This is an example of the perfect "slice of life" writing I love. There are moments of drama and suspense, but overall it's a tale of a family just trying to survive. I listened in one sitting and could not get enough. I will be looking for more titles by Wink in the future!

Beartooth by Callan Wink, narrated by Will Damron, was a beautifully written and executed tale of working-class life in Montana. I loved this narration, which reminded me of CJ Box's "Open Season" audiobook narration. Well done. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t stop listening. I was hooked from the first minute! The narration was wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

Beartooth tells the story of two brothers, Thad and Hazen, living in the isolated Beartooth Mountains of Montana. There are bears and elk antlers and poachers. This was a satisfying read. The author is talented in composition and description. I read both the ebook and the audiobook. The narrator of the audiobook was exceptional. Not the most positive portrayal of women or most men I suppose, but an interesting story worth reading reflecting on family and American heritage.
Thanks to NetGalley, Spiegel and Grau, and Spiegel and Grau for Spotify Audiobooks for the advanced copies to review!

𝑩𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑶𝑶𝑻𝑯 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒏 𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒌, an extraordinary story of two brothers in the wilds of Montana from @spiegelandgrau @spotify books that I was able to experience via @netgalley.

I heard the comp to Peter Heller, who I love, and I am happy to agree, though this did feel quite distinct.

Thad and Hazen are brothers struggling to make ends meet on the edge of Yellowstone by doing the odd jobs their late father had done before them, and possibly adding a bit of poaching on the side. They are presented with an opportunity to make some real money on a job about the same time their free-spirited mother returns, and they decide to risk it. It turns out that this is a catalyst for change for the brothers in ways they wouldn't have seen.

I was quite taken by the language and writing of this story. It was billed as more of a heist story, but I would argue it is a brotherhood story with certain events bringing out the deep in both men. It is also a gorgeously sensory tale with vivid descriptions of the land and place. I was captivated by both the characters and the setting.

I had both digital and audio available, and loved the immersion into the story with the narration by Will Damron. He embodied both brothers so well. I highly recommend any format, though, as there are lines that deserve to be seen and heard.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
(my only issue was the with the name, Thad...I had a lifeguard with that name as a kid and he was the quintessential 80's prep guy, making it hard for me to imagine him as a mountain man!)

As a side note, my husband is a fly fisherman, so I caught some fun descriptions of how intelligent brown trout are. This was just one of the many bits of authentic outdoorsmanship I read, having just recent been in the Montana mountains (trying to fly fish!).

The last few years have given us some really solid modern Westerns, stories of survival and struggle in the rugged West. Beartooth is a great literary example of the genre.

Gorgeously descriptions of the landscape couch deep family strife. Callan Wink excels at both ramping up the excitement of the moment as well as giving you an insight into the brothers' relationship. Fans of Peter Heller, who also perfectly balances creating rich characters and also anxiety inducing drama, will enjoy this title. I listened to the audio version of it and it was excellent. I loved the narration and the production quality was great. I highly recommend to those looking for a contemplative, dark story.

A wilderness survival story about two brothers making a living on the remote edges of Yellowstone. This was suspenseful with a great atmospheric setting that would appeal to fans of authors like Peter Heller. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy of this new to me author's newest book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for the ARC!

“Beartooth” is a quick but powerful read—an immersive experience that throws you into a complex family dynamic, leaving you both satisfied and contemplative by the end. At first glance, it feels like an adventure story, but beneath the surface, it’s a thoughtful exploration of human nature, relationships, and the weight of our own preconceptions.

Wink’s prose is vivid and evocative, drawing you in with rich descriptions of the landscape and the people who inhabit it. But it’s the depth of his characters that truly keeps you hooked. There are definite echoes of Hemingway here—though with a more generous use of adjectives—which lends the novel a classic yet contemporary feel.

This book made me a fan, and I’ll definitely be adding more of Wink’s work to my reading list. 4 stars.

This book was not what I expected it to be, and probably not in the good way.
I do not think this is a bad book, at all. The writing is good, descriptive and it can be engaging if you relate to the characters.
I do like characters being very well developed, as it's the case here, but my isue with this book is that I never felt invested in the story or in the characters' struggles.
It's a decent and interesting story with the 'desperate people do desperate things' kind of trope. It just didn't resonate with me, and that's alright.
Other readers might love this book.
The audiobook is really well done. The narrator voices perfectly the main characters and the gravity of their situation as the story progesses.
Even though I didn't particularly love the story, the narrator helped me go through.

Thank you, NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks, for allowing me to listen to a free advanced audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

It is not a book that is fully trying to be a subversion of a genre, but it does manage to subvert expectations at almost every turn. Every time I thought something was soon to be the big focus of the book, it would take an abrupt turn and another issue would arise, effectively so. A heist book as noted yes, but this is more a story of Montana, poverty, and grief. We follow our two brothers as they carry forth in a tumultuous time after the death of their father, scrabbling to make ends meet and enjoy a life off the beaten path.

This is not at all my usual type of book. I love true crime, horror, fantasy, and lighthearted, comedic-based non-fiction essays. But... I don't know. Something about the title and the cover just intrigued me, so I "picked a book by its cover" on a whim.

I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

The pacing is a bit slow (intentionally so, I think), but it wasn't annoying or off-putting as I would have imagined a slow plot would be. Somehow, it fit with the overall tone and story.

