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cjwitch's review
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ARC Review: A werewolf satire about toxic masculinity with the title of "Bored Gay Werewolf"...Admittedly, I went into this with a lot of expectations. I expected a lot of humor, some lovable and some deplorable characters, and a lot of werewolf action.
Sadly, I ended the book feeling very...mid. Despite what the title suggests, this is not really a book about werewolves and it definitely didn't have the humor that the title seemed to me to promise. In the full book, there were three werewolf scenes and two of those were only a few short paragraphs in length.
Where the book did deliver is in the commentary on toxic masculinity.
Tyler is the exact type of guy that I despise, which is intentional by the author. He is a stereotype of reasonably rich, white, CIS male entrepreneur: always talking while actually saying and doing nothing, yet somehow also doling out tasks and taking credit for everything that happens anywhere in his vicinity. Brian, unfortunately, is not much better. He is selfish, self-centered, and self-destructive. He ignores his friends, doesn't care about who or what he hurts, and drinks and does drugs to exist in a perpetual state of oblivion.
Brian's coworker friends, however, I did greatly enjoy. They aren't perfect either, with some realistic character flaws, but they aren't annoying in the way Tyler and Brian are and are responsible for the only real elements of humor within the book.
It wasn't until around chapters 6 or 7 when I started enjoying the book for what it had to say, though I didn't fully engage with the story until the climax near the end. Ultimately, my disappointment in this book lay in my own expectations with it. Don't go into this looking for a fantasy/action werewolf book or even a humorous satire (because the humor is scarce). If you go into this expecting a commentary on toxic masculinity with a slight fantasy element, you will likely enjoy it.
Sadly, I ended the book feeling very...mid. Despite what the title suggests, this is not really a book about werewolves and it definitely didn't have the humor that the title seemed to me to promise. In the full book, there were three werewolf scenes and two of those were only a few short paragraphs in length.
Where the book did deliver is in the commentary on toxic masculinity.
Tyler is the exact type of guy that I despise, which is intentional by the author. He is a stereotype of reasonably rich, white, CIS male entrepreneur: always talking while actually saying and doing nothing, yet somehow also doling out tasks and taking credit for everything that happens anywhere in his vicinity. Brian, unfortunately, is not much better. He is selfish, self-centered, and self-destructive. He ignores his friends, doesn't care about who or what he hurts, and drinks and does drugs to exist in a perpetual state of oblivion.
Brian's coworker friends, however, I did greatly enjoy. They aren't perfect either, with some realistic character flaws, but they aren't annoying in the way Tyler and Brian are and are responsible for the only real elements of humor within the book.
It wasn't until around chapters 6 or 7 when I started enjoying the book for what it had to say, though I didn't fully engage with the story until the climax near the end. Ultimately, my disappointment in this book lay in my own expectations with it. Don't go into this looking for a fantasy/action werewolf book or even a humorous satire (because the humor is scarce). If you go into this expecting a commentary on toxic masculinity with a slight fantasy element, you will likely enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Homophobia
fanboyriot's review against another edition
funny
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
4.0
Read For:
Found Family
Happy Ending
Self-Discovery
Good Friendships
Werewolves (duh)
This book had such a great mix of fantasy and contemporary. Following the mundane life of a relatable—and sarcastic main character who is also a confused werewolf who doesn’t really know what he’s doing.
Brian was a great MC, he was flawed and realistic—and his sarcastic comments were always on point. His path for self-discovery was aggravating, yet, all so satisfying. He really fell into some toxic ‘friendships’ only to be slapped to reality by his actual friends. Which was super satisfying in the end but the poor customers that had to deal with him before then.
The found family really shined in this book. There wasn’t this big push for romance for Brian, sure he had hookups but nothing more than that. I think it really worked well for this book. The plot has more of a focus on the friendships to family relationships. Darby, Nic, and Abe were all so loveable. Darby’s dialogue had me laughing so hard.
It was an entertaining listen with a great narrator who brought the book to life. Thanks to NetGalley and the author/publisher for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
(Third Person POV)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rep: Gay MC, LGBTQIA+ SCs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Cursing, Violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Classism, Homophobia, and Mental illness
Minor: Fatphobia, Murder, and Blood
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