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oleblueeyes's review against another edition
3.0
It was an OK book. If you get tired of the paranormal romantic smut, this is a good substitute.
rubynite's review against another edition
4.0
Was a fun read and I felt it was nicely set up for a continuation of her werewolf mythology.
jenniferkrell's review against another edition
1.0
Dry, wordy and lacking anything to really hold your attention for long, this book was a chore to finish.
sam_presents's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-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
4.0
lokita0201's review against another edition
3.0
My first review! I promise to keep it spoiler free. I have been a fan of Anne Rice for a long time. I was hesitant about starting her wolf series because I love her Vampire Chronicles so much (duh). Werewolves are interesting supernatural creatures so I gave it a whirl. I found her story to be anticlimactic. Her main character is dull for the simple reason that he is just ridiculously nice. It is almost like she tried to make him to likable. She is an excellent writer but the story fizzles at best.
morgharker's review against another edition
2.0
While not a bad book, it certainly does not stand up to Rice's earlier stuff. Imagine Anne Rice writing a super hero story with dashing, sophisticated werewolves and you've got the Wolf Gift. That being said, it was much more enjoyable than I expected.
jitteryjoe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
I found another favorite. Anne Rice is still my most favorite author. This novel just broke my heart as it showed how hard she tried to break away from beliefs and to totally embrace spirituality. Nonetheless her research and poetry never cease to entice me to want to live in her world.
bookishbarnowl's review against another edition
4.0
*4.5 stars*
Anne Rice decided to create her own version of the werewolf myth, and she decided to make it kind of sexual...
I adore Rice's writing style and devoured this book. I love her take on the werewolf myth. Reuben's wealthy life in Northern California couldn't be any further from my lower middle class life in Scotland. I can't relate to him one jot, but I did find him immensely interesting. Rice changes a lot about the werewolf myth... *mild spoilers ahead*
...No longer is the transformation, a despicably painful one but one of sensuous pleasure. And this was where the book lost half a star for me. So much of the transformation/beast scenes were rather pornographic and often in a cringy way - overuse of the word 'orgasmic' and one paragraph that mentioned the male 'organ' which made me laugh out loud. Not to mention that some of the sex scenes were basically bestiality. It will never be as bad as Jacob imprinting on Re-name-me in the Twilight novels, but what is it with werewolves?
Beyond the moments of cringe, I really enjoyed this book. I will most definitely be reading the sequel.
Anne Rice decided to create her own version of the werewolf myth, and she decided to make it kind of sexual...
I adore Rice's writing style and devoured this book. I love her take on the werewolf myth. Reuben's wealthy life in Northern California couldn't be any further from my lower middle class life in Scotland. I can't relate to him one jot, but I did find him immensely interesting. Rice changes a lot about the werewolf myth... *mild spoilers ahead*
...No longer is the transformation, a despicably painful one but one of sensuous pleasure. And this was where the book lost half a star for me. So much of the transformation/beast scenes were rather pornographic and often in a cringy way - overuse of the word 'orgasmic' and one paragraph that mentioned the male 'organ' which made me laugh out loud. Not to mention that some of the sex scenes were basically bestiality. It will never be as bad as Jacob imprinting on Re-name-me in the Twilight novels, but what is it with werewolves?
Beyond the moments of cringe, I really enjoyed this book. I will most definitely be reading the sequel.
audreychamaine's review against another edition
1.0
In the beautiful forest of Northern California, the young reporter Reuben visits the family home of wealthy older woman Marchent. After her uncle disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and with both parents dead, Marchent has decided to sell the house and wants Reuben to write an article to help publicize the mansion. Reuben, wealthy in his own right, falls in love with the home, and plans to offer to buy it when he and Marchent are attacked. Marchent is killed, as are her two druggie brothers who instigated the attack, and Reuben is left bitten by the animal that saved him. It becomes clear that he was bitten by a werewolf and now has the power to transform into a powerful beast. He hears the cries of victims around San Francisco, and can smell the evil that he seeks to destroy.
When I saw that Anne Rice had written a werewolf book, I was very excited. I began reading her Vampire Chronicles when I was in high school, and have read the Mayfair Witches books and some of her other one-off novels as well. I always really enjoyed her writing, although the last book I'd read of hers, Blackwood Farm, was pretty darn bad. However, now that I've read The Wolf Gift, I'd rather have read Blackwood Farm over again.
