Raised by Wolves

If you've ever wondered what it was like for Mercy Thompson as a teen raised by wolves...

Yes, this comes close to answering that question. If you're a fan of Patricia Briggs amazingly addictive Mercy Thompson series, you'll love Jennifer Lynn Barnes "Raised by Wolves." No, the fifteen year old heroine, Bryn, isn't a shape-shifting coyote or a werewolf, just a human girl adopted by a pack after a Rabid wolf (think of it as a vicious rogue serial killer...with really big teeth and claws!)slaughters her parents in front of her. She is saved, brought into the pack after the Alpha, Callum, "marks" her and, from the age of 4 to 15, settles in to living with werewolves. Of course, she is a normal rebellious teen, and since girls are a rare commodity in Were society, she is protected to the nth degree. So when she finds out a secret has been kept from her about her family's death, she is rightly angered and hurt by what she sees as her Pack's betrayal. She is also drawn to a strange boy the Alpha has been hiding, a rare human turned Were, a survivor like Bryn. They feel an instant bond, and in her pursuit of the truth Bryn draws the ire of the Pack and its brutal form of justice.

The characterizations in this story are vivid. Callum is Bryn's surrogate father, Alpha of the Pack, all-powerful, and maybe even all-seeing. Ali is the human who married into the Pack and adoptive mother of Bryn. Devon is the 6'4" movie show tune singing best male friend who is also a purebred Were with the potential to be an Alpha. Lake is one of the rare and therefore cherished female Weres who lives outside of the Pack, but is also a butt-kicking, gun-toting BFF to die for.

And then there's Chase. Strong enough to survive an attack by a Werewolf and live through the change, his bond with Bryn is instant although it threatens her place in the Pack. But, man, is he worth the trouble!!!

The wolf behavior and Pack heirarchy are fascinating and make this book a great read. The characterization makes it heartfelt. And the tense buildup to the final showdown makes the ending explosive. I can't wait for the sequel which, according to Jen's website, will be out in 2011.

Fans of Patricia Briggs will eat it up.

14 out of 14 people found this review helpful.

Head to head with Shiver as my fave Werewolf novel!

A Werewolf story with a twist! Excellent story with awesome characters! I loved the heroine, Bryn. She was strong-willed, spunky, witty, sarcastic, with a strong sense of justice and splashes of fault! Just the way I like 'em! The rest of the supporting characters were well-rounded and nicely developed. Each one having their own little quirks and characteristics that made each one of them special in their own right. The story played out in a way that kept me on my toes and dying to know what happens next. Raised by Wolves was one of those stories, that for once, I really couldn't call what was going to happen next. That in itself, made for an extremely exciting read! I am already counting down for the next installment, Trial by Fire! Definitely a new fave within the Werewolf genre!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Ferociously good

This book was very well written and in my opinion explored some of the inner relationships we have with our family members, although in a more brutal atmosphere, especially Bryn's relationship with her adoptive father Callum. Despite this though or maybe because of this I would only give this book a 4 out of 5 rating. I really liked the main character bryn and even her best friend Devon (he was my favorite), but I really hated Callum. The way he treated Bryn really bugged me, but other than that it was a great story. Don't take my word for it though give it a try.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not That Good :/

Picked up this book at random. Thought it was really slow. Many times boring. I think that a lot of the information written was not important and shouldn't have been included. There were some grammer mistakes. The book finally got interesting after the 20th something chapter. The ending was not that great either. Overall okay.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Disappointment

I expected more from this book and didn't quite get it. It was boring at times and repetitive. It could have been better had the bonds between the characters not seemed so weak. Don't get me wrong i like it and it started off good enough but went downhill i skimmed a lot of it. And it's ending was not as strong and clear as it could have been.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Could have been a lot better

