Review: Amarok, Angela Townsend

Life has been hell for seventeen-year-old Emma since she moved from sunny California to a remote Alaskan town. Rejected by her father and living with the guilt of causing her mother's death, she makes a desperate dash for freedom from her abusive stepfather. But when her car skids off the icy road, her escape only leads to further captivity in a world beyond her imagining. Dragged across the tundra by a crazed mountain man and his enormous black wolf, she finds that her gentle touch and kind heart earn her the wolf's friendship, and she names him Amarok, not knowing he was once a young man. When a vicious madman--trapped in bear form by an ancient Shaman--attacks the travelers and injures Amarok, Emma must find the strength to confront her fears and free the wolf she's come to love. But there's a catch--she must face down the evil shaman, a powerful Siberian mammoth hunter from the ice age, and he has no intention of giving up his power to her. Goodreads  

Amarok was unlike any "werewolf" story I've ever read. I loved the mix of legends Angela used, and her descriptions of the Alaskan landscape made my toes ache with the cold. The story was unique and fascinating, leaving me curious as to what happened next. 

I immediately felt sorry for Emma, but her thoughts were so jumbled it took me a little while to understand her. Once I did, I really liked her. She was a strong character who refused to let anything break her, no matter how bad life got.I've notices a sort of mini-trend lately of main characters with different disorders, and I really think that is a good thing. It helps girls going through the same situations to see they aren't alone, and that there is a better way. In Emma's case, she learns to fight her addiction to cutting by focusing on helping others, which is a great message.

Amarok was a little easier for me to understand. My heart broke for him and the loneliness he suffered. My favorite part of reading "his" chapters was seeing how differently he saw Emma than she saw herself. The love story in Amarok is one of the sweetest I've read in a while. I hope there are more like it in the future.

Rating 4/5 stars

YA notes: Language

I received a copy of Amarok for my honest review. This did not effect my opinion in any way.