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booksnbrooches's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This was everything. The slow burn romance with werewolves is everything my 13-year-old self loved about Twilight, but it’s so so so much better. TJ Klune is officially my favorite current author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Cursing
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Homophobia, and Alcoholism
joygarcialim's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book was bad bad bad and crap crap crap. The best part of it was before I started reading it.
The book was so disjointed in so many parts that I didn’t know what happened between one part of the writing and other parts. There was basically no flow. Ox and Joe are walking red flags, even outside of their inappropriate relationship, they are immature, whiney and possessive. The dialogues between characters were so similar that they all seemed to have the same personality- one-dimensional. The book came across as it was written by a 12 year old with a Twilight obsession, with no understanding of character-building or world-building. Maybe except for the sex scenes, I would have been completely convinced this was written by a kid. The writing was that juvenile. I don’t understand why every time Ox has an emotion, he has to write out a soliloquy about them. I’m not talking artistic, literary soliloquies- they were very whiney and he thinks he’s suffered the most or something. And it’s repeatedly used. By other characters too. There was a lot of repetitiveness. It was a long book not because a lot happened, but because there was a lot of repetition and Klune used a new line for every sentence he wrote in some parts.
The sex scenes were probably the best part of the writing tbh. They were incredibly detailed and less whiney than the other parts- all 15+ pages of it. It wasn’t great, I got second-hand embarrassment from it. It didn’t need to be that long.
TJ Klune, if this book is a reflection of your reality, please get professional help from a therapist and a psychiatrist.
The book was so disjointed in so many parts that I didn’t know what happened between one part of the writing and other parts. There was basically no flow. Ox and Joe are walking red flags, even outside of their inappropriate relationship, they are immature, whiney and possessive. The dialogues between characters were so similar that they all seemed to have the same personality- one-dimensional. The book came across as it was written by a 12 year old with a Twilight obsession, with no understanding of character-building or world-building. Maybe except for the sex scenes, I would have been completely convinced this was written by a kid. The writing was that juvenile. I don’t understand why every time Ox has an emotion, he has to write out a soliloquy about them. I’m not talking artistic, literary soliloquies- they were very whiney and he thinks he’s suffered the most or something. And it’s repeatedly used. By other characters too. There was a lot of repetitiveness. It was a long book not because a lot happened, but because there was a lot of repetition and Klune used a new line for every sentence he wrote in some parts.
The sex scenes were probably the best part of the writing tbh. They were incredibly detailed and less whiney than the other parts- all 15+ pages of it. It wasn’t great, I got second-hand embarrassment from it. It didn’t need to be that long.
TJ Klune, if this book is a reflection of your reality, please get professional help from a therapist and a psychiatrist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Violence, Death of parent, Mental illness, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Abandonment, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Addiction
nat_kiverse's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Torture, Child abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Confinement, Vomit, Blood, Death, Murder, and Violence
sabinehunter's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Grief, Sexual content, Torture, Cursing, Violence, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
mailuss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Cursing
Minor: Sexual content
saestrah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A free advanced reading copy of this title was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review:
After hearing a lot about this series, I was very excited to get an advanced copy of Wolfsong to review, and unfortunately I think the hype made me a little disappointed by the end result. I've seen a few other reviews for this book, which describe the main romance as reading just like fanfiction, and I see where the similiarities lay. The dialogue between the characters is often lighthearted and funny, but I found that the text as a whole lacked the depth I wanted from this book. The topics discussed (poverty, abandonment, kidnapping, and child abuse to name a few) could have lended this book a much richer (albeit darker) texture, but instead a lot of it felt glossed over and for the Bennett's in particular, I never felt like it had a lasting effect on them. Ox's personal fears and motivations felt considerably more developed in comparison, making him easily my favourite character of the book and the only one that I could say that I even liked. His first chapter where his father is leaving the family, and he tries to tell Ox but Ox doesn't pick up on it and believes his father will be returning, broke my heart. There was something so tangible about Ox missing the cues of the conversation and believing himself to be stupid, perhaps due to his narrative style that has a rhythmic and repetitive nature that felt like it would be best read aloud. For all that Gordo claims that Ox didn't talk much as a kid, Ox's inner-voice reminds me of slam poetry.