This book was rather corny and I can't understand why people love it so much. Not that I disliked the book but I hated the main character. Bryn annoyed me and thought she knew best about everything and prided herself for being an annoyance to the alpha and getting in trouble. And for some reason i found all of the female characters in the book annoying. Ali complained to much, Lake wasn't appealing. Sora on the other hand was the only female in the book I actually liked. Devon, Chase, and Callum were amazing characters but they were males. Maybe because the whole "female dominance" thing wasn't portrayed correctly and just made the females irritating, and I'm a female so it's not being sexist I'm just trying to say the females should have been portrayed wayyyy better. And I eventually got tired of "fight, pack, mine, mine, mine, fight, pack, protect." being repeated over and over again. Although the way Jennifer Lynn Barnes portrayed the wolves and the alphas was just amazing. She had done a good job really showing their animal side and how the instincts work. The book was overall good, but the plot was corny and the main character was a typical heroine. The way she described Callum's power was awesome though. I personally didn't like the ending but I'm glad it ended with Callum talking to Bryn. But throughout the book it talked a lot about Devon's power but it was never displayed. And Chase and Bryn were connected through their minds but didn't show much outside of that they liked each other as much as all the stuff that was going on inside their heads. I guess it was my fault for having higher expectations for the book. But it was ok.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Review

The side characters won me over in this book. The story was interesting and I enjoyed Bryn's journey of discovering the truth of her past, present and future, not to mention her struggle to find her place among both the wolves and humans, but that's not what had me really liking this book. It was the secondary characters that had my heart and kept me reading.

To start there's Callum. The Stone River pack's alpha and Bryn's guardian. Right off I was hooked on him and found myself forgiving him for all his flaws without justification, yep...I had it bad for Callum. He's strong, smart and after getting to know him you find he does nothing without a reason. He rescued Bryn when she was just four years old and has been looking after her ever since. He may not tell her everything but again, he has his reasons and I respect that part of him. I'll admit at one point (you'll know when you read the book) it was hard not to jump on the "Callum isn't a good guy" bandwagon but overall I just couldn't help but love him. Did I mention that he's rocking a hot accent to go with everything else? Wow!

Then we've got Dev and Lake, Bryn's two best friends. Dev is an alpha in the making and a good guy to boot! He's been by Bryn's side from the day she came to the pack and he's not going anywhere anytime soon. Lake is one of only a few female werewolves and she's got the spunk to back up her individuality. The girl is a walking weapon and yet she goes almost nowhere without her shotgun, which she affectionately refers to as Matilda. You've got to love a girl who's always prepared. She's fiercely protective of Bryn and is loyal until the end. She doesn't question Bryn's motives (or at least not too much) but sticks with her without a thought to the consequences.

These characters were unique and unforgettable for me and I can't wait to see them again. Jennifer Lynn Barnes had a great story to tell and I know there's more where that came from. A lot of dramatic events took place in this first installment of the series and I can only imagine what Barnes has planned for the rest of the series.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I must have a thing for Wolves!

I think that I must have a fixation with books involving wolves. I just love the idea of shape shifting into a wolf. There is just something so sexy about a werewolf.yum! Jennifer Lynn Barnes has delivered a book that has it all: suspense, humor, mystery, action, romance, and hot wolfity goodness! Oh and BTW.how can you not pick this up? The cover alone is phenomenal!

Raised by wolves is about Bryn, a fifteen-year-old living amongst a pack of werewolves. Her family was attacked and killed by a Rabid (loner/killer werewolf) when she was four and she was saved by Callum (the alpha of the pack). Having a human around is risky and so Callum "Marked" Bryn to show the rest of the pack that she belonged to him and she was not to be harmed. Bryn was also legally adopted by Callum but raised by the only other human in the pack, Alie.

Suddenly Bryn is being given bodyguards (babysitters as far as she is concerned) and no one will tell her why. Alie is pregnant with a werewolf baby and most humans don't survive the birth so Bryn agrees to go with it. But during Alie's labor Bryn can't take it anymore so she sneaks out to head to Callum's.

What she finds at Callum's is anything then what she expected. When she heads downstairs she finds Chase locked in a cage. He says he was bitten and then shifts into a wolf (uncontrollably), bring back the memories of her parent's murder. Where did this boy come from? Why was he kept a secret from her? Who bit him? All of these questions seem to draw Bryn to Chase because he may be the only one who can provide the information she needs. But in order to be granted permission to see Chase she must accept a few conditions.

Soon Chase and Bryn begin to form an intense bond, one that may even overshadow their bonds to the pack. After Bryn is punished (understatement) Alie takes Bryn and the twins and leaves the pack but not even the distance can truly separate Bryn and Chase. Soon Bryn, Chase, Lake, and Devon (her two best friends - both werewolves) set out to track down the Rabid and kill him once and for all.

