and very well developed characters. Hopefully there will be a follow up to this book.

I really enjoyed Beartooth! It was full of humor, messy family drama, and suspense. It felt like I was reading a TV show. Great characters, believable and relatable family dynamics, and layered into a suspenseful story. Will definitely read the next book by this author!

Beartooth by Callan Wink is a striking novel that masterfully explores themes of isolation, loneliness, and the lengths to which people will go to survive. Through beautifully crafted prose, Wink delves into the human experience, examining how financial pressures, strained family dynamics, and fear of failure shape our decisions and actions.

Wink's vivid descriptions of the natural world are particularly compelling, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the novel's setting. The surrounding wildlife and landscapes are so expertly portrayed that you can almost smell the pine trees, feel the cold river water, and hear the rustle of animals in the underbrush. This attention to detail not only enhances the reading experience but also underscores the novel's exploration of humanity's connection to nature.

The family dynamics are another standout aspect of the novel. Wink captures the complexities of familial relationships with a nuanced and empathetic touch, making them one of the most engaging elements of the story.

However, while Beartooth excels in many areas, the choice of genre is questionable. Marketed as a thriller, the novel feels more like a contemplative mystery. The tension and suspense typically associated with thrillers are muted, leading to a slower, more reflective narrative pace. While this isn’t necessarily a flaw, readers expecting a fast-paced thriller might be left disappointed.

Overall, Beartooth is a deeply evocative novel that offers a poignant look at survival in its many forms. Though its classification as a thriller may be misleading, its strengths in prose, setting, and character dynamics make it a worthwhile read.

I was excited to read this book based on the plot summary. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. I recently read another novel about a bond between brothers: The Survivors, by Alex Shulman. This was a much more interesting read and did a great job of bringing you into the family plot and caring for the brothers' lives and struggles.

Beartooth did a good job of introducing Thad and Hazen and getting you interested in their bond at first. You feel the tension between the two brothers, and get wrapped in the idea that Thad might be more level-headed, and Hazen may be a bit slow-minded. However, as the story progresses, I did not enjoy the pacing. The first 50% of the novel focuses on the brothers and a vague idea of a job Hazen wants to take which Thad doesn't, due to its potentially dangerous nature. Suddenly, they take the job and a short number of pages quickly blows through the progress of said job, without much detail or sense of danger. Then the novel quickly wraps up with a sudden ending and no real feeling of conclusiveness.

It was a highly unsatisfactory ending which left me feeling like I wasted my time investing any amount of energy in the story of these two brothers. I don't know what I just read because it felt incomplete. I can't really get into much more than that without giving away plot spoilers, but this book was highly lacking in plot development because it focused too much on character development. If you want a bond-between-brothers story, go with The Survivors by Alex Shulman. This just wasn't it for me.

This was a character driven, coming of age novel. This is not my typical read, but I loved it!! I loved the characters, and the writing style. I would absolutely recommend, all the stars!!!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two brothers, young men, orphaned by their father and frequently abandoned by their mother, are struggling to get by and live off their land. Add a shadowy crime boss of sorts and colorful mountain neighbors and the tale of their coming of age becomes more interesting.

Wink paints a really magnificent portrait of the back country lifestyle, brotherhood, and environmental greed. The imagery is beautiful; the author has an innate ability to describe wildness in a way that makes it familiar. The writing itself flowed and kept me turning the pages quickly. The narrative itself is structured together in a very smart way--the foreshadowing (Thad falling asleep to a logging documentary and then using that idea for their scavenging) and ongoing metaphoric patterns (Hazen lighting the tree on fire and then getting lost in the wildfires) was really appreciated. I thought the ending was somewhat abrupt, but perhaps that speaks of the finality of Thad's loneliness (or even his willingness to move on). Overall, the story was gripping and the writing was enticing; I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an adventurous/mysterious read.

“He realized for the first time that acute aloneness has something of a presence. His lonely was dark as a shadow, and it sat there drinking coffee with him, a silent companion.”

The first thing I will mention about this book is how beautiful the writing is. It was so descriptive and painted the picture of this landscape so beautifully. You could almost hear the sounds of the woods, the chirps of the birds, and could feel the turning of the seasons as this story progressed.

This was definitely a story centered on the characters, especially the relationship of the two brothers, Thad and Hazen. This was a deep story of a bond between two brothers who faced so much hardship and how they came together, and sometimes fell apart, in the midst of survival after their father’s death and their mother’s absence. It was a story of evolution as the seasons changed and chaos surrounded their home. I loved exploring this bond and what became of the brothers in the face of adversity.

I will say, sometimes the descriptive writing took away from the plot and could’ve been cut down in some areas, but it wasn’t a major dislike for me. It just made the story drag in some areas, and for a book that was so short, it stretched the story longer than I felt was necessary. I did feel the plot was a little unfinished but overall, I thought this was a beautiful read. I really enjoyed the authors writing and look forward to picking up more from him in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was so beautifully written that I felt I could smell the air in the canyons. I felt this was more character study than plot driven and it was a book to just curl up with and revel in.

"The smell of a bear, Thad thought, had the flavor of nightmare about it," this quote alone was enough to draw me into the world of brothers Thad and Hazen in the woods of Montana. While grieving the loss of their father, the brothers struggle to make enough money to keep their family home and legacy alive. All hope seems lost, until they meet a Scottish thug and his younger female companion, offering them a way out of debt. While the gig is risky, Thad, being the voice of reason, devises a plan to keep him and his reckless younger brother out of trouble in more ways than one.

I was captivated by the vivid details of the Montana wilderness that Callan captures in his writing. You can really see, smell, and taste the vast expanse of Yellowstone through the eyes of the characters. I also appreciated the grit and determination of the brothers to keep one another safe, and the delicate and complicated relationship with their mom, Sacajawea.

I only wish there was a tidier ending to the business with the Scot, as it seemed to be such an integral part of the story. The ending felt a little unfinished, but that may have been intentional so the reader could infer or choose their own conclusion. Overall though, I really enjoyed this read. 4/5 stars.

Callan Wink introduces his reader to a pair of brothers, Thad and Hazen, in his novel Beartooth—forever indebted to each other yet unable to find their footing after the sudden death of their father. The pair live a hard existence, relying on the natural bounty of the Montana wilderness to make it. One day they are approached by an out-of-towner who proposes a bank heist where their financial woes would be solved.

Beartooth is a medium paced tale with moments of surprising prose set in the beauty of the American West. This is a bracing, masterful novel about survival, revenge, and the bond between brothers.

The beautifully descriptive writing puts you right in the middle of the wilds of Montana. I could smell the river, the wildlife, and was right there in the Cottonwoods in the Fall!

This book is a transcends you into the importance of brotherhood, the beauty of nature, and individuals who risk everything for each other.

Thank you so much to Spiegel & Grau and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!