The relationship between KJ and Virgil is sweet without being terribly melodramatic, and readers who find the often angst-filled nature of other YA romances tiring will appreciate Chandler's restraint. In a voice that is entirely adolescent, from its impulsive generalizations to its righteous indignation, KJ navigates the sudden hostility of her town and her own confusion regarding her shifting role with a surprising authenticity. Spanning a year in KJ's life, the storyline admittedly rambles at points, but there is an organic messiness here that reflects the untidy quality of both human relations and the dog-eat-dog (or in this case, wolf-eat-cow) harshness of the natural setting.
When city boy Virgil comes along with his scientist mother to study the park's famous wolves, however, the dynamics of the town are shaken up and KJ finds herself in the middle of a battle that pits neighbor against neighbor while threatening the ecological future of the park. She's the obedient daughter to her single father at home, the awkward tomboy at school content with her mediocrity, and in general the motherless girl who doesn't want to cause a stir-in other words, she is the omega member of her town's pack. Growing up in a small town (947 people, to be exact) near Yellowstone Park, sixteen-year-old KJ Carson has established her roles.
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