Trial By Fire (the next book in the series) will be out next year and once you read Raised by Wolves I am very confident that you will be as anxious as me to get your hands on it. I loved this book and I know you will too!

http://bringmeanotherbook.blogspot.com

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Raised by Wolves

Jennifer Lynn Barnes tells a suspenseful story with plenty of action. Bronwyn Alessia St. Vincent Clare should have died at age four when a rogue werewolf came to kill her parents. Bronwyn or Bryn for short hid and was saved by Callum, the alpha of the area. Callum is a thousand year old werewolf with the largest pack of werewolves. Callum adopted the human girl and raised her as wolf. Bryn rebelled and fought to block out the pack way of life. Where the werewolves would never disobey...more Jennifer Lynn Barnes tells a suspenseful story with plenty of action. Bronwyn Alessia St. Vincent Clare should have died at age four when a rogue werewolf came to kill her parents. Bronwyn or Bryn for short hid and was saved by Callum, the alpha of the area. Callum is a thousand year old werewolf with the largest pack of werewolves. Callum adopted the human girl and raised her as wolf. Bryn rebelled and fought to block out the pack way of life. Where the werewolves would never disobey Callum Bryn pushed the limits by sneaking out, getting less than straight A's and might have borrowed a motorcycle when the owner wasn't looking.

Barnes created a very intricate world with lots of back story. For example werewolves are born and are mostly men. Female werewolves are only born as a set of twins and most werewolves are born to human mothers who rarely survive the birth.

Bryn was raised by Ali one of the human wives who is pregnant with twins. Ali is only a few years older than Bryn and has always fought to give her a normal life. When Ali goes into labor Bryn can't watch and she escapes to the forest.

She eventually ends up at Callum's house where she discovers a boy caged in the basement. Chase is not only a boy but a new wolf who tells her he was bitten before he turned. Chase shifts when he smells her fear and crashes against the bars of his cage trying to feeding on her.

I really like that Bryn isn't a victim but a girl who can kicks a$$. Since Callum claimed her as his when she came into the pack it guaranteed her security, but she also had to learn to fight and survive just in case something went wrong.

The story takes so many unexpected twist that I can't begin to describe them. The moments Bryn shares with Callum are so emotionally charged. One moment I wanted to yell at him and others I wanted to love him. I was smitten with Chase from the moment he told Bryn "Before the attack, I liked cars, Yeats, having a bedroom that locked from the inside and you" can we say ahh! The ending was really surprising and unexpected. One of the things I found a little creepy was how newborn wolves can shift from wolf to human. If you thought baby vamps were creepy wait until you meet the shifting wolves. Over all I thought the story was great and I hope that there will be a second book because I can really see this turning into a series.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I really loved this book it was diffenent than alot of books ive

I really loved this book it was diffenent than alot of books ive read. i can't wait to read the second book!

I've read a books about Fairies , Vampires , Trolls , Dragons ,

I've read a books about Fairies , Vampires , Trolls , Dragons , Zombies , and All things Supernatural ..
But i haven't read a book about Werewolves before.
So i gave this book a chance . Though everyone says that the book starts out slow and ends up slow .
It actually goes in a normal speed , Making sure everything is explained , not rushed.
The dialogue i noticed wasn't awkward or forced like most books, where the author tries to make the conversations "natural" .
Not only did i live Callum and Bryn relationship . I fell in-love with Callum and his strong calm personality. Sadly Jennifer Lynn decided to make Chase the love interest in the book and make Callum Bryn's "Father" or something ..... I wish Bryn could forget all about Chase --who i really didn't care less about once i already meet Callum in the book-- and see him how i do . But since Jennifer Lynn put him as her "Father" , Bryn being in-love with him would be really WRONG ! ......... *sigh* I recommend the book to readers that will resist Callum and fall in love with Chase , cause if you don't you'll end up disappointed and sad . Like me........ ANYWAY! I RECOMMEND IT !!!

Stunner

This book was incredible its not some romance like Twilight. It is a dark / humotous book that has me up till one am. The actions of the charecters are well done and the storyline has you dying for more. The wolves instincts and raw power ks incredible. Best werewolf book i have read ever. EVER! EVER! Its well detailed and not corny at all. If you are still iffy about reading this book dont be its incredible and awe-inspiring.

Starts wonderfully, but ends with a flop

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?