As for the plot, a lot of it felt predictable in that it follows a lot of YA-werewolf-story tropes and patterns. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as thepart where Ox finds himself a human-Alpha was one that I saw coming and enjoyed a lot. While I've mostly grown out of YA and haven't read a paranormal romance book for a long time, I found that plots similiar to that of Wolfsong work best with a rich and dynamic worldbuilding, which for me this book was lacking. Witches-in-packs and werewolf-governments felt thrown in without a moment's pause, and I kept expecting parts of the story to connect and come together, such as why Ox's father left their family, but unfortunately that aspect of the story was as realistic as it comes. These both relate to the fact that unlike most books I read, where I experience the narrative fluidly and anticipate that my questions will be answered at the narrative's own pace, I expected to be told rather than to be shown. Unfortunately, this also relates to the characters' dynamics. For a main romantic couple that I'd seen a lot of love for online, I didn't see what Ox and Joe saw in each other or why they were supposed to be mates, other than that I was explicitly told that's what they were.
From the start of the book I believed that the love interest would be Carter, being a character closer to Ox's age. Joe was never an option for me until it was made clear that the other characters weren't going to be given nearly as much page time (throughout the book I felt like every character other than Ox had only just been introduced in passing, without giving me a chance to connect with any of them—perhaps since Klune was leaving their development for their own narratives in the series).
On another note, I'm definitely falling on the side of reviewers uncomfortable with the age gap between Ox and Joe. I would have had less of a problem of the two meeting at such a young age if romantic feelings hadn't developed until they were both much older, but as it was, reading about a twenty-three year old being sexually attracted to a seventeen year old that he had 'suddenly' seen as more than a kid, didn't sit right with me.
All in all, I read this book rather quickly and found it easy to binge-read as Ox's narration is easy to follow and the plot exciting enough to draw a reader in, even though I didn't feel the 'pull' that many readers had with this story. It's unlikely that I will read the rest of this series given that they're from other characters' perspectives and I felt like Ox's narrative reached a satisfying ending, but I'm still glad to have read Wolfsong and grateful for the introduction of Ox into my life (as I now have a houseplant named after him).
After hearing a lot about this series, I was very excited to get an advanced copy of Wolfsong to review, and unfortunately I think the hype made me a little disappointed by the end result. I've seen a few other reviews for this book, which describe the main romance as reading just like fanfiction, and I see where the similiarities lay. The dialogue between the characters is often lighthearted and funny, but I found that the text as a whole lacked the depth I wanted from this book. The topics discussed (poverty, abandonment, kidnapping, and child abuse to name a few) could have lended this book a much richer (albeit darker) texture, but instead a lot of it felt glossed over and for the Bennett's in particular, I never felt like it had a lasting effect on them. Ox's personal fears and motivations felt considerably more developed in comparison, making him easily my favourite character of the book and the only one that I could say that I even liked. His first chapter where his father is leaving the family, and he tries to tell Ox but Ox doesn't pick up on it and believes his father will be returning, broke my heart. There was something so tangible about Ox missing the cues of the conversation and believing himself to be stupid, perhaps due to his narrative style that has a rhythmic and repetitive nature that felt like it would be best read aloud. For all that Gordo claims that Ox didn't talk much as a kid, Ox's inner-voice reminds me of slam poetry.
As for the plot, a lot of it felt predictable in that it follows a lot of YA-werewolf-story tropes and patterns. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the
From the start of the book I believed that the love interest would be Carter, being a character closer to Ox's age. Joe was never an option for me until it was made clear that the other characters weren't going to be given nearly as much page time (throughout the book I felt like every character other than Ox had only just been introduced in passing, without giving me a chance to connect with any of them—perhaps since Klune was leaving their development for their own narratives in the series).
On another note, I'm definitely falling on the side of reviewers uncomfortable with the age gap between Ox and Joe. I would have had less of a problem of the two meeting at such a young age if romantic feelings hadn't developed until they were both much older, but as it was, reading about a twenty-three year old being sexually attracted to a seventeen year old that he had 'suddenly' seen as more than a kid, didn't sit right with me.
All in all, I read this book rather quickly and found it easy to binge-read as Ox's narration is easy to follow and the plot exciting enough to draw a reader in, even though I didn't feel the 'pull' that many readers had with this story. It's unlikely that I will read the rest of this series given that they're from other characters' perspectives and I felt like Ox's narrative reached a satisfying ending, but I'm still glad to have read Wolfsong and grateful for the introduction of Ox into my life (as I now have a houseplant named after him).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Gore, Rape, Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Bullying
darkmattersoybean's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really struggled with the age gap in the beginning of the book and the possessive nature of the relationships. I realise that TJ Klune tried to explain them away with the whole werewolf dynamics but it still made me a bit uncomfortable.
Looking past that, this book was very well written and the short, succinct style of writing was really pleasing to read. I probably will consider reading more books in the series.
