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A review by eiion
Beartooth by Callan Wink
4.5
Thank you to NetGalley and Callan Wink for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This book took me FOREVER to read, but not because it was a hard read or even a bad one. Beartooth by Callan Wink instead demands a very particular part of your attention, undivided and immersed fully in the story. Wink's writing brings so much of the setting and the characters to life without being flowery or forcefully vivid; it relied on the reader wanting to be a part of the story and putting in the work to understand and digest the book.
This isn't necessarily a criticism, but I do think it's important to be said: there aren't ups and downs in this story. It follows a quite linear plotline that is always moving forward, always changing. There is no one central conflict or event - every moment in the plot is equally as important as the last. This isn't me saying that nothing happens. In fact, a lot happens, some very exciting & integral parts of the story. But it happens all on the same plane of necessity, and everything that is shown, done, or said, contributes in a significant way. It's all so deliberate that it's honestly admirable how much of the continuing plot I didn't connect, yet how little it surprised me. As such, it paints a gritty and realistic portrait of life. Nothing is simple, nothing has one cure or one solution, and other problems aren't put on hold just because one larger issue crops up.
Beartooth relied very heavily on the characters. It wasn't primarily a character study, but the characters formed the majority of the plot and the world that Wink was writing about. Thad and Hazen were such interesting and in depth people. While we never saw into Hazen's head as the book was written from Thad's perspective, we got to see Thad's thoughts and his understanding of his little brother, which was a really great way to explore these characters. They're alike, bonded by blood, but possibly as far apart as they could get. I do feel like a lot of the benefit and reward of this story is watching them mature and grow, but also just getting to learn who they are.
Thad and Hazen are two grown men, but Beartooth had all the undertones of a coming of age story, and it was a really rewarding and engaging read. I'm really lucky to have gotten a copy of this ARC, and can't wait for it to come out in February of 2025 for more people to get to enjoy it!
This book took me FOREVER to read, but not because it was a hard read or even a bad one. Beartooth by Callan Wink instead demands a very particular part of your attention, undivided and immersed fully in the story. Wink's writing brings so much of the setting and the characters to life without being flowery or forcefully vivid; it relied on the reader wanting to be a part of the story and putting in the work to understand and digest the book.
This isn't necessarily a criticism, but I do think it's important to be said: there aren't ups and downs in this story. It follows a quite linear plotline that is always moving forward, always changing. There is no one central conflict or event - every moment in the plot is equally as important as the last. This isn't me saying that nothing happens. In fact, a lot happens, some very exciting & integral parts of the story. But it happens all on the same plane of necessity, and everything that is shown, done, or said, contributes in a significant way. It's all so deliberate that it's honestly admirable how much of the continuing plot I didn't connect, yet how little it surprised me. As such, it paints a gritty and realistic portrait of life. Nothing is simple, nothing has one cure or one solution, and other problems aren't put on hold just because one larger issue crops up.
Beartooth relied very heavily on the characters. It wasn't primarily a character study, but the characters formed the majority of the plot and the world that Wink was writing about. Thad and Hazen were such interesting and in depth people. While we never saw into Hazen's head as the book was written from Thad's perspective, we got to see Thad's thoughts and his understanding of his little brother, which was a really great way to explore these characters. They're alike, bonded by blood, but possibly as far apart as they could get. I do feel like a lot of the benefit and reward of this story is watching them mature and grow, but also just getting to learn who they are.
Thad and Hazen are two grown men, but Beartooth had all the undertones of a coming of age story, and it was a really rewarding and engaging read. I'm really lucky to have gotten a copy of this ARC, and can't wait for it to come out in February of 2025 for more people to get to enjoy it!