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heyfernance's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
That guy who spent the entire party talking at you about Quentin Tarantino wrote a werewolf book.
The concept is fun but it hasn’t aged well, that self-effacing ironic humour of the 2010s is in full force. This is a re-read for me, originally I read it in about 2015, I remember enjoying it more back then.
That being said I’m gonna read the next two because I’m attached to the characters now and I’m a sucker for werewolves.
The concept is fun but it hasn’t aged well, that self-effacing ironic humour of the 2010s is in full force. This is a re-read for me, originally I read it in about 2015, I remember enjoying it more back then.
That being said I’m gonna read the next two because I’m attached to the characters now and I’m a sucker for werewolves.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Body horror
c*nt is used incessantly to describe vaginas, almost always in a sexual context, iirc no other word is ever used. Weird choice mantschonfeld's review against another edition
3.0
Needlessly vulgar and inelegant stream if consciousness. Ambivalent about whether or not I'll read the next one.
necrabelle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
callieisreading's review against another edition
4.0
Raw, gritty, dark.... and fabulous. A great read for fall.
nssutton's review against another edition
5.0
I pined for this book. I love a good werewolf book (thanks Kelley Armstrong) and could not get my paws on this one fast enough. I sniffed and poked around the publisher at BEA, starred reviews but didn't read them, re-loaded my library's catalog page over and over again, waiting for it to become available for placing a hold. And it was worth every single minute.
Duncan's writing is superb, from the plot line to the twists (oh the twists) and the inevitability (oh the inevitability). I loved the unfolding of Jake's past and the way it drew you closer to a character who purposefully pushed you away in the first chapters. I loved the tension and the gore, although I could never watch this should it become a movie. Although I'm no prude, I was totally embarrassed to read some of the sexy bits on the train.
Poised to snag a spot in my top 10 for the year.
Duncan's writing is superb, from the plot line to the twists (oh the twists) and the inevitability (oh the inevitability). I loved the unfolding of Jake's past and the way it drew you closer to a character who purposefully pushed you away in the first chapters. I loved the tension and the gore, although I could never watch this should it become a movie. Although I'm no prude, I was totally embarrassed to read some of the sexy bits on the train.
Poised to snag a spot in my top 10 for the year.
holly_117's review against another edition
2.0
Spoiler
For example, the repeated description of the werewolf stink of Talulah. We get it. Werewolves have a stink. Vampires have a different stink. You don't need to repeat it 900 times. It doesn't add to the story and actually made me start zoning out because it was getting ridiculous.Jake Marlowe spends the first half of the book moping around waiting to die because he's the last werewolf. There's a shadowy organization that's hunting him and after 200 years, he's just tired of running from them. That could have been dealt with in half the space it took up in the book. The second half of the book, Jake discovers something to live for:
Spoiler
he's not the last werewolf - there's a female named Talulah.Spoiler
So what does Jake do when the final battle is upon them? He doesn't check to see that the bad guy is really dead after taking a javelin to the chest, and he gets shot in the back. How does a werewolf manage to survive for 200 years being that dumb? And how does the author fall back on something so cliche' as the not-quite-dead-yet villain shooting the protagonist in the back to end the story? Lame.There are some interesting parts of the book that I wish the author had expanded, like Quinn's journal that supposedly contains the origin story of werewolves and the whole vampire interest in werewolves. Maybe he's saving that for the second book, but at this point, I'm not sure if I'll read it. This book gets a pretty resounding "meh" from me. Not terrible, but not good either.
joyousreads132's review against another edition
4.0
I’m not new to this rodeo. I’ve had my fair share of lycanthrope stories. And while vampires and zombies are my typical go-to whenever I get a hankering for the supernatural, I must admit that I’ve been missing them lately.
Now, I will be the first one to say that I’m prejudiced when it comes to werewolves. I always assume that there will be super alpha males drumming their chest as soon as they find their “mates”. I know that instant-love is almost always a key ingredient; and that most will go through the angst of accepting the monsters inside themselves. This book is certainly all of that. Jake goes through the self-hating phase soon after killing his first human. He’ll feel the pull of his intended once he finds her. But while most of the novels in this variety are littered with the emotional dramatics of the main character, Jake Marlowe, however, will disappoint the most ardent readers of paranormal romance.
This is not your usual werewolf story that’s for damn sure.
The Last Werewolf, as the title implies, is the story about the last remaining werewolf in the world. Jake will find out that there’s nothing remotely glamorous or even reverent about the distinction, however. Enemies left and right will be coming out of the woodwork to rid the world of this last abomination. He wouldn’t know whom to trust, and anybody close to him faces certain death. He’s not going to enjoy being the hunted this time.
He’s not a teen heartthrob who stalks the halls of his school in all his emo glory. Nope. Jake Marlowe is a 200-year-old cynic who’s seen everything, done everything, and ready to peace out of this world. But…he wants to do it in his own terms.