The main thing that drove me crazy about this book is the affected tone. The writing, the characters, all of it, it all sounds like the voice of a wealthy 70 year old woman. Other reviews I've read have praised this book for being firmly rooted in the 21st century. I disagree. While there's plenty of mention of genetics, iPods, cell phones, and laptops, these modern references rub harshly against the antique syntax and vocabulary of the narrative. Honestly, this story reads much like something out of the mid-19th century. And while it's nice to see an author pay homage to classics of the gothic and horror genres, it just didn't work here.
As for characters, there were none I could related to in this book. Everybody has money, and I just could not feel sorry for anybody who is so vastly wealthy because of money they gained through inheritance. Reuben doesn't need his job as a newspaper reporter, and inevitably seems to abandon it. Marchent seems to have all the money in the world, and thinks nothing of leaving a vast mansion to a man she only just met. Even the boy that Reuben saves later in the book is a the son of an actress. It's funny that in the current Occupy environment we'd be presented with a novel in which every major character is independently wealthy. It strikes me as very out of touch with the main audience of this book.
There's romance, too, and it also sat oddly with me. Twice, Reuben sleeps with women he only just met, although he is engaged. The second time was the more bizarre, as he is in his "Man Wolf" form and sees a young woman who is all too happy to immediately jump into bed with him, even though he's a WEREWOLF. Really, Anne Rice!? And the thought of the girl making out with his dog lips made me want to gag.
As for the plot, it was pretty weak. At no point did I feel that Reuben was in any real trouble, never did I feel a sense of danger. On the contrary, most of the first half of the book felt like a Spiderman rip off. Young man is bitten by a strange creature that alters his DNA and gives super powers to stop bad guys. He leaps from rooftop to rooftop throughout the city rescuing those in need. The newspaper he works for makes him report on the new Man Wolf. He becomes a folk hero, with people writing songs for him and selling t-shirts. Sounds like Stan Lee could use some royalties.
I think it's clear from what I've sad that I was gravely disappointed in this book and struggled to finish it. The ending is anti-climatic, so even that let me down. I will think hard before reading another new Anne Rice book. With her, it's probably best to stick with the classics.
When I saw that Anne Rice had written a werewolf book, I was very excited. I began reading her Vampire Chronicles when I was in high school, and have read the Mayfair Witches books and some of her other one-off novels as well. I always really enjoyed her writing, although the last book I'd read of hers, Blackwood Farm, was pretty darn bad. However, now that I've read The Wolf Gift, I'd rather have read Blackwood Farm over again.
The main thing that drove me crazy about this book is the affected tone. The writing, the characters, all of it, it all sounds like the voice of a wealthy 70 year old woman. Other reviews I've read have praised this book for being firmly rooted in the 21st century. I disagree. While there's plenty of mention of genetics, iPods, cell phones, and laptops, these modern references rub harshly against the antique syntax and vocabulary of the narrative. Honestly, this story reads much like something out of the mid-19th century. And while it's nice to see an author pay homage to classics of the gothic and horror genres, it just didn't work here.
As for characters, there were none I could related to in this book. Everybody has money, and I just could not feel sorry for anybody who is so vastly wealthy because of money they gained through inheritance. Reuben doesn't need his job as a newspaper reporter, and inevitably seems to abandon it. Marchent seems to have all the money in the world, and thinks nothing of leaving a vast mansion to a man she only just met. Even the boy that Reuben saves later in the book is a the son of an actress. It's funny that in the current Occupy environment we'd be presented with a novel in which every major character is independently wealthy. It strikes me as very out of touch with the main audience of this book.
There's romance, too, and it also sat oddly with me. Twice, Reuben sleeps with women he only just met, although he is engaged. The second time was the more bizarre, as he is in his "Man Wolf" form and sees a young woman who is all too happy to immediately jump into bed with him, even though he's a WEREWOLF. Really, Anne Rice!? And the thought of the girl making out with his dog lips made me want to gag.
As for the plot, it was pretty weak. At no point did I feel that Reuben was in any real trouble, never did I feel a sense of danger. On the contrary, most of the first half of the book felt like a Spiderman rip off. Young man is bitten by a strange creature that alters his DNA and gives super powers to stop bad guys. He leaps from rooftop to rooftop throughout the city rescuing those in need. The newspaper he works for makes him report on the new Man Wolf. He becomes a folk hero, with people writing songs for him and selling t-shirts. Sounds like Stan Lee could use some royalties.
I think it's clear from what I've sad that I was gravely disappointed in this book and struggled to finish it. The ending is anti-climatic, so even that let me down. I will think hard before reading another new Anne Rice book. With her, it's probably best to stick with the classics.