I started reading HISTORY OF WOLVES not thinking I would love it. I am not sure if this makes any sense, but looking at the cover made me feel cold, and I felt like it would be void of characters, plot, dialogue. Oh my god I just realized how stupid that sounds. But do you know what I mean? I thought it would be a BEAUTIFULLY TOLD story with lots of description of silent wolves moving through lush woods. (Clearly I hadn't read much about it.) But sometimes thinking about beautiful things is good for you, even if it gets a little boring. I full on assumed I would be kind of bored with this book, but I was okay with that. I was prepared to read about beautiful winter scenes and maybe a loner girl with some problems. 
 In reality I was unable to put it down. There is a totally intriguing plot that drapes the reader in a eerie blanket of that "something is not right" feeling. There are two driving stories that compliment each other so beautifully. The whole is much more powerful than the sum of its parts. And God, the writing is crystal clear. This is random but there is a scene of a cat moving behind a couch that sticks out in my mind. I thought, "oh my god, that is EXACTLY what that feels like to witness that." And I felt that many times. 
 The narrator is powerful. She is a mystery, too. She observes without revealing too much. 
 Child characters are hard to write, but Paul is written perfectly, a child plagued with curiosity, innocence, depression and loneliness. Paul's mother, Patra, is so puzzling that I could not stop wondering about her. And in the end of the book, she makes total sense. This book is a mystery that perfectly unfolds. 
 This is a layered, thought-provoking novel that rewards its reader on every page. It's a stunner and I'm so glad I gave it a chance.