Winter of the Wolf was a great book to read. I enjoyed it.
It's about a girl named Bean and her family who are close. One day something happens, and one of her brothers gets in serious trouble after doing his sister a favor. He gets grounded. He is very angry and he does something after his friend tells him about it and gives him the item to do it.
His parents soon find him and are devastated, and so are the other brothers and Bean.
She soon decides to find out, with the help of her friend, who or what happened to her brother. What she finds out is shocking, to say the least.
A very good book.
4 stars.

Winter of the Wolf is the story of a girl dealing with grief and how she begins to overcome it. It deals a lot with Inuit culture and spirituality. It is a wonderful story with strong characters, a great Northern Minnesota setting and a bit of a mystery at the center of it all. I really loved everything about this book and the cover is perfect. I can’t recommend it enough. Perfect for all readers, but especially those who enjoy nature, spirituality, and YA books. This is definitely one worth picking up.

Winter of the Wolf is listed as a Young Adult/Children’s mystery - this book is SO much more than that if one can even list it as a mystery. At its core, Martha Hunt Handler has crafted a book about a young girl’s spiritual journey after the death of her brother.

The answer as to why people die is never easy and sometimes we never know why - hence the mystery. Handler takes us on Bean’s journey as she asks why her brother died. The answers are not easy and some questions are never answered. Yet on this journey questions she never asked are answered. Handler gives us a glimpse into the Inuit culture and how she utilizes Sam to influence the people in his life.

Handler also shows us how death impacts an entire family whose belief systems are different. How every member of a family has a different relationship with the one who has died. Everyone grieves and moves forward differently.

Winter is also about friendship. Bean did everything she could to push everyone away. Julie gave her space, but in the end she said: enough. She pushed her way back into Bean’s life and would not let her be alone. Girl code. I love Handler’s depiction of Julie and Bean.

When you see the word mystery by Winter of the Wolf know that you are getting so much more. You will be walking away with the knowledge of another culture and Bean’s journey of awareness to life.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

Recommended: sure
For a look at spiritual beliefs and the way a life looks lived by them, a story of grief and how a family works through it, a light mystery thrown in

Thoughts:
I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed the spiritual aspects of this book, like the many discussions of beliefs and life after death. I'm not particularly spiritual myself, but this was an accessible and interesting look into Inuit beliefs. Bean seems a bit wise beyond her years, but she does struggle. She feels lost too and is just doing her best.

The mystery aspect of the story was fairly light and mostly accessed in Bean's efforts to understand and overcome her grief at her brother's death. As she tries, she develops stronger relationships with her best friend as well as her family. Each person in the family had a moment to show more about who they are and how they were affected by Sam's death. They in turn work to enhance Bean's character and understanding. As an overall look at how grief affects people differently, this was very compassionately handled.

I certainly did not expect the resolution of the story, but it felt so simple has to be quite believable. And, as her authors note mentions, is believable because it does in fact happen -- far more frequently than might be expected.

This book is more of a investigation into the self and a discussion of beliefs than it is a mystery or detective novel. The mystery is there as flavor and as a guide for Bean to learn more about herself and the world. Altogether this was a surprisingly optimistic and uplifting read for its basis of the aftermath of a possible suicide.

Thanks to Goodreads & Greenleaf Book Group for a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was fairly short and a really easy ready. I started and finished over the weekend. The book has different elements, like grief, spirituality, and mystery. While the mystery around Sam's death keeps you wanting to know what happens, and the twist at the end was unexpected, I think it's primarily a book about dealing with loss. I loved reading about not just how Bean was dealing with it, but how each member of the family was dealing with their grief and seeing a family that was falling apart start to find their way back to each other. The reference to Inuit beliefs are frequent throughout the book but this isn't because any of the characters are Inuit, but because Bean's brother Sam has been obsessed with Inuit culture since he was a little kid, it drives a lot of his environmentally conscious choices, and it's something Bean keeps going back to, to try and understand Sam's death.

In this book, a selfish, unlikeable, psychic girl in love with her brother--who was so fascinated by Inuit culture that he appropriated significant aspects of it--tries to prove that he didn't deliberately hang himself. She appropriates an Inuit ritual herself to contact his spirit, but decides only that he is at peace. At the very end of the book, his best friend tells her that he gave her brother information on autoerotic asphyxiation, and that's how her brother died.

This is a good example of why we need sensitivity readers for books. While the author sites a few books on the Inuit in a note at the end of the book, the appropriation is very problematic and potentially very offensive. And while the author was inspired to write this after her friend's son died of auto asphyxiation, this element enters into the narrative so late that it's an afterthought. The friend tells the dead boy's family about it, they thank him for the information, and go on with the rest of their day. The final issue with this novel is the narrator. She complains that her grieving mother doesn't cook for her or do her laundry. She's deliberately not close with her other brothers, because fo her the only one that mattered was the one who died. She's jealous and possessive. She takes without giving and without thanks. I can't recommend this mess to anyone, and if the publishers didn't consult with Inuit readers prior to going to press, they need to do so now.

