KJ Carson lives an outdoor lover’s dream. The only daughter of a fishing and wildlife guide, KJ can hold her own on the water or in the mountains near her hometown outside Yellowstone National Park. But when she meets the shaggy-haired, intensely appealing Virgil, KJ loses all self-possession. And she’s not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that they’re assigned to work together on a school newspaper article about the famous wolves of Yellowstone. As KJ spends time with Virgil, she also spends more time getting to know a part of her world that she always took for granted . . . and she begins to see herself and her town in a whole new light.
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up—Chandler's debut novel is a classic coming-of-age tale set in Montana shortly after wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. KJ Carson, 16, lives with her father, who runs a business as a guide for hunting and fishing parties. While on a hunting trip with him, the teen watches a wolf get torn to pieces by other wolves. Her father tells her not to forget it. He explains, "The minute that wolf backed down it was all over." KJ and the new kid in school, Virgil Whitman, team up to create a column for the school newspaper entitled, "Wolf Notes." He takes the pictures and she writes the articles. The column causes controversy in this small town where the wolves are hated by local ranching families. The more KJ learns about the animals, the more she is fascinated by their fearlessness. Relations with town members turn ugly when Virgil is shot at in the Christmas parade and soon after someone starts a fire at KJ's father's store. Should KJ back down? The author cleverly integrates facts about wolves and their return to Yellowstone through KJ's newspaper column. The plot moves swiftly to a suspenseful finish. Beautifully written and thought-provoking, this well-rounded novel will appeal to girls, some boys, and conservationists of all stripes.—Samantha Larsen Hastings, Riverton Library, UT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Considering the current trends in teen fiction, one might take a look at the title of this debut novel and mistake it for yet another werewolf saga. Sixteen-year-old KJ Carson lives in a small town outside Yellowstone National Park with her widowed father. A bit of a loner, KJ signs up for a journalism class at her high school, where she meets Virgil. Virgil's mom is a biologist who studies wolves and their packs, and with Virgil's help, KJ decides to write a column about the wolves that have been reintroduced to the park after near extinction. No one, especially KJ, is prepared for the political firestorm that erupts surrounding her column, as the wolf-reintroduction program is hotly debated between ecologists and the ranchers whose sheep and cattle are threatened daily by wolves. Suddenly, KJ and Virgil become targets of violence. There is a lot going on here—romance, politics, father-daughter issues—but it all takes a backseat to the wolves, and teens with a budding interest in conservation and ecology will be the best audience for this book. Grades 6-9. --Kimberly Garnick
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More About the Author
Kristen Chandler (krischandrstories.com) has been a ranch hand, waitress, salesperson, ice cream store manager, secretary, free lance journalist, and college writing instructor. She lives outside Salt Lake City, Utah with her four children, two cats and a bad dog.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
As a 40-year old man who had never read YA books since middle school, I found "Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me" extremely refreshing. My only question is, "How does she do it?" Through a divine hookup I was introduced to Kristen Chandler's book. I got a copy for my pre-teen daughter, but figured I should read it first.
Wow! I was amazed at how intense the emotions were. So much of childhood life was relived in the pages of the book. Friends, fun, school, heartache, chores, and the struggles to find one's self were easy to connect with. As adults we have all lived it. Kristen has a gift for helping us remember what it was like - with all the ups, the downs, and the craziness that goes on in between.
I enjoyed the refreshing and clean approach to KJ's character and the sensitivity to finding a first love. The dialogue and the content put my mind at ease - I wasn't concerned about the content my pre-teen might read. Few authors are that gifted or astute.
For me the humor and sincerity of the book stood out. Page after page I found myself laughing (and connecting) with the fun and breathably sarcastic humor. After reading the book my only regret is not having a signed copy from the author. Who knows, maybe she'll read this and get me one?
This book is a true "Must Read"! I am a book reader who takes months to finish a book. I devoured Wolves, Boys and Other Things in just two days.
Wow! I was amazed at how intense the emotions were. So much of childhood life was relived in the pages of the book. Friends, fun, school, heartache, chores, and the struggles to find one's self were easy to connect with. As adults we have all lived it. Kristen has a gift for helping us remember what it was like - with all the ups, the downs, and the craziness that goes on in between.
