Book Review: Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

This heart-wrenching story quickly became one of my favourite books, keeping me gripped right until the very end. It’s sad in parts, but also hugely life-affirming and inspirational. Here’s my book review of Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

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Overview of Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult follows the story of Luke Warren’s family, after he is injured in a car crash and ends up in hospital in a coma. My book review of Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult won’t give spoilers – I loved this book, so I’d love all readers to read it without knowing how it ends.

Luke Warren, before his car accident, was obsessed with wolves. He’d lived with a wild wolf pack, and had captive wolves near his home. He also has two children, Cara and Edward. Cara lives with her father. But Edward left home when he was 18 to live in Thailand, and soon after that Luke and Georgie (his wife) got divorced. So it’s just Cara and Luke, with their wolves.

After the car accident, Edward comes back from Thailand. As the only over-18 child, Edward is suddenly thrown into the position of having to make medical decisions for his father, who he hasn’t spoken to in 6 years. Despite living with her father and also being injured in the same car accident, Cara is powerless.

The story focuses on the battle between Edward and Cara, as they both try to make the decision about whether Luke Warren’s life support should be turned off. Cara and Edward have different opinions, leading to conflict. However, this is also a story of a broken family coming back together following a tragic accident. Having not seen his family for 6 years, Edward is needing to rebuild relationships as well as deal with the impossible question of what his father would have wanted. Family secrets are revealed and relationships grow, as well as break again. And the constant underlying theme is the morality of turning off someone’s life support when there is little to no chance of recovery.

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Why I love this book

This book made me cry many times! But it also made me smile, and left me with a warm feeling many times. It’s truly heart-wrenching. The decision of whether to turn off a love one’s life support machine is impossibly difficult. Every reader will have their own opinion of the morality of such a decision, and what the right decision for Luke Warren is. And maybe there is no right answer at all.

I loved seeing the relationship between Cara and Edward develop, after he had been away from home for 6 years. I liked both of their characters, and could really sympathise with both of their points of view. Although the tragedy of the car accident was awful, there was the bittersweet element that it brought the family back together again.

But my favourite thing about this book was that it really made me think. It made me think about my own views on what to do if a loved one was in a coma. What would be the right decision? Would there ever be a right decision? How could I possibly make such an impossibly difficult decision? I have no idea.

Why this book inspires me to travel

This story was also a reminder of how fragile life is. And how it can all change in just a moment. Luke Warren was a celebrity who lived with wild wolves and had an amazing life. But in one split second, he’s in a car accident and in a coma. Life really is fragile, and it can change in a moment.

To me, that’s a real reminder to make sure you live every day to the full. We never know when something is going to happen. So if you’ve always dreamed of travelling, then go do it. Live the life you love while you’ve still got a chance. Because who knows when that could suddenly be taken away from any of us.

Would I recommend Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult?

I would definitely recommend this book. My book review of Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult is super positive. There literally wasn’t a single thing I didn’t like about this book. It made me cry with happiness, and it made me cry with sadness. And it really inspired me to book some more trips so I can travel more. It’s such a reminder that life is short, and we need to make the most of it. So read this book, and get inspired to start living your dreams!

If you like the sound of this book, buy yourself a copy for this weekend here!

If this book has inspired you to think about travel, it’s time to start planning your next trip! The UK is a beautiful place to travel, with beautiful scenery in Wales and Scotland. Or you could visit some of the amazing cities in Europe, such as Prague, Berlin or Vienna. The USA is full of amazing places as well, like Florida, California and Alaska. Start planning your travels and live life with no regrets!