Amarok by Angela J. Townsend

Life has been hell for seventeen-year-old Emma since she moved from sunny California to a remote Alaskan town. Rejected by her father and living with the guilt of causing her mother's death, she makes a desperate dash for freedom from her abusive stepfather. But when her car skids off the icy road, her escape only leads to further captivity in a world beyond her imagining. Dragged across the tundra by a crazed mountain man and his enormous black wolf, she finds that her gentle touch and kind heart earn her the wolf's friendship, and she names him Amarok, not knowing he was once a young man. When a vicious madman--trapped in bear form by an ancient Shaman--attacks the travelers and injures Amarok, Emma must find the strength to confront her fears and free the wolf she's come to love. But there's a catch--she must face down the evil shaman, a powerful Siberian mammoth hunter from the ice age, and he has no intention of giving up his power to her.

Goodreads Summary

How would you react if you were captured in the wilderness and had only a wolf for company?  Emma has had a bad time of it.  Her own father seems to be despondent towards her and her stepfather loathes her.  She doesn't have a mother or a stable home.  Through most of the book she is forced to follow a crazy man in a dangerous environment.  She is forced to rely more on herself and start to harden herself to the outside world.  The only one who seems to care for her at all is a mysterious wolf who she names Amarok.

Amarok and Emma form a cute bond.  They begin to depend on each other and Emma feels oddly connected to her wolf.  Amarok acts with purpose; he believes that he is meant to save Emma.  Their characters are easy to root for and enjoy; however, their characters are not particularly memorable.  The big, bad, and crazy "mountain man" is someone the reader won't like at all, but not one of those evil characters that makes the reader hate him/her on principle.

Overall, the plot is interesting and fun to read.  The book is a very fast-read and very descriptive.  This book is recommended to young adult/teen readers.

3 1/2 Stars


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