Jake’s type of werewolf is the kind that needs to eat people in order to survive. The cycle of the moon also plays a pivotal role in prolonging their lives. While waiting for the full moon, they can live by gratuitously imbibing on alcohol and smoking like a chimney. They also need sex – and plenty of it! In a way, this brand of werewolves is like the vampires. They thrive on the indulgence of flesh and excessive vice. The author certainly doesn’t pull any punches. Violence, sex, gore are described in explicit details. But for the amount of sex included in this book, not a single scene was written with sexual arousal in mind. There’s a distinct dismissive casualty and banality to the act. He didn’t loiter in the scenes and didn’t dawdle. You wouldn’t feel any warm fuzzies or the need to smoke afterward.
Glen Duncan will probably annoy some of you. He comes across as a pretentious jerk for name-dropping some literary greats in his book. But I do see his point. Jake Marlowe is 200 years old, after all. How else would he occupy his immortal life but read?
He will make you feel as exhausted as Jake feels; as tired of life as he was. In that respect, Duncan is a very convincing writer. He spent most of his time ruminating about the life he led, the loves he lost, and the people he ate. But nowhere did he try to get the reader’s empathy. Duncan’s writing is very “male” for lack of a better word.
I am, however, sorry that I felt no emotion whatsoever while reading this book. That doesn’t mean, however, that I didn’t enjoy it. It’s not a bad quality, per se. But sometimes, you just got to take what you’re reading with a grain of salt. It’s a change of pace and it’s great to read something that doesn’t put me through the wringer for once.
Now, I will be the first one to say that I’m prejudiced when it comes to werewolves. I always assume that there will be super alpha males drumming their chest as soon as they find their “mates”. I know that instant-love is almost always a key ingredient; and that most will go through the angst of accepting the monsters inside themselves. This book is certainly all of that. Jake goes through the self-hating phase soon after killing his first human. He’ll feel the pull of his intended once he finds her. But while most of the novels in this variety are littered with the emotional dramatics of the main character, Jake Marlowe, however, will disappoint the most ardent readers of paranormal romance.
This is not your usual werewolf story that’s for damn sure.
The Last Werewolf, as the title implies, is the story about the last remaining werewolf in the world. Jake will find out that there’s nothing remotely glamorous or even reverent about the distinction, however. Enemies left and right will be coming out of the woodwork to rid the world of this last abomination. He wouldn’t know whom to trust, and anybody close to him faces certain death. He’s not going to enjoy being the hunted this time.
He’s not a teen heartthrob who stalks the halls of his school in all his emo glory. Nope. Jake Marlowe is a 200-year-old cynic who’s seen everything, done everything, and ready to peace out of this world. But…he wants to do it in his own terms.
Jake’s type of werewolf is the kind that needs to eat people in order to survive. The cycle of the moon also plays a pivotal role in prolonging their lives. While waiting for the full moon, they can live by gratuitously imbibing on alcohol and smoking like a chimney. They also need sex – and plenty of it! In a way, this brand of werewolves is like the vampires. They thrive on the indulgence of flesh and excessive vice. The author certainly doesn’t pull any punches. Violence, sex, gore are described in explicit details. But for the amount of sex included in this book, not a single scene was written with sexual arousal in mind. There’s a distinct dismissive casualty and banality to the act. He didn’t loiter in the scenes and didn’t dawdle. You wouldn’t feel any warm fuzzies or the need to smoke afterward.
Glen Duncan will probably annoy some of you. He comes across as a pretentious jerk for name-dropping some literary greats in his book. But I do see his point. Jake Marlowe is 200 years old, after all. How else would he occupy his immortal life but read?
He will make you feel as exhausted as Jake feels; as tired of life as he was. In that respect, Duncan is a very convincing writer. He spent most of his time ruminating about the life he led, the loves he lost, and the people he ate. But nowhere did he try to get the reader’s empathy. Duncan’s writing is very “male” for lack of a better word.
I am, however, sorry that I felt no emotion whatsoever while reading this book. That doesn’t mean, however, that I didn’t enjoy it. It’s not a bad quality, per se. But sometimes, you just got to take what you’re reading with a grain of salt. It’s a change of pace and it’s great to read something that doesn’t put me through the wringer for once.
pearloz's review against another edition
1.0
So, I gave it twenty more pages and found even more lame and repulsive than before. There's a sense of regality he tries to convey that rings false, an old-money vibe he's trying really hard to get you to believe...but it's all BS and lame half-assery. Seems like a marketing ploy for those saps that like Twilight but want a more "sophisticated" read. Pass.
heather_foster's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written. I can't even express that enough.
plaidthrowcushions's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars, maybe even 4. Interesting read. Not your typical supernatural book!