Helene Jeppesen's Reviews > Tell the Wolves I'm Home

4.5/5 stars.
I finished this book really fast because it was so good and nothing like I expected. I knew that it was going to be a story about AIDS, but I didn't know that it was told from a child's perspective which - in my opinion - gave the story so much more depth. 14-year-old June is very observant and has the most amazing views on life, but she is also very naive and only gradully realizes what has really been going on with Finn, her beloved uncle who suffers from AIDS. When Finn dies (this happens in the beginning and is no spoiler), June learns more and more of the truth and brings the readers with her on her journey of discovery.
I don't think I've ever underlined as many phrases as I did in this book. Every second page there seemed to be a beautiful line or an interesting observation on life, or just a curious anecdote from June's life. I loved it, and these hidden but multiple gems kept my interest peaked. Another thing I fell absolutely in love with was the comfy and safe family life we get in this story. June is loved by her family, and even though she feels secluded from everyone, you can feel the family love through the pages. I loved reading about snowy days with cocoa and late night with Trivial Pursuit. It all added to June's narrative voice and sometimes naive, however curious observations on life.
This is a beautiful story about how one person can change your life completely. It is also a story about how AIDS was perceived when the disease first became well-known and acknowledged in the 1980s. If you like stories à la "To Kill a Mockingbird" told from a child's perspective, I cannot recommend this book enough. It definitely took me by surprise and has now become one of my highly regarded comfort reads :)