Think of it like an old-school western (without the cowboys and Indians) without a ton of action. That's the vibe it gives off.

It's a good, solid story, and I enjoyed the ending very much. Definitely worth the read if you're in the mood for something nostalgic and a little slower paced. A good "family" story with western vibes.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Beartooth by Callum Wink, especially since I initially thought it might have too much of a masculine vibe for me. But from the very first page, I was hooked. Wink’s writing is incredibly descriptive—it made me feel like I was right there alongside the brothers, experiencing everything they did. The landscapes, the emotions, the tension—it all came to life in such a vivid way.

Thad and Hazen are characters I won’t soon forget. Their bond, struggles, and individual journeys will stay in my heart forever. There’s something deeply moving about their relationship, and the way Wink brings them to life is nothing short of powerful. What I thought might be a book outside of my usual tastes turned out to be a rich, immersive experience, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance. Highly recommend it!

I knew I wanted to read this book from the moment I saw the first line in the description comparing the novel to A Simple Plan, Scott Smith’s 1993 debut novel. A great book followed by a great movie. As I read Beartooth the comparison made sense to me – The brothers Thad and Hazen did evoke memories of Hank and Jacob, alone without their parents, facing financial issues and forced to decide whether to chase after money that perhaps they shouldn’t. It wasn’t until after I had requested the book that I saw a reference to Cormac McCarthy. If I hadn’t already been eager to read Beartooth before, that would have done the trick.

The setting of Beartooth is a cabin in the mountains near Yellowstone. The setting is so wonderfully described that I could picture it easily, both its beauty and the dangers awaiting therein. The relationship between Thad and Hazen is also very well-written.

This book was fairly short and where I felt it suffered was the exclusion of a key event involving an interaction with Beartooth’s main villain. As I listened to the chapter telling of the aftermath, I went back a few chapters convinced that I must have stopped paying attention as I had missed the event itself. Another similar example occurred when I had missed the initial discussion of an oft-referenced letter. I finally found its introduction, only to realize that there actually wasn’t much detail. I don’t generally have an issue with authors leaving things vague to encourage the imagination of the readers. This book was so short though I would have liked a little more.

Beartooth was narrated by Will Damron, who was excellent. I have enjoyed listening to him before in books such as Listen to the Lie and Bad Blood. I listened at my normal 1.25 speed.

I believe this is an incredible book and I would definitely recommend. It would be fun to see what Hollywood could do with this story.

Thanks to Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read this terrific book. The above opinions are my own.

Two brothers get into a financial bind and they try to do something about it that is not very exciting.
Hmmm...
If you like reading books with good character development, this is a great read. If you like books for the plot, this one is not for you. Slow. Not great subject matter. You get to know the characters, but you don't like them.
Very skillfully written. We just need a little more.

This is not my typical read, but I did enjoy it. It is the story of two brothers who live off the grid and their attempts to earn money to save their home. Desperate for money they take a job against their better judgment that leads them to discover more about themselves and the history of their family. A great story of survival, revenge and family. #BearTooth #NetGallery

Beautifully written and well narrated audiobook. This is the story of two brothers living around Yellowstone in a cabin built by their mother’s father. We learn early on that their father has recently died, leaving these young men in their mid-20s saddled with an obscene amount of debt as well as a roof that leaks. The older brother has taken on responsibility for their lives but is in over his head. When he tells his younger brother about the debt, they consider a scheme to steal shed antlers from the National Park, still considered poaching but without harming the animals. The author writes well about the land, reminding me of Peter Heller’s recent books. However, there wasn’t much in the way of plot here. Things happen and life goes on. People come and go. It’s classified as a mystery/thriller but I am shelving it as fiction. I’m still happy to have listened to this novel.
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #Beartooth for review purposes. Publication date: 18 Feb 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.



Very much enjoyed this book. I was uncertain how it would play out. BUT it was great. I was very invested in the lives of Thad and Hazen.
lots of characters.... great read! Definitely recommend.

Not what I expected from the blurb. It says it is fast paced- it is not. The book, which is short (audiobook is 6 hours), takes place over like two years (maybe more.) How is that fast paced in anyone's opinion.

This is far more character driven than plot driven. (Which again contradicts the whole concept of being fast paced.) And even worse, the growth arc of the characters isn't even something you can root for. Thad is worse off at the end, in my opinion, though on the rebound from hitting bottom in the middle. Hazen... not much to say without spoilers. Actually, not much to say at all as some things are vague and up to the reader to determine.

Even the "heist" wasn't very exciting. And took all of a chapter.

I typically enjoy Will Damron's narrations. His narration is about the only part that I didn't hate.

I received an advance audio book in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

This book is giving masc energy on every level, and in some ways, this is an intriguing view. In others, it can feel a bit slower paced than I'd have liked, especially with the central activities in mind.

Brothers Thad and Hazen are facing challenging socioeconomic circumstances and their ever evolving sibling bond, and if character development around these issues appeals, there's a lot to enjoy here. Wink nicely develops motivation, explanations for decision making, and past familial details, all of which add more layers to the central characters. At times, though, the suspense I hoped for from the synopsis just wasn't happening.

The narrator of this audiobook adds a lot to the experience and keeps this engaging, even in the periodic slower moments.

I'll read more from this author.

Scenery was atmospheric and the debtors were vivid and outdoorsy. I enjoyed the depth of character and the tragic storyline. The ending felt ambiguous but that was probably intentional.