The Wolf by Lorenzo Carcaterra: Book Review

The Wolf: A Novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Wowww! I did not know what to expect when I downloaded this book, nor did I expect to fall completely into the world of terrorists and gangsters. The set up was a bit short and right to the point which I didn't mind, but I also wish there was more background to the life of gangsters. Also, the sadness of death to the Wolf's family was concise and to the point--not leaving any time for the reader to mourn or process what had happened to them. Though the Wolf is a gangster who has done a lot of non-exemplary things in the past, you can't help but feel sorry/bad for him as he deals with loss.


I didn't expect to actually enjoy and slightly appreciate the other side of the spectru--that is the criminals and gangsters and how they may (or may not) influence a lot of businesses in today's society. I found the whole idea of it interesting and how large the scope of it can be was hard to process, especially with the different crime mobs and crews spread throughout the world, and the author made it very believable.


I also like the stark differences between gangsters and terrorists and how the author draws the differences, yet doesn't dehumanize the characters. He explains through the characters' own story of their cause and what they believe in and their own purpose in the life they chose.
The only thing that had me confused in this story at first was the way the different time lines played out. It went back and forth between the main character, the Wolf, then to the other crime mobs, and to other different smaller scenarios with lesser characters. It took a while to get used to, but in the end, I was able to fully connect and link the dots of what happened.


I have to recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a quick yet captivating read that has a lot of action in it. You also can't be faint of heart since there are scenes that are written out graphically. This story will have you inside the mind of a crime boss and might even slightly sway you to almost admire that type of lifestyle, no matter how morally wrong it can be. If not that, then you will definitely be hooked into this story due to the pace. The ending just makes it even more insane and I can't wait to see what the Wolf does next after the news he finds out in the end and I hope that the next step in his story continues. If there is a sequel to this story, I definitely will read that since I really want to know what he does next!
Now it is kind of lame because I have to wait or try to find the prequel to this book, The Vulture's Game. I think it will do more of the explaining of his life before his loss in this book and maybe explain more of how powerful he got, how he fell in love, etc. etc. But as a stand alone book, this is a good one!

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