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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
3.5 ⭐️.
Buena idea una ejecución no tan buena.
El final me dejó con dudas y se me hizo insatisfactorio
Buena idea una ejecución no tan buena.
El final me dejó con dudas y se me hizo insatisfactorio
I requested and received an advance copy ebook of "Howl" through Edelweiss (I'm an indie bookseller).
The Shaun David Hutchinson I love is back. If your favorites of his are "We Are The Ants" and "At the Edge of the Universe" (like me), you'll love "Howl": it's gay, angsty, and slightly supernatural. "Howl" just adds werewolves to the mix. Does it get better than that?
Something I admire about "Howl" is the main character's comfortability being out (but without losing any of the angst!), especially in comparison to Hutchinson's older titles. Main character Virgil's nonchalance about being gay, especially in a small southern town, is refreshing. Hutchinson's writing reflects the increasingly-accepting attitudes of younger generations.
The Shaun David Hutchinson I love is back. If your favorites of his are "We Are The Ants" and "At the Edge of the Universe" (like me), you'll love "Howl": it's gay, angsty, and slightly supernatural. "Howl" just adds werewolves to the mix. Does it get better than that?
Something I admire about "Howl" is the main character's comfortability being out (but without losing any of the angst!), especially in comparison to Hutchinson's older titles. Main character Virgil's nonchalance about being gay, especially in a small southern town, is refreshing. Hutchinson's writing reflects the increasingly-accepting attitudes of younger generations.
2.5 stars. I was promised a werewolf book, or at least that’s what I got from the synopsis, and sadly this wasn’t that. It wasn’t horror either, or thriller. I get that everything’s a metaphor and that part was really sad and I hated almost everyone in the story for it, but nothing happens. At all. I was bored, and that’s even sadder.
mysterious
slow-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
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’d been interested in reading this one since before the publisher sent it to me to read for the Gateway committee I am on. And really this did not let me down. It kept my interest throughout the story. I wanted to know how much was just imagination, how he was feeling because of what had happened, or if there was a real monster. And it was great how the author made the grandparents and father and mother the bad guys, just like they would be to a teen in that type of situation, but then also made me realize that maybe they weren’t as bad as they seemed at first. Or at least with some of them. I liked the way the author kept some twists and turns on what or who was actually behind all of the things happening. There was a bit where Virgil thanks a teacher for making something a safe space for him, and I really loved that part, and know that as an educator, I try to do my best to make the library, or my classroom in the past, a safe space for students who need that. This is one I definitely enjoyed!
nobody walks the line between contemporary and sci fi/fantasy like shaun david hutchinson
howl is not a monster story, but it is. it’s about trauma and the things you do to protect yourself and the fears you have. it’s about experiencing something terrible and not knowing if you should look outward or inward for a reason.
it’s about the way that survivors recognize each other. it’s the ways we share with each other, and the ways we stay silent.
howl is not a monster story, but it is. it’s about trauma and the things you do to protect yourself and the fears you have. it’s about experiencing something terrible and not knowing if you should look outward or inward for a reason.
it’s about the way that survivors recognize each other. it’s the ways we share with each other, and the ways we stay silent.
Howl effectively tells the story of a young man living with post traumatic stress disorder after an assault he doesn't fully remember, using the allegory of werewolves. Those looking for a novel that unwinds a rich history of werewolf lore will be disappointed, but Hutchinson's story is valuable for what it is. Virgil is struggling through many difficulties familiar to teenagers, he has moved in with family he hardly knows, has to attend a conservative small-town high school, deals with cyberbullying that extends into the real world, and suspects his long-distance boyfriend is ready to end things. Through these experiences Virgil learns that he has imperfect allies in his friends and family, and that life is more ambiguous than he first believed. This is a book without easy answers, but overflows with hope.
2.5 stars, rounded to 3.
This book was captial f Fine.
Howl is slow and there honestly isn't much plot- and there isn't enough character development to make me recommend it on that front, either. Very few things happen in this book and it feels like a generic YA that couldn't commit to any one thing. Obviously, the werewolf (or whatever) attack, in the beginning, is meant to be a metaphor but the author is trying so hard to make a metaphor about 10 different things that they forgot that the plot is the vehicle for that. The paranormal aspects of this book are so sparse that I wasn't convinced that there was actually a monster. This isn't horror or paranormal or mystery or romance or even a necessarily successful coming-of-age. It wanted to be a mystery, but it never gave enough clues to make me invested.
Overall, it's fine, I don't not recommend it, but there is nothing overly note-worthy about it. It would have benefitted greatly from being about half of its size.
CW: Homophobia, some body horror, sexual assault, alcohol abuse
This book was captial f Fine.
Howl is slow and there honestly isn't much plot- and there isn't enough character development to make me recommend it on that front, either. Very few things happen in this book and it feels like a generic YA that couldn't commit to any one thing. Obviously, the werewolf (or whatever) attack, in the beginning, is meant to be a metaphor but the author is trying so hard to make a metaphor about 10 different things that they forgot that the plot is the vehicle for that. The paranormal aspects of this book are so sparse that I wasn't convinced that there was actually a monster. This isn't horror or paranormal or mystery or romance or even a necessarily successful coming-of-age. It wanted to be a mystery, but it never gave enough clues to make me invested.
Overall, it's fine, I don't not recommend it, but there is nothing overly note-worthy about it. It would have benefitted greatly from being about half of its size.
CW: Homophobia, some body horror, sexual assault, alcohol abuse
“I could tell him that trauma has gravity that will constantly try to tug you backward, but that if you keep moving forward, eventually it’s hold will weaken.”
I love Shaun’s books. Every one of them that I’ve read has made me think, grapple with challenging topics, and examine things that can be difficult or uncomfortable to look closely at. I always come out of his books with a little deeper understanding of myself or people around me. Howl was no exception to this.
I love Shaun’s books. Every one of them that I’ve read has made me think, grapple with challenging topics, and examine things that can be difficult or uncomfortable to look closely at. I always come out of his books with a little deeper understanding of myself or people around me. Howl was no exception to this.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated