Lauren Wolk

Representation: N/A?
Trigger warnings: Physical injury, animal death, bullying, war themes, PTSD, loss of an eye, blood depiction, infection, death of a child, grief and loss depiction, death of a soldier, scars, hospitalisation
Score: Six points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.

6.5/10, I have been wanting to read this for quite a while and I finally did and although I found this to be quite well written but it was one of the most brutal books I have ever read, everything here is just too bleak and depressing and there's probably not a single hint of any positive emotions, where do I begin. It's not even a young adult book either, I am just so confused. It starts with the main character Annabelle living in a place called Wolf Hollow, hence the title and everything appears normal until the main antagonist who is a city girl called Betty decides to show up and wow is she an antagonist, just look at all of her despicable actions. Anyways Betty first decides to screw up Annabelle's life by bullying her physically and verbally if she doesn't do her whims and then she ruthlessly crushes a bird with her bare hands. Wow, and if you think this is already depressing it gets much worse. After a while, Betty disappears for whatever reason and that sets the scene for Annabelle to meet this new character called Toby who seemingly is a WWI veteran with PTSD, I don't really know but other characters describe him as odd, so there's that. Toby starts being accused for something and I don't know what that thing exactly is but I found out towards the end which was quite a disheartening experience by the way. It turns out that Betty after being missing for so long was found in a well stuck there and another character pulled her out and it looked like she would be saved despite the fact that she did not come out unscathed, she was later hospitalised in the last few pages. Toward the end of the book Annabelle focuses on Toby and something devastating happened when Betty died of her infection, then the police shot Toby, funerals were held for them and that just ends it on a really low note.… (more)

This book is written by Lauren Wolk who won a Newbery Award for Wolf Hollow. I actually picked this up because the bookstore did not have Wolf Hollow.

Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. This book takes place in 1934. It tells the story of a family who lost almost everything in the Great Depression. Basically, that is how Ellie, and her family came to Echo Mountain's wilderness. Ellie is free to run wild and she loves nature/outdoors. When her father has a terrible accident, Ellie is blamed for his coma. She searches the mountain to find a cure/help heal her father. In doing so she befriends a wild woman "the hag" and finds healing magic. The ending is truly magical.

I don't usually read books that are traumatic. This story has such a rich soul, and mesmerizing magic. Ellie is truly heroic and her love for her father and their shared love of music is what saves him and the family.

I recommend this as a read aloud for fourth or fifth grade. I think the teacher should read it first though as the father getting hurt could be a trigger for some children/families. It would be a great story of resilience, persistence and friendship.

I can't wait to read another book by Lauren Wolk.… (more)

Lauren Wolk is hands down one of my favorite children's authors that is currently writing. She writes vividly, creating not only a descriptive world, but one with robust characters. When I heard that she was writing a new book, I was thrilled. When I heard she was writing a sequel to Wolf Hollow, I was ecstatic.

Admittedly, my remembrance of Wolf Hollow is fuzzy (I had to read a Cliff Notes version again. LOL). However, I loved the emphasis was on Annabelle and her needing to forgive those involved with the events in the previous book. (But before you ask, no, you don't need to read Wolf Hollow first). I could relate to Annabelle--feeling sorry for someone because they are hurting and yet still being pissed. Who can't relate to that??

While Wolf Hollow was set more in an obvious Historical Fiction period, My Own Lightning falls into an interest genre dilemma. Is it realistic fiction? Is it historical because it is a different time period? Is it an animal tale due a Doctor Doolittle-esque subplot? It is a book that, due to its variation, will appeal to many readers. Or so I hope.… (more)