Winter of the Wolf was a super intense story from beginning to end. This book just pulls at your heartstrings, it's very deep and depressing (not meant as an insult) due to the nature of the events that transpire.
I was sucked right into the book and finally stopped for the night at about 2 or 3 in the morning because it is just that well done. You can feel the heartache, the anger and confusion, all the feelings in this book that are laid out there, you feel them.

I think that most people who have lost a loved one, no matter the connection (familial or not) would feel for this family and connect with at least one if not a few of the characters. You never know what life will throw at you or when, nobody is ever prepared for the death of a loved one. It is a very gut-wrenching and painful experience to have to go through.


******subject warnings: suicide, loss of a child/family member, Autoerotic Asphyxiation, bullying (lightly glazed over), mental health, death, grieving, moving forward after such a catastrophic event in life and forgiveness.

I would recommend this for most ages, sadly because of how things are in our world and societies.

Less serious matter, the cover is absolutely gorgeous! I love wolves, I have always felt connected to them. Wolves are a very misjudged animal.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC of Winter of the Wolf.
All opinions are my own.

Sometimes the end is only the beginning........

Martha Hunt Handler presents a storyline that will give you pause. Perhaps you have been touched profoundly by the passing of someone whose death leaves more questions than answers.

Handler introduces us to the Hanes family living in northern Minnesota. Frigid is on the weather meter most of the year. We come to know Bean, a fifteen year old, surrounded by three brothers of differing ages and personalities. But her favorite is her kindred spirit, Sam. She and Sam almost finish each other's sentences and are pretty much on the same wave length. No sibling rivalry here in the least.

But it is the character of Sam who will set the course for this story. Handler will bring us through a day's worth of events that will eventually lead us to Sam's ultimate death. If you have ever experienced the loss of someone through suicide or even were touched on the outskirts of its aftermath, then you will feel this one deeply. Handler extends the reality of such an act and doesn't turn away from it.

Winter of the Wolf actually is a journey into the arms of healing and hope. Handler gifts Bean with open and honest dialogue as she tries to sort out her feelings with her best friend, Julie. There is nothing abbreviated with these two. They speak to a truth that is cleansing and uplifting while adults "deal" in their isolation and in their confinement. "If he took his life, then I never really knew him." But what they truly knew about Sam is his completeness in what will bring them to a far higher level of understanding.

Please note that this is not a maudlin novel because the initial subject matter is heavily set before us. In fact, the honesty is what propels us throughout. Handler weaves Sam's deep respect for the Inuit people in his daily lifestyle and his lifelong honoring of all things in Nature. Savor the beauty of that book cover. It is through Bean that we come to appreciate her newly found focus on the expanse of Sam's life in its entirety rather than solely focusing on the tragic moment of that day. Perhaps it is a life lesson for us all. We are far more than any single, standalone moment of our lives. Chosen or not. Bravo, Martha Hunt Handler.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Greenleaf Book Group Press and to Martha Hunt Handler for the opportunity.

this book, attempted not too sucessfully to deal with the death of her brother and how it affected her family. It was unclear what it was trying to be, resolution of grief, resolution of a mystery or spiritual teaching. It was just ok for me, the resolution fell flat and while i get it was trying to be a warning, it didn't make sense given what we knew of sam that he would do this

This book surprised me in a number of ways - for some reason, I expected it to fall more into the realms of fantasy, where Bean discovers that her brother has somehow been reincarnated into a wolf, but discovered that it was a very realistic, moving journey through loss, grief, and recovery. I don’t know what the author has experienced in life, but I expect that she has gone through the loss of someone very dear to her in order to write about this family so realistically.

I liked that the book dealt with Sam’s apparent suicide in a manner that a real family would and didn’t shy away from some of the darker aspects of it, like feeling so full of despair that you can’t function, as we see when Bean’s mother hides in the dark and ceases to do anything. Bean’s grief manifests in her abandoning her best friend and the anger she feels toward her family when she feels that they are not behaving in the way she thinks they ought. The author normalizes these feelings and validates them. She also does an excellent job of showing the healing process which is painful and not a steady line upward back to normalcy, but one that dips and rises again and again as the family slowly comes back together, confronts the painful memories, and is eventually able to begin to remember Sam with happiness rather than grief.

