In Lone Wolf, Jodi Picoult takes the issue of whether or not it's ethically right to artificially prolong - or end - life, and weaves a complex and emotionally involving story around it - as she has done with all of her previous books too. I really enjoyed it - there's no right or wrong side to the argument and it's a well balanced and intelligent read.

Review courtesy of steppingoutofthepage.blogspot.com As soon as I heard about Jodi Picoult's latest novel, I just had to get my hands on a copy. When I did receive a copy from the publishers, I just couldn't wait to get started on it! Whilst I haven't read them all, I've read most of Jodi Picoult's novels and I've really enjoyed them, giving her a firm place in my favourite authors. I'll start by admitting that I was slightly wary of the 'wolf' aspect of this book. Whilst I love animals, I'm not usually keen on reading about them and I have had no interest in wolves before. Still, I really wanted to read it just because of the author. Thankfully, once again, she didn't let me down! Picoult does go into detail about wolves as they play a huge part in the novel, as you can expect simply from the title. I never felt overwhelmed by this information though - it became very fascinating and it's clear that a great amount of research went into the writing. I was extremely impressed with how Picoult formed the story - the recollections of Luke's time living with wolves worked extremely well in parallelling the events that were happening in the present. However, this book is not just about wolves - It is also about relationships, loyalty and family. It's also a novel about deciding what is right, not only for yourself, but for others. It's about letting go of perceptions, beliefs and people. There are several important characters, the main ones being Luke, Cara, Edward, Georgie and Joe, which we get to hear from as they independently narrate. Luke is the father of Cara and Edward, as well as the ex-husband of Georgie. He is our central character in this novel as the story revolves around him. After a car crash with his daughter, he is left in a coma and it must be decided what to do - turn off the machine that is keeping him alive so that his organs can be donated, or keep him alive and wait for a miracle? We learn more about Luke through accounts of his time living with wolves and through the thoughts and actions of his children and his ex-wife. Even after completing the book, I am still torn on my thoughts regarding Luke, but I think that it's a good thing that the author still has me thinking, even after I've finished reading. All of the characters that we are introduced to are deeply complex and have had so many experiences that have shaped and affected them. They each have distinctive voices opinions and it is interesting to see how they all interact. Picoult is fantastic at portraying the characters that she has created and allows us to really get to know them and feel their emotions. Picoult has a formula that she knows works - she crafts realistic stories, adds twists and turns, throws in well written arguments for both sides of often controversial topics and manages to come up with stories that have an impact upon you. If you liked her previous novels, there's no doubt that you'll enjoy this one just as much. If you haven't read any of her novels before, I promise you that you are missing out! I'd have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone. This is yet another astonishing piece of writing from an incredibly talented author and now I'm impatiently waiting to see what she can offer us next!

This is my second Piccoult book and I think she is amazing. Lone wolf is a book that made me feel angry and sad, but also made me re-think about many different circumstances in life. I will definitely recommend it.

Lone Wolf’s Luke wants to give something back to the wolves; he believes they’ve had a poor press. Preserving them in a wildlife sanctuary is something but Luke has taken it one step further: to live, breathe and love with the wolves. It’s a highly dangerous game, sharing their kill, feasting on blood and getting under the skin of their stratified society to ensure that his human alpha male is subsumed in wolfskin, to better understand these magnificent creatures. Now he’s on life support and the pack is gathering round him; his beloved daughter, casually injured in the same RTA that has put Luke’s life on coma hold; his estranged son who holds the official words that have indicated his father’s last wishes; his ex-wife, full of anger that Luke had more time for wild animals than he had for his own social circle. Who will flip the switch that will end it all? Who has the right? Jodi Picoult continues to map the morals of middle America using characters we all recognise and who probably live next door to us. Her courtroom scenes come straight from Perry Mason, without a wisp of oak or cotton, in words that no-one trips on and where the air is unscented by mistake. She writes (from her attic, it seems) with a deftness that offers an analogy from the wolf, but only vaguely coated in a human skin. In other words, Luke may have acted outside taste, but he is no worse than any of us who have a point to prove or a public to please. Lots of oohs and ahhs here and a story that powers right through to the final page with a howl that demands to be heard. The humour Picoult finds in disguising a wolf as a guide dog, albeit a three-legged one, is laugh out loud, as is the perfection of the invention of the name Ladasha. But before you head to the registrar with your new baby daughter in tow, having decided on the name, you need to know it’s spelled La-a. A new name for the text generation. Great writing from a great writer. No wolf in sheep’s clothing: Picoult is the real thing, wild and free.

Luke’s passion in life is studying wolf packs and understanding how the complex relationships within a pack work, so much so that he leaves his wife Georgie and children Edward and Cara for almost two years to go to the Canadian wilderness to integrate with a wolf pack. This, in part, is the catalyst of the beginning of the end of Luke and Georgie’s marriage and the children’s estrangement from each other. Six years later, Luke is in a coma and Edward and Cara find themselves fighting each other over the power to decide over their father’s care. The story unravels slowly, page by page you find out more about the past and the decisions that have led Edward, Cara and Georgie to where they are now. Ultimately they have to find an answer to an impossible question – do you hold on to a loved one and pray for a miracle or do you let them go – and the answer in Luke’s case lies in their shared past. I had never read any of Jodi Picoult’s books and always thought that her books are not for me. I was positively surprised by Lone Wolf which kept me reading to the very last page. Ultimately this is a story about love, commitment, and being true to yourself and even if you don’t care for the wolf aspect of the story, the relationships between the characters more than make up for it. Well worth reading.