I enjoyed the refreshing and clean approach to KJ's character and the sensitivity to finding a first love. The dialogue and the content put my mind at ease - I wasn't concerned about the content my pre-teen might read. Few authors are that gifted or astute.
For me the humor and sincerity of the book stood out. Page after page I found myself laughing (and connecting) with the fun and breathably sarcastic humor. After reading the book my only regret is not having a signed copy from the author. Who knows, maybe she'll read this and get me one?
This book is a true "Must Read"! I am a book reader who takes months to finish a book. I devoured Wolves, Boys and Other Things in just two days.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Listed as "Young Adult Fiction," this book has enough humor to grab and hold onto any age reader. Kristen Chandler presents a welcome unfolding of girl-meets-boy and father-daughter relationships, delightful doses of teenage angst and personality, and a sensitive treatment of an environmental conflict. She has obviously done her homework about wolves and their reintroduction to Yellowstone Park, and this provides an additional layer to the book. A blend of wit and wisdom carries you along through a well-crafted story line where West End and its inhabitants are real. I found myself anticipating the clever asides preceding each chapter. Kudos for this debut novel.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
KJ Carson lives in West End, Montana, population 948. Her father is a fishing guide and the owner of a local fly shop, and KJ spends all of her free time working with him. When a new student, Virgil Whitman, joins her newspaper class, KJ agrees to write a column about the local wolf population that his mother is studying. But the wolves in Yellowstone are still a sensitive topic with the local population, and KJ and Virgil find themselves caught in a storm of controversy that endangers both their new relationship and their very lives.
I loved this book. KJ is independent and intelligent, yet she struggles in some of her classes and has to make new friends after her old ones reject her for getting pretty over the summer. The book takes place over an entire school year, so the story develops naturally. KJ makes new friends, grows closer to Virgil, and becomes more involved in her community and in the cause of the wolves in Yellowstone. It was also refreshing to read a book set in a rural area that doesn't involve magic or fantastical elements, and to read about teens with involved and imperfect parents. Teens will read it for the romance, and learn a little something about our natural world at the same time.
I loved this book. KJ is independent and intelligent, yet she struggles in some of her classes and has to make new friends after her old ones reject her for getting pretty over the summer. The book takes place over an entire school year, so the story develops naturally. KJ makes new friends, grows closer to Virgil, and becomes more involved in her community and in the cause of the wolves in Yellowstone. It was also refreshing to read a book set in a rural area that doesn't involve magic or fantastical elements, and to read about teens with involved and imperfect parents. Teens will read it for the romance, and learn a little something about our natural world at the same time.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Gripping, But Personal, Small Town Drama
KJ lives in a small town just outside Yellowstone National Park where her father owns a successful outdoors-store and hunting/fishing guide business. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Madeline Smoot
Wolves, Boys, & Other Things That Might Kill Me
She may be in over her head, but she's finally following her heart.
It's KJ's junior year in the small town of West End, Montana, and whether she likes it or not, thing... Read more
It's KJ's junior year in the small town of West End, Montana, and whether she likes it or not, thing... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Dana Al-Basha
Hobbitsies Reviews: Interesting and original YA contemp
It took me a while to collect my thoughts on this book. Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me was definitely not an action-packed book. It was slow. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Tara Gonzalez
A great read aloud
I read "Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me" out loud to my daughters, ages twelve and nine. We all loved it. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Rebecca W. Clarke
Well written and witty
What could have been a dull subject (the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park) is transformed by Kristen into a story that skillfully blends fact with... Read more
Published 14 months ago by L. D. Brown
Kind of Boring
I have to admit I was hoping Virgil was a werewolf. But he wasn't. It was a very beautiful book but kind of boring. It was a little to enviormental for me. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Robert Casella
Definitely Worth The Read
A very quick read, the main character is incredibly believable. I seriously cannot rave enough about how real she is. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Krista
Absolutely fantastic.
It's not easy to write a book that is both hilarious & deep. I think this book accomplishes both. Not at all the typical werewolf book I expected, this is about a girl who fights... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Biblioloca
Book Harbinger: I love KJ
Campaigning for the wolves of Yellowstone National Park was never in sixteen-year-old KJ Carson's plans. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Hollybally
Humorous Middle Grade Novel
KJ Carson arrives at the surface of the puberty pool pretty much intact- but between her tense relationship with her father, the arrival of Virgil- the new kid and his hippie... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Demongeot
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