Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

Title: Tell the Wolves I'm Home
Author: Carol Rifka Brunt
Format: ARC
Pub. Date: January 1st 2012
Source: Goodreads First Reads

★★★★★

Five stars.

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.

June is a fourteen year old girl who the world just doesn't quite understand. Her parents always immersed in figures & numbers, & her older sister, Greta, is her polar opposite. They used to be inseparable, best friends. But when Greta started living in "the now"- makeups, boys, parties- June thought of ways to remain infinite. She longs for the past, the days when not all land was known, & the world still had beautiful secrets. The only one who understood this was her uncle, Finn. An artist, Finn appreciated June's love of beauty. So much so, that he began painting a portrait of the two sisters.... When Finn dies too young from AIDS, June feels lost. Finn was her best friend, the one who understood more than anyone else. Shortly after, she learns that Finn had a "special friend" that June never knew anything about. A strange friendship blossoms from these awful circumstances, with a long road of lies, secrets, anger, hurt, loss, & joy that paint a tapestry of a beautifully written story.

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Words can't describe how much I simply adore this novel, but I will try to do it justice- Read it. It is a roller coaster of emotions, mixed with layers upon layers of secrets & lies that slowly chip away as the story goes on. Some passages had me crying, others smiling. Sometimes I was so confused about a character's actions that it pushed me to read the book deeper, trying to pick up on the hidden clues that June too was looking for.

The characters are perfectly described, & perfectly flawed. Each has their own mannerisms or quirks, so vividly that I felt I knew them outside of the pages of this book. By the end I wanted to hug each one of them- it has been a long time since I have felt a strong connection to characters, namely June. I related to her on a lot of levels, & I feel it made me more attached to the outcome of the story.

Finn Weiss was an esteemed artist when it came to a canvas & paint, but Carol Rifka Brunt has managed to paint just as vivid of a portrait using the written word. This book is powerful, emotional, & altogether incredible.

I recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a bit of a tear-jerker, or anyone who has ever kept a family secret. Simply stunning.