Looking past that, this book was very well written and the short, succinct style of writing was really pleasing to read. I probably will consider reading more books in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Death, Cursing, Child abuse, Body horror, Blood, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Moderate: Torture and Adult/minor relationship
cluckieduck's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
I don’t think I have words that can truly explain how much adoration I have for this book. I feel as if I’ve read something profound, unlike anything I’ve read before.
It is a poetic and heartbreaking story of love, and what it means to be family. The people of Green Creek have stolen my heart.
It is a poetic and heartbreaking story of love, and what it means to be family. The people of Green Creek have stolen my heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Bullying
Minor: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Rape, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
tieflingreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I wasn't really expecting much from this book honestly, with it being an older mlm werewolf book. I was expecting 'dubious consent' alpha x omega dynamics and way more smut than plot. I WAS VERY MUCH MISTAKEN.
[also, werewolves aren't even the only supernatural creature in this series!!]
Right off the bat we start with a lot of heavy emotions. While this book has its share of jokes and chaotic teenage boys-being-boys to help lighten the mood, it is still quite heavy. Grief, anger, fear are all very prevalent. I defintely say it is worth the read but please check out detailed CW lists beforehand!!
As an autistic person myself, I definitely see Ox as being autistic. He has difficulties with finding the words he wants to say as well as fully understanding others and where they are coming from in several conversations. While processing strong emotions like fear, anger, and sadness, he 'sees' colours and I take this as his way of trying to understand and accept these emotions, both in himself and others. ~ While Ox is in school, there are some bullies who habitually use the r-slur on him. Ox doesn't do anything about it because he feels like it's inevitable, but later on he has friends who challenge these people and once Ox is out of school nobody else disrespects him in that way.
Where do I even start with the Bennett family... My love language is physical touch, so the fact that the Bennett's are constantly patting Ox's back, playing with his hair, sitting close to him despite other spots being open, all of that screams to me that Ox is so so loved
This might read differently to somebody who is more touch-adverse so keep that in mind!
This might read differently to somebody who is more touch-adverse so keep that in mind!
I also love the writing style! Wolfsong is full of short, choppy sentences, very similar to my own writing style. The short sentences were really easy on my ADHD brain and I was able to absolutely FLY through this book.
There is a relationship between and adult and a minor in this book, with a 6 year age difference. The two people know each other from ages 16 and 10, and the older one doesn't think of the younger in a romantic or sexual way until the younger is 17 and begins to flirt with him, and even then he is still very "you are a MINOR" to the other instead of just taking advantage of him. That being said, I can still understand how it can be triggering to some readers; feel free to ask me for more details if you'd like!
Rep: bisexual MC (bisexual is used on page!), it's said somewhere that werewolves are most commonly "fluid" in their sexuality so I'm assuming they're all meant to be m-spec as well. Multiple mlm couples, as well as a side character who feels aro-ace coded! I believe he gets his own book later in the series
Rep: bisexual MC (bisexual is used on page!), it's said somewhere that werewolves are most commonly "fluid" in their sexuality so I'm assuming they're all meant to be m-spec as well. Multiple mlm couples, as well as a side character who feels aro-ace coded! I believe he gets his own book later in the series
CW: r-slur several times from a very minor character (challenged), one hp reference in the chapter "Moon". (These are the main things that keep this book from being a 5 star, but it was written in 2015 so I'm not entirely surprised either)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Ableism, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Torture
taradactyl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I really don't want to give this book 5 stars because the author kind of pisses me off, and I by no means support or condone the guy and his actions, but this book was breathtaking, to say the least. I only just started getting back into reading, and since I've started, not once have I stayed up a full night reading till this book. I laughed, cried, blushed, and yelled. It was an experience. And I do have a bias, because I LOVE werewolves AND romances, so this was perfect. That being said, this book does have problems. One, the age gap. Seriously, the author didn't have to make it that big, (about 6 years-ish but they meet when one is a kid and the other is a teen), it made me uncomfortable at some parts, and luckily I forgot about it once both characters were in their 20s, but still. I mostly blame this on the author and in my mind the bond was the strongest thing, so thats ok, but I'll still just pretend that age gap wasn't a thing. Second, the antagonist was- truly horrifying. Which is a good thing, for writing a character, but like some serious trigger warnings are needed for that guy alone. It was excessive and not needed at some parts. Finally, it dragged on a bit here and there, the anticipation was killing me, but on the other hand it made everything more emotional so maybe it was needed. Despite that and not liking the author as a person, this book was great. I would reccomend to anyone who wants a gay werewolf romance with lovable characters and a long plot, because this book has it. 9.5/10 read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Cursing, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
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