Not all 3-star ratings can be considered equal. There's the "middle-of-the-road", straight C: "liked you, but don't go braggin now". The C+: "got a little swagger in my step". And the C-: "tripped over my own swagger". 
 What I liked (mainly the 1st half): The character of Elka. She is this unique, "wild-raised" girl (young woman for most of the story), who talks like 3rd grade trucker, takes no sass, but will certainly hand it out. I like her for who she is, because she wears her heart on her sleeve. This masks her vulnerability. I like the setting of the story and the trouble of the journey (again, only in the first half). I like the writing, because it is true to Elka's character. That took some getting used to, but when I did, it felt right on. Mostly, I liked the humor. A number of very funny moments inside this tense read. This humor was all Elka's. 
 What I didn't like (you may have guessed - the 2nd half): A post-apocalyptic story that reveals little reason to be that. The journey became the un-journey. What was at first unique and absorbing became somewhat trivial and mundane. The humor vanished, and Elka was not the same. I dislike the "cat-and-mouse" chase that was anything but. The man who is called a monster, barely makes an appearance. I get that he is like a ghost in the woods, but without presence there's no drama. Finally, I didn't care for Elka's repetitious thoughts by the end of the story because they seemed just that: repetitive. 
 The Wolf Road: Grade = Straight C. If the 2nd half compared to the 1st, then Wow. My problem with the 2nd half could be me. Hard to say. The pluses and minuses cancel each other out.