The ending did feel very abrupt, though the more I thought about it, the more true to life it felt. Sometimes we are presented with a mystery, and though Bean is determined to prove that Sam did not commit suicide, her efforts do not lead to a neat, satisfactory answer. Her search for answers is not fruitless, however, and gives her a path toward healing. Ultimately, time provides the answer, dropping it into her lap, and isn’t that just how life is sometimes? We can search and search, but in reality, we aren’t detectives, and we don’t get our answers in the way we expect because our life isn’t a novel, neatly packaged.

I do have some criticism about the inclusion of Inuit culture in this book. Admittedly, I don’t really know much about their lifestyle, but I felt that it was rather romanticized (possibly based on the docudrama “Nanook of the North,” which is not a true documentary, but was mentioned as the source of Sam’s interest) and portrayed Inuit more as who they were (or how westerners saw them 150 years ago), rather than who they are today. Were their traditional burial practices a part of becoming a part of nature, or simply a product of being unable to bury people in permafrost?

At one point, Bean says that she doesn’t know much about them, not sharing her brother’s interest, but she also states that she thinks they would never even commit suicide. This could be a valid thought, coming from her point of view, though I think it's a bit tricky making these assertions when the general public doesn't know otherwise. Though the book amends this to a small degree later (though I don’t know the degree of truth in those statements), Inuit people today are facing a number of different challenges today compared to what they have dealt with in the past, one of which is a mental health crisis leading to some of the highest suicide rates in the world.

Anyway, it just reminded me to some degree of how Native Americans were portrayed in children’s books that I read in the 80s. Even if an author of that era intended only the best, it wasn’t accurate and treated them as people of days gone by, rather than a living culture that has modernized with the rest of the world.

I think that Sam’s spirituality and deep connection with nature could have been easily expressed without referencing other cultures. I, too, feel that burial is a total waste of money and resources, and is harmful to the environment, but that stems from reading Stiff by Mary Roach (a great book if you get the chance to read it). I did like Sam’s connection to nature, especially animals - he was a kid I would have really connected with at that age, and I loved him for it.

At any rate, I think this book was beautifully written and could possibly be helpful to someone outside of a family dealing with a difficult loss, to better understand what they’re experiencing and how friends can support them. The characters were rich and well developed, and surprisingly, Sam was too even though his death occurs at the start of the book. He is present beyond death, just as anyone's loved one lives on in their heart and mind.

This genre may not appeal to the general YA crowd or anyone looking for escapist reading, but there's something beautiful in it that is worth experiencing.

I love every mystery and thriller, but this combination of mystery and some thriller elements combined with teens or YA literature has totally made me melt!

I really enjoyed this book. Right from the beginning I was hooked. We follow Bean who has gone through a tragedy. This was a really heart breaking read following Bean and her family as they are dealing with a death and the grief that they are going through . Bean beliefs that Sam's death was not suicide and believes that something strange happened to her brother because he would never commit suicide. She decides along with her best friend that she is going to figure out what really happened to her brother. I really loved the relationship that was shown between Bean and her brother Sam. They truly had an amazing relationship and believed that they were sibling soul mates

Bean is such a strong main character and very mature for her age due to all of her brothers teachings. Even through her deep depression she manages a whole household at the age of 15 which is really admirable because her father and mother seemed to check out after Sam's death.

I really enjoyed how supportive this family was and how they believed that everyone should go through a journey and figure out what they believe or not believe when it comes to religion. This whole family has many beliefs, Bean's dad is an atheist, Sam had Inuit beliefs and Bean and her mum were exploring many different avenues.

This was such an impactful and eye opening read to many different themes such as grief and religion. I really recommend this book for everyone.

Omg I truly lived this book. The way grieve was portraid in so many eays in this book was amazing. It was a beautiful read that gripped me.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book: I thought I was really going to like it but I didn’t connect with it. I think if this is something you are interested in I would recommend it

Overall, this was a story that covered friendship and family, emotion, spirituality, and grief. It was written and edited well, and I highly recommend it!


I would recommend Winter of the Wolf for readers of all ages that enjoy an emotional story with a mystery to it!

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Phew that was a lot to take in. While this is a good book, I do not think the age level that I deal with in school is appropriate. It dialog was great and there wasn't anything too horrific but the bases of the story will get them asking questions that I dont think they need to be worrying about in elementary school.

Full review on my blog monday 6-1-2020

Spoilers ahead!!
Some notes:
- Get sucked into the mystery right from the get go. Takes a few chapters to hear the story of what happens “that night.”
- Feels like there are some extraneous story lines that don’t need to be there. Like the late detail about Julie wanting to talk to Bean about something important the night of the accident and it turns out it’s just a guy that night have a crush on her.
- “That Inuit stuff” felt a bit misconveyed. Trying to lend awareness but doesn’t feel like it paid the appropriate respects
- Ending was very out of the blue. Nothing throughout the book related to the outcome. Appreciate sentiment of bringing awareness to the issue but the topic wasn’t brought up throughout the book at all

Winter of the Wolf is a harrowing yet alluring depiction of grief and the pain and questioning that follows after an unexpected loss of a loved one.

