This review originally appeared on the book review blog: justonemorepaige.wordpress.com.

That was beautiful. A beautiful story. This one has been on my to read list for a couple years and I'm really regretting taking this long to get to it. One of the most heartfelt coming of age stories I have ever read - for every single character. June. Greta. Toby. June's mother. Everyone grew, expressed, learned, accepted. This was a gorgeous exploration of so many different kinds of love and connection, the bonds of friendship and family, a rediscovery of sisterhood and the softening of hearts through forgiveness.

It's also a heart-wrenching look into the experience of AIDS when it first emerged. We get a look into how deep the prejudices ran, the challenges and pain that the LGBTQ community had to face. I feel like this is something that, at least I, take for granted. First, though there are obviously so many prejudices still alive and strong today (I live in NC, which is, depressingly, pretty famous for our ridiculous transgender bathroom bill right now, so it's impossible to deny how deeply those feelings still run), reading this book makes you realize that even with all that, it could be, it was, so much worse. The fear that was alive in the population was palpable and we see here how it tore families apart, engendered lies and denial, and stole the right to pursue love and happiness from so many. Obviously we can see this directly affect Finn and Toby and their relationships with their family, but then after the loss of Finn, both Toby and June have to lie and sneak and be fearful on a daily basis, when what they really need and deserve is a chance to mourn and bond, and perhaps make a friend, with another lonely, grieving soul.

On an artistic, literary level, there was a lot to admire about the way this book was written. The title is so evocative, and the theme of wolves runs so smoothly throughout the story - a symbolic thread woven into the entire development of the story. And the painting, of the same title, that is introduced to the reader and is slowly more fully revealed and physically transformed bit by bit, is a wonderful representation of the story itself. It's one of the best full length metaphors I've ever read and the way it's worked in is a credit to the author.

It would be impossible to not get emotionally involved with this story and it's characters and their journeys. Just a phenomenal book.