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Summary: Wolves vs Ranchers
Review: The Loop is a fairly good read about the conflict betweenMontana cattle ranchers and wolf conservationists. The wolvesactually get the more moral role as they play their natural role as predators, while the ranchers range from ingorant rednecks out for blood to opportunistic politicians who thrive on publicity and power. The story revolves around a female wolf biologist who is sent from the East to locate, tag, and move the wolves who are attacking calves, and the local ranchers who for the most part are uncooperative and resistant to any ideas of mutual coexistence. You do actually learn a good bit about wolves and their habits, some of which are more admirable than those of the men who so viciously hunt them. You also gain admiration for the US conservation service which rides a fine line between man and animal while trying to do its job. There are some interesting characters and plot twists although overall, it is somewhat sappy. There is also a fairly unbelieveable love story that neither makes or breaks the storyline but its ethical dimensions are somewhat questionable. Overall, this is a good read, not heavy, but it provides some food for thought regarding the balance of nature and the ultimate place of man in the general scheme of things. The plot moves along and the reader is definitely drawn in from the beginning. Perfect for the beach or holiday reading.
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Summary: Great setting, good pacing, but Evans fails to deliver
Review: I enjoyed the Horse Whisperer because Evans made an effort to acquaint me with the main characters of the story: the mother and daughter, as well as the horse. I also got some feel for what life on a ranch might be like.The Loop felt like a poor reformulation. The characters seemed thinner -- almost caricatures. The wolves had almost no identity, and I learned almost nothing about ranching from the story. Too bad, because the story idea is a good one.
Rating: 
Summary: Well worth reading.
Review: I anticipated liking this book just because I loved The Horse Whisperer, and I wasn't disappointed. Nicholas Evans describes the behavior and habitat of the wolf pack so that the reader can see the majesty of the wolves, as well as the fact that they are wild animals. The problems created by the wolves lets you see the situation from both sides(although I still can't help being on the environmentalists' side) I enjoyed the unfolding story of all the characters, especially Helen and Luke. This is definitely an enjoyable book throughout.
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Summary: I loved this book
Review: I love animals and the wildnerness. This book took a hold of me and I just had to keep reading. It depicted an animal that is despised for its existance and the author was able to show the warmer side. Maybe man and animal can live together. One thing that man has to realize is that animal was here first. (Don't move by an airport then complain about the noise.) At times it was a little more graphic than I would have liked but all in all it was a great read.
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Summary: My Fave Book!
Review: I have never read a book that touched me quite like this one. I had to actually stop myself from reading th book b/c I needed to get to bed. I have never read the "Horse Whisperer", but if it is as near as good as this I will be sure to it! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did!
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Summary: Not as good as Horse Whisperer, but nice to read
Review: I loved the Horse Whisperer and they way that when you read it, you got "that feeling".. like you wanted to know the people, wanted to visit the places. The Loop is interesting, it tells a lot about wolves, but I wish we could have known the characters better. I wish it was 100 pages longer and that it told more about Helen and Luke. Nevertheless, it is NOT a waste of time it is still a beautiful book and yes, it still makes me want to visit Montana. I guess being a soft hearted girl, I wanted to know the wolves better, the characters better, the love story better and the killing of the wolves less (some is pretty brutal). I would recommend this book to anyone who likes wolves, wilderness stories,this author, or Montana. It's worth reading!
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Summary: FANTASTIC
Review: Although I am only 16 years old, I love to read. I usually don't have much time to read a book throughly but over my Christmas break last year I read "The Loop". It was a wonderful book and I hated for it to end. I am an avid horse back rider and I liked this book better than "The Horse Whisperer" even. Plus it was really cool because I was in Big Sky Montana while I was reading it so that made it even better. If you love nature, animals, and books, read "The Loop"! It's amazing! I can't wait for the next book by Mr. Evans!
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Summary: Good environmentalism - indifferent writing
Review: I liked the movie "The Horse Whisperer" and this was my first Nicholas Evans book. The writing is terribly patchy. Evans is at his best when writing about wolves, when he is able to engage the reader with some semblance of expression - but just about. The rest of the time, his writing is turgid at worst and passable at best. The love story, its development is really infantile. In his defence, he writes better than Nicholas Sparks though that is not saying much. I anticipate that the movie version (if it gets made) will be watchable as it will allow the wide sweep of Montana and the main protoganists (the wolves) to appear to better effect.
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Summary: Wolves or cattle--compassion or contention
Review: Nicholas Evans has written another appealing book that incorporates the eastern and western United States and the different philosophies of each. The Loop is a tale about wolves, their intrinsic value as creatures of the earth and their destructive power as instinctive killers as they execute their role in the food chain. The basic conflict in the book is between conservationists, represented by wolf biologist, Helen Ross and the Federal Fish and Game wardens and the Montana cattle ranchers, strongly upheld by Buck Calder. We learn the good and bad points about wolves as well as the philosophy that motivates each side in the conflict--and we come to understand each. Basically, it is the continuing conflict between civilization and nature; who is the winner and who is the loser, or are both losers in the end? That is a philosphical question that is not answered in the book and remains for the reader to decide. In addition, there is human and family conflict enough to satisfy any discerning reader. We find tragedy, love, loss, jealousy, anger, sorrow, and finally triumph--the whole gammut of human emotion wrapped up in scenes of frozen snow, bloody carcasses, old men's epiphanies, and young men's revelations of fulfullment. This is a good read as well as an informative read if you like nature and are an advocate for animals--human or otherwise.
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Summary: THIS STORY IS BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN. I HATED TO FINISH IT.
Review: I WOULD ENJOY TALKING WITH NICHOLAS EVANS TO THANK HIM FOR THIS WONDERFUL TALE. A PAGE WASN'T TURNED WITHOUT TOUCHING ME WITH HIS WITT AND HIS SENSITIVITY. I AM GETTING READY TO ORDER THE HORSE WHISPERER AND AM ANXIOUS TO READ HIS NEXT. I'M HOOKED!
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