Bryn doesn't exactly feel like she fits in at school as well as at home. She's part of the wolf pack, but many members won't even willingly accept her if not for the Alpha's protection. She's an orphan with a dark past and knows something is up since new laws have been put into place for her to get home at dusk and many more rules shes unwilling to follow. When a new discovery of pack secrets is revealed, Bryn must go against her "human" instincts and fully accept the pack lifestyle, accepting the good with the bad. Yet, can Bryn willingly change for the better when even more secrets from the past become known?

I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of this tale, but the end kind of fizzled out for me. It was fresh, very intriguing, and written in a manner that was quite easy to follow, but the plot turns at the end had me wishing for something different. It's not that it wasn't a nice ending, just not as satisfying as I would have personally liked and it was a little sad. Bryn's relationship with the different characters was what interested me the most. She acted differently with everyone and that kept the story spicy and from becoming too slow to enjoy.

I would have liked a better conclusion (maybe even an epilogue?) to this story and perhaps I'm unaware of a series that will soon follow, but I felt many of the side characters had their tale unjustly cut short and I would have enjoyed to learn more about them and where they were headed. Oh, just found out : TRIAL BY FIRE (the Raised By Wolves sequel) okay, that makes my reading taste much happier to know there is more coming overall.

Likes: I enjoyed the concept behind the story and am excited to read more into that world in Book #2.

Dislikes: I want to know more about Bryn and her ability, much was left out and I know there is more of the story to come soon, but what was lacking had me scratching my head in confusion.

a completely original take on werewolf lore

When Brynn was four-years-old her life changed forever when a rogue werewolf killed her parents. Rescued by the Stone River Pack and Marked by the pack's alpha, Callum, Brynn's safety is a matter of pack law.

The only problem is Brynn is human. Even as a member of the pack, living with a bunch of werewolves is dangerous. Weres can smell fear. They are faster. They are stronger. Most of them are older and more experienced. One lapse in control could leave a human very dead.

Even if that human is a fifteen-year-old girl named Brynn who knows almost everything worth knowing about dealing with (and defending herself against) Weres. Even with the danger, Brynn feels more at home in this world dictated by dominance struggles, territorial rights, and pack justice than the human world she left behind.

When a newly-turned were appears in Callum's territory Brynn's insular life within the pack is thrown into chaos. Brynn is inexplicably drawn to the new Were. Even though she has never seen Chase before, she recognizes something in him, she knows him.

As Brynn and Chase are drawn to each other she realizes everything she thought she knew about the pack, and about Callum, might be wrong. Everything Brynn thought she knew about her past, and her life in the pack, might be wrong in Raised by Wolves (2010) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

Raised by Wolves is a completely original take on werewolf lore. Barnes has created a well-realized back story for Brynn and the North American packs. All of the weres and their wolf behaviors are fully realized and add a clever, primal, spin to werewolves with a strong focus on life within the pack and the animal nature of the Weres.

Brynn is a heroine readers will want to root for as well as an excellent guide through the dangerous but tantalizing world of Weres. Although Chase is not as fully realized compared to Brynn he is a good addition to the story, especially combined with the other characters (minor and not) who are quirky, funny and extremely well-developed.

Barnes expertly navigates the murky waters of pack life for Brynn and the grey areas of working towards a greater good in this story. She also packs in enough action, excitement and humor to make Raised By Wolves an edge-of-your-seat adventure that will leave readers guessing until the last page.

Possible Pairings: White Cat by Holly Black, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Clarity by Kim Harrington, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Raised by wolves

A good book overall, but it has a slow pace. I bought it because it sounded like a good werewolf book, but I was a little disappointed. Too slow for me. It was not that interesting. I would have liked it better if she was actually a werewolf.

Cool

I just got done reading the sample and it looks like really good book...it is going on my wish list for when i get more money then i can buy it. I find it kinda cool that she is living with werewolfs, because in 9th grade me an 3 other friends gave each other nick names and i got werewolf...ever since then, whenever we write notes, we use each others nick names. During my junior(11th grade) year they shortened my name to wolfy...so yeah i find it funny and ironic :) i can tell this is going to be a good read just from other reviews. :D

Excellent!

I loved this book. I totally agree with another review that if you like Patricia Briggs than you will love this book. A tight plot and an excellent heroine and supporting cast make this one a winner. I couldn't put it down.

Great wolves

I love this series. It's a great new take on wolves and the love story within is wonderful.

Alright

This book was my first werewolf book and it wasnt too bad. Not very impressed with the storyline.

What a great book

Great wonderful and action packed