Raised by Wolves

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up RAISED BY WOLVES, but I was pleasantly surprised by the compelling writing, the intriguing characters, and the culture of the werewolves. I'll definitely be reading the next book to find out what happens.

While I enjoyed this book, I wasn't crazy in love with it. The plot is awesome, and so is the thoroughly constructed werewolf culture. I also enjoyed the characters (for the most part), and I wanted them to succeed.

I got bogged down sometimes by either lack of detail or too much repetitive detail. I wanted more scene blocking in the battle scenes and the scenes where strange, almost psycic wolf stuff was happening. It was hard to visualize. And I didn't need to be told and retold things I already knew.

However, I'm picky about stuff like that, and I think most readers will really enjoy this book. It's worth reading.

a review by G.Clyde

I knew straight out I was going to enjoy this book, I'm on a werewolf kick as of late, so when I finally got the book from the library (yes, I still go to that ancient place where they let you rent books for 2 weeks) I was excited and ready to start...I meant out to just read the first chapter before bed, which I usually do just to get started out, and before I knew it, it was getting later and I was way beyond the first chapter. I was hooked right from he beginning and I could not put it down. Needless to say, I really enjoyed this book, and though there is a romance in it, I hope that in the second one there is even more. Even though the wolves in the story shift between wolf and human quite often, I really loved how they still has wolf mannerisms in human form, particularly when they rubbed cheeks as a sign of affection, (if you've ever seen videos of real wolves doing this...it's adorable!!). I so look forward to the second one entitled: Trial By Fire which I believe is due out in June. A definite must read! I will definitely go off to buy this one! I generally rent books first, and then buy them if I dub them worthy...I KNOW this will look lovely on my shelf! :)

Reader reviewed by Lia

Bryn has been raised by Callum, the alpha of his pack ever since her parents were brutally murdered by a rogue werewolf. Though she feels out of place at times since she is a human in a pack of werewolves, her relationship with Ali, her foster mom, and Devon, her best friend make up for it. When she accidently comes upon Chase, a newly turned werewolf, Bryn starts questioning her everything she thought she knew.

I was immediately sucked into this book. The interactions between the pack were really interesting to read, and I loved the werewolf politics. The writing was smooth and fast-paced. Bryn was strong, and knew when she was being stupid; for that reason I liked her character. I loved the characters of Callum and Devon, they were both interesting in their own way. But somewhere in the middle, my interest in the book started lagging. I think it was her bond with Chase which made things kind of predictable, and the change of scenery mid-book. The book picked back up toward the end for an awesome ending. The ending was climatic, and I can't wait to read more of Bryn's adventures.

Reader reviewed by The Bookshelf Sophisticate

The side characters won me over in this book. The story was interesting and I enjoyed Bryn's journey of discovering the truth of her past, present and future, not to mention her struggle to find her place among both the wolves and humans, but that's not what had me really liking this book. It was the secondary characters that had my heart and kept me reading.

To start there's Callum. The Stone River pack's alpha and Bryn's guardian. Right off I was hooked on him and found myself forgiving him for all his flaws without justification, yep...I had it bad for Callum. He's strong, smart and after getting to know him you find he does nothing without a reason. He rescued Bryn when she was just four years old and has been looking after her ever since. He may not tell her everything but again, he has his reasons and I respect that part of him. I'll admit at one point (you'll know when you read the book) it was hard not to jump on the "Callum isn't a good guy" bandwagon but overall I just couldn't help but love him. Did I mention that he's rocking a hot accent to go with everything else? Wow!

Then we've got Dev and Lake, Bryn's two best friends. Dev is an alpha in the making and a good guy to boot! He's been by Bryn's side from the day she came to the pack and he's not going anywhere anytime soon. Lake is one of only a few female werewolves and she's got the spunk to back up her individuality. The girl is a walking weapon and yet she goes almost nowhere without her shotgun, which she affectionately refers to as Matilda. You've got to love a girl who's always prepared. She's fiercely protective of Bryn and is loyal until the end. She doesn't question Bryn's motives (or at least not too much) but sticks with her without a thought to the consequences.

These characters were unique and unforgettable for me and I can't wait to see them again. Jennifer Lynn Barnes had a great story to tell and I know there's more where that came from. A lot of dramatic events took place in this first installment of the series and I can only imagine what Barnes has planned for the rest of the series.

Reader reviewed by Cari

Jennifer Lynn Barnes tells a suspenseful story with plenty of action.
Bronwyn Alessia St. Vincent Clare should have died at age four when a
rogue werewolf came to kill her parents. Bronwyn or Bryn for short hid
and was saved by Callum, the alpha of the area. Callum is a thousand
year old werewolf with the largest pack of werewolves. Callum adopted
the human girl and raised her as wolf. Bryn rebelled and fought to
block out the pack way of life. Where the werewolves would never
disobey Callum Bryn pushed the limits by sneaking out, getting less than
straight As and might have borrowed a motorcycle when the owner wasnt
looking.



Barnes created a very intricate world with lots of back story. For
example werewolves are born and are mostly men. Female werewolves are
only born as a set of twins and most werewolves are born to human
mothers who rarely survive the birth.



Bryn was raised by Ali one of the human wives who is pregnant with
twins. Ali is only a few years older than Bryn and has always fought to
give her a normal life. When Ali goes into labor Bryn cant watch and
she escapes to the forest.



She eventually ends up at Callums house where she discovers a boy caged
in the basement. Chase is not only a boy but a new wolf who tells her
he was bitten before he turned. Chase shifts when he smells her fear and
crashes against the bars of his cage trying to feeding on her.



I really like that Bryn isnt a victim but a girl who can kicks a$$.
Since Callum claimed her as his when she came into the pack it
guaranteed her security, but she also had to learn to fight and survive
just in case something went wrong.



The story takes so many unexpected twist that I cant begin to describe
them. The moments Bryn shares with Callum are so emotionally charged.
One moment I wanted to yell at him and others I wanted to love him. I
was smitten with Chase from the moment he told Bryn Before the attack, I
liked cars, Yeats, having a bedroom that locked from the inside and
you can we say ahh! The ending was really surprising and unexpected.
One of the things I found a little creepy was how newborn wolves can
shift from wolf to human. If you thought baby vamps were creepy wait
until you meet the shifting wolves. Over all I thought the story was
great and I hope that there will be a second book because I can really
see this turning into a series.