Bean has recently lost her brother, Sam, to an apparent suicide. Questioning the cause of Sam’s death, Bean embarks on a journey of spirituality and grief in order to find out the truth.

I’d like to start off by stating that this book made me cry twice and that despite its heaviness, it has made me feel lighter. Combining elements of nature, death of a loved one and reincarnation, Winter of the Wolf portrays the painful process of grief and the questioning of a believer. It is a heartbreaking story of a sister so close to her brother she considered him her soulmate, and how his beliefs came to shape her, even after his passing.

Following Bean and her family through this difficult time, we witness how each member of the family has been affected by Sam’s death and just how special he truly was.

Handler writes and develops these characters incredibly well and makes you truly care for them and their well-being. Especially Sam, a character that is physically absent but ever present behind every action.

It is impossible not to connect with this story and its characters. I guarantee you every reader will undoubtedly take something away from Winter of the Wolf. I walk away with an even bigger admiration for the indigenous beliefs mentioned, a deeper interest of the afterlife and our connection to nature. I also applaud the author for donating all book sales proceeds to the Wolf Conservation Center. PROTECT OUR WOLVES.

What I Loved:
Wow! Winter of the Wolf was such an emotional read. I get so invested in a story that has a mystery element but also draws me in emotionally. It was beautiful to read!

My Synopsis:
Sam Hanes has died from suicide by hanging in his bedroom. His sister, Bean, is absolutely distraught over losing him. Everyone around her is saying that Sam committed suicide. As Bean relives the event through her memories, she just can’t believe that he would do that. She knows her brother in a way that others do not and is determined to uncover what really happened to him.

While Bean is working to figure out what has actually happened to her brother, she is also learning to manage her own grief as well as the grief of her family. Winter of the Wolf blends mystery, grief management, forgiveness, and spirituality, to create a beautiful, touching story.

How I Felt:
I just need to give a quick shout out to this fabulous cover! It caught my attention immediately and I knew I wanted to read it!

This story was so emotional. It really provides a glimpse into grief and explores how people manage it. I was blown away by Martha Hunt Handler’s writing style and ability. Her descriptions created vivid images of the scenes I was reading about. I felt drawn into the story where I would forget I was reading, losing all sense of my surroundings, and it was as if I was in the book. It’s the best experience possible when reading.

The characters were so incredibly real. Bean, the main character, shared her emotion and feelings in a way that made her feel like my friend, not just a character in a book. She was open about her thoughts, concerns, regrets, and insecurities and was the perfect character to convey this story. I felt like the way her feelings were written made them relatable in my own life, and I appreciated that.

Overall, this was a story that covered friendship and family, emotion, spirituality, and grief. It was written and edited well, and I highly recommend it!

Content Warnings:
Discussion of suicide, loss of a child or sibling, mental health, bullying, autoerotic asphyxiation.

To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend Winter of the Wolf for readers of all ages that enjoy an emotional story with a mystery to it!

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Winter of the Wolf
Author: Martha Hunt Handler
Genre: YA Spiritual/Mystery
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ • ✨/ 5
Reviewed: Maya

This is a hard one to review and rate. I thought the writing was beautiful and the storyline flowed really well, but I just didn’t find enough action in this book. 15-year-old Bean is very spiritually involved until the mysterious death of her closest brother, Sam and begins to try and connect spiritually with Sam to unravel what really happened. Not being a believer of anything I can’t see or experience myself, I didn’t really connect with what a lot of the book was about. The imagery in this book was excellent and I could easily imagine everything was happening (even if I could only see it as a work of fiction and nothing more). Bean was an extremely well-written character and she seemed to be very genuine. I was confused with Sam’s character though; he is a Inuit-believer and cannot harm another soul, yet later in the book there are revelations that he does things that I would thought somebody with such a strong belief system wouldn’t do, especially him because it just didn’t add up. I loved the way that Inuit culture was such a big focus in this book and I found it to be very fascinating. My biggest problem with this novel was how slow the ending was, especially for such a short book. At the second last chapter, I was left feeling very confused because it was a couple of months after the original storyline and I believed Sam’s death was going to be ‘open-to-interpretation’ (don’t worry, the book was concluded). I would have much preferred it to all be in the same timeline and for the conclusion to have been explained a couple of chapters earlier because I thought it was rushed and made to squeeze into the ending. I highly recommend this book for people who are interested in spiritual books, the environment and the Inuit culture.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Greenleaf Book Group Press and of course Martha Hunt Handler for providing me with this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is set for the 7th of July, 2020.

This review will be published on Goodreads and Instagram. Links and dates will added to this feedback once it has been published (within the next week or so).