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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I'm a Shaun David Hutchinson stan through and through. I first discovered Shaun's work when I read We Are the Ants, which is probably my favorite YA book I've ever read, and he didn't disappoint with Howl. I was not expecting what actually transpired within the pages. Do not go into this thinking you are going to get a typical werewolf story because there is more than meets the eye with this book. We follow Virgil Knox as he tries to navigate a new and foreign terrain in rural Florida. The book opens with Virgil being attacked by something, which he can only describe as a monsters. His story doesn't earn him the warmest of welcomes from the town folk in Merritt. Quite the opposite. He his bombarded with physical, verbal, and online bullying from most of the inhabitants in town. Virtually, no one, including his grandparents and father, believe that he was attacked by a monster. They just want to push it under the rug to get the attention off of them. I don't want to go into too much detail about what actually attacked him or how he discovers his own inner strength, but I would like to mention that Shaun did a beautiful job with this book. Virgil becomes the town pariah, and Shaun manages to put the reader in Virgil's shoes as he tries to find his place and his tribe. You will feel every emotion Virgil feels, and please trust me, it is a wild ride of emotions because it tackles many difficult subjects like bullying, homophobia, violence, sexual assault (off page), and self-harm. Like most of Shaun's works, the reader will be transported into the main character and feel everything. I've read everything Shaun has written so far, and I will continue to read everything he writes. I highly recommend just be cognizant of the trigger warnings.
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing
I'm a little conflicted about this one. I think the subject matter and how our main character deals with his trauma are important lessons and I think book was not meant for someone like me. I liked this book. It delves into some really serious issues and gives the character space to deal with his feelings. However, there were a few time throughout the book I found certain plot threads to be tied up very quickly for the interest of keeping the plot moving.
For instance, Virgil gets broken up with his boyfriend Luca at one point in the book and not too soon afterwards we learn that Luca has already moved on to someone else. This of course sends Virgil into a bit of a spiral and then its not brought up again until the end of the book.
So yea, just some issues with the plot and pacing.
Overall a solid read.
For instance, Virgil gets broken up with his boyfriend Luca at one point in the book and not too soon afterwards we learn that Luca has already moved on to someone else. This of course sends Virgil into a bit of a spiral and then its not brought up again until the end of the book.
So yea, just some issues with the plot and pacing.
Overall a solid read.
Like most of this author's books, there's a stellar and amazing exploration of heavy subject matter mixed with fantastical metaphor.
I'm not kidding when I say this book changed me as a person.
This is a really compelling, and unfortunately relatable, read. Please heed the content warning at the start of the book.
I'm not kidding when I say this book changed me as a person.
This is a really compelling, and unfortunately relatable, read. Please heed the content warning at the start of the book.
Why haven't I read every single book [a:Shaun David Hutchinson|3130410|Shaun David Hutchinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1387295428p2/3130410.jpg] has written yet?! I'll get there eventually, I promise.
Howl opens with our main character, Virgil, left bloodied and stumbling for help down the main street of small-town Merritt, after being attacked by a monster.
Having only just moved to Merritt due to the divorce of his parents, Virgil is isolated even more when nobody believes that he was attacked by a monster, not even his family.
Hutchinson does a does a brilliant job capturing the almost suffocating feeling of being a pariah in a small town; from the gossiping to the harassment.
The way the events of the night of the attack and the attack itself is interspersed throughout the novel, like in the moment flashbacks, really amped up the tension and horror aspect of the story.
__
My second favourite [a:Shaun David Hutchinson|3130410|Shaun David Hutchinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1387295428p2/3130410.jpg] book (of the ones I've read so far!).
Howl opens with our main character, Virgil, left bloodied and stumbling for help down the main street of small-town Merritt, after being attacked by a monster.
Having only just moved to Merritt due to the divorce of his parents, Virgil is isolated even more when nobody believes that he was attacked by a monster, not even his family.
Hutchinson does a does a brilliant job capturing the almost suffocating feeling of being a pariah in a small town; from the gossiping to the harassment.
The way the events of the night of the attack and the attack itself is interspersed throughout the novel, like in the moment flashbacks, really amped up the tension and horror aspect of the story.
__
My second favourite [a:Shaun David Hutchinson|3130410|Shaun David Hutchinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1387295428p2/3130410.jpg] book (of the ones I've read so far!).
This was quite a dark book. I liked it, I thought it was well done, but dark.
It starts with the MC moving to a small town in Florida and being attacked by a monster. The rest of the book looks at how he copes with it, how his life changes, and how he chooses to live his life after the attack. It’s quite clear to me that the monster attack is an allegory for sexual assault. The CWs at the beginning of the book pretty much says this. I liked the idea of using a monster attack instead of just blatantly saying it’s sexual assault.
Overall, a solid read, though not one of my favourites from Hutchinson. I always enjoy when his books just skirt around being Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror, which this one definitely did.
It starts with the MC moving to a small town in Florida and being attacked by a monster. The rest of the book looks at how he copes with it, how his life changes, and how he chooses to live his life after the attack. It’s quite clear to me that the monster attack is an allegory for sexual assault. The CWs at the beginning of the book pretty much says this. I liked the idea of using a monster attack instead of just blatantly saying it’s sexual assault.
Overall, a solid read, though not one of my favourites from Hutchinson. I always enjoy when his books just skirt around being Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror, which this one definitely did.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-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