We Were Wolves

I thought it was a very thought provoking book and the writing style of the author was really interesting. I also loved all of the characters because I felt really connected with all of them, especially Mol 🥺. Despite feeling slightly confused at the beginning of the book, I really really enjoyed it. I did feel was a slow start but the plot quickly fell into place. I would recommend this book for someone who is looking for an easier read as it isn’t as thorough in detail as say fantasy or Sci-Fi books, which can be a bit difficult to read sometimes. TW : war ptsd + guns.

John has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from serving in Iraq. Finding civilian life with a family difficult he retreats to live off grid in a local wood in northern England. Bullied at school, his son joins him as he seems more able to help John with his night terrors than his mam. Named as The Boy, he has made only 2 friends; a stray dog called Mol and a fellow teen camper on holiday called Sophie. Sophie suspects that he and John are in some kind of trouble. Little does she know that John is already in prison and is planning another job on his release. As The Boy refers to John in the past tense, we are left imagining how and when the tragedy will occur.
John has studied philosophy and mythology at some point, there are several references to spiritualism in nature and negative references to society that influence The Boy and how he sees the differences in living with John and his mam. He feels more at home in the woods, away from bullies and expectations, despite his fears of animals in the wood at night. John's acquaintances cause him some concern; Derby who allows them to live in his wood, Alan the lawyer and Toomey, who he is told to stay away from. They contribute to The Boy's sense of unease as he reveals the story to it’s inevitable conclusion.
I liked the building sense of unease and danger in this story, it was unnerving not know The Boy’s name, so much so that I named him Billy. I thought that the PTSD that John suffered from was dealt with sensitively, just enough detail to hint at John's state of mind but not so much that it took over the story. I found the link between veterans and prison to be realistic and that The Boy would feel a sense of obligation to his dad in his ability to help calm him. I’m not sure that the local authorities would have been that happy about his bunking off school though and have the feeling that they would have traced his whereabouts via his mam. The story is incredibly moving and tragic, with beautiful illustrations that reflect the isolation and unease of the narrator.