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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Felt unfinished because it had a lot of unused potential. A lot of plot points weren't explored deeply enough or felt rushed. Like Merritts history is mentioned once and it sounds like it will be important to the plot but then it is never brought up again. I like that Virgils trauma was shown through the writing by repeating the words from the night of his attack. ("I didn't scream." Etc.) The chapters are short which is good, because then you don't get stuck in the middle of an extremely long chapter, but sometimes they felt a bit rushed.
Shaun David Hutchinson is a prolific young adult author who always creates layered, emotional, and quirky stories, and HOWL is no exception. The story kicks off with a bang with our main character, Virgil, arriving in town with his clothes and his back torn to shreds with claw marks and a story about a monster in the sprawl. But no one believes him. Throughout the story, Virgil deals with losing his connections to his old life in Seattle and a difficult transition to life in Merritt, Florida. His newness, his queerness, and his traumatic attack story make him an outcast, and he isn't sure who he can trust. His life is full of morally gray characters, who are described vividly and depicted believably. Hutchinson is masterful at showing how the people who love Virgil sometimes treat him poorly, or in a way he perceives as poorly, while those he has no reason to trust treat him kindly. Meanwhile, Virgil's internal struggle with his traumas, both those grounded in reality and those with a supernatural bent, is realistic and handled with care. That being the case, the story has moments of redundancy that might make it a less enjoyable read for some, while others will find it powerful and relatable. Readers of Hutchinson's work will find some similar themes and situations to previous works, most notably his memoir BRAVE FACE.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
inspiring
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received a free eARC from @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Have you ever read a book where you totally know what’s going to happen, but you keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and are thoroughly enthralled while waiting? This is that book. Obviously with a title like Howl, and getting attacked in the sprawl in chapter 1 leads to a “predictable” story. But this was anything but. I was intrigued by Virgil’s journey of self discovery, confused as all get out about monsters and non monsters, and couldn’t put it down once I started. I loved this book and can’t wait to share it with my students!
Have you ever read a book where you totally know what’s going to happen, but you keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and are thoroughly enthralled while waiting? This is that book. Obviously with a title like Howl, and getting attacked in the sprawl in chapter 1 leads to a “predictable” story. But this was anything but. I was intrigued by Virgil’s journey of self discovery, confused as all get out about monsters and non monsters, and couldn’t put it down once I started. I loved this book and can’t wait to share it with my students!
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Virgil never wanted to move to Merritt. Away from his boyfriend, friends, and everything he knows, after his parents divorce. And now, Virgil has been attacked by a monster. Of course, no one in Merritt believes that's what actually happened. It must have been some kind of animal. Not a monster. Monsters don't exist in Merritt, or anywhere.
However, Virgil knows the truth. It was a monster who attacked him. A monster that's still out there. And in order for him to have peace of mind, he has to find it. But it just adds to Virgil's status as the new kid, an outsider. If he doesn't find the monster soon, he might just become one himself.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! Shaun David Hutchinson is a favorite YA author of mine, and I think he's getting back to what everyone likes hime for! That kind of weird, surreal, is this really happening kind of fiction. The kind of book you can't always put into a genre.
What this book has going for it is it's strong analogy throughout. While it is a bit on the nose at times, using Virgil's monster attack as a symbol of sexual assault works really well. Specifically, interweaving Virigil's memories from the attack throughout, in bold print. These mimic intrusive thoughts, and flashbacks one might have if they have PTSD. The overall structure of the story, the attack, and the way people around him react is just spot on for the main comparison in the story. There also isn't a lot of YA that focuses on the sexual assault issue for boys, or in a queer context, and that definitely needs discussion, too.
Like in other Hutchinson books, there is also positive discussion about mental health. Including a positive representation of therapy. I always appreciate the way that Hutchinson approaches these topics, and it's important for teens to see this kind of representation in books. In a way, the werewolf/monster comparison works for this, too. It just works well on so many levels, especially for this story.
My only complaint is at times, the plot itself is slightly repetitive and maybe the book didn't have to be quite this long. However, this doesn't completely take away from the strong writing and characters.
All in all, I'm glad Hutchinson has gone back in this kind of direction. If the We Are the Ants era is a favorite of yours, you'll most likely love this, too!
However, Virgil knows the truth. It was a monster who attacked him. A monster that's still out there. And in order for him to have peace of mind, he has to find it. But it just adds to Virgil's status as the new kid, an outsider. If he doesn't find the monster soon, he might just become one himself.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! Shaun David Hutchinson is a favorite YA author of mine, and I think he's getting back to what everyone likes hime for! That kind of weird, surreal, is this really happening kind of fiction. The kind of book you can't always put into a genre.
What this book has going for it is it's strong analogy throughout. While it is a bit on the nose at times, using Virgil's monster attack as a symbol of sexual assault works really well. Specifically, interweaving Virigil's memories from the attack throughout, in bold print. These mimic intrusive thoughts, and flashbacks one might have if they have PTSD. The overall structure of the story, the attack, and the way people around him react is just spot on for the main comparison in the story. There also isn't a lot of YA that focuses on the sexual assault issue for boys, or in a queer context, and that definitely needs discussion, too.
Like in other Hutchinson books, there is also positive discussion about mental health. Including a positive representation of therapy. I always appreciate the way that Hutchinson approaches these topics, and it's important for teens to see this kind of representation in books. In a way, the werewolf/monster comparison works for this, too. It just works well on so many levels, especially for this story.
My only complaint is at times, the plot itself is slightly repetitive and maybe the book didn't have to be quite this long. However, this doesn't completely take away from the strong writing and characters.
All in all, I'm glad Hutchinson has gone back in this kind of direction. If the We Are the Ants era is a favorite of yours, you'll most likely love this, too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Self harm
Moderate: Bullying, Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Self harm, Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a weird, weird book. Horror masquerading as YA coming of age.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Self harm
Minor: Sexual assault
As stated by the author in the front of the book.
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“And it didn’t have to be this way! All you had to do was listen! All you had to do was pretend to care!”
This was a powerful story about believing and supporting survivors, and finding the people that will stand by you even as your worst fears are coming true.
This was a powerful story about believing and supporting survivors, and finding the people that will stand by you even as your worst fears are coming true.