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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!
arienne311's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
alykat_reads's review against another edition
slow-paced
0.5
Safe to say I will not be reading the sequel to this one. People calling this intelligent writing make me question humanity even more than I already am, which is a shit ton, by the way.
I didn't care for any of the characters and we got the point after the first 100 sex scenes (seriously, half of the book is Jacob having sex described only using the words cock, cunt, and anus). Yikes.
I didn't care for any of the characters and we got the point after the first 100 sex scenes (seriously, half of the book is Jacob having sex described only using the words cock, cunt, and anus). Yikes.
itskatehill's review against another edition
1.0
1.5. I am so glad to be done with this. I think this is the first one star I've given.
I listened to the audio book for this one, even though I do have a physical copy, and not even Robin Sachs's magical voice could save this.
This furthers my track record with being thoroughly underwhelmed or disappointed by books published in 2011. The day I find a favorite that came out that year will be truly special.
I remember buying this book yeeaarrsss ago, and it has sat on my bookshelf ever since. (Hobby of buying books and reading books are two entirely different things). And I'm glad it'll no longer be there.
Men shouldn't be allowed to write about women anymore. I am sick to death of male writers constantly having to mention breasts in every f*cking thing they write. It's obnoxious. I have never read the words 'breasts,' 'cunt,' and 'anus' so much in my life. I found myself constantly detecting the phantom smell of shit wafting through the air because of how often Duncan also likes to mention bowels and excrement.
The misogyny in this book is ripe. Duncan regularly mentions rape, and seems to have no issue with it. Later in the book Talullah is with one of her captors and has a vision of him quote "sodomising a young girl." Wtf. Oh yeah and while we're on that note, how about this: "I've always said women make the best agents. Deceit comes naturally to them. It's hardly surprising: If you were born with a little hole half the population could stick its dick into whenever it felt like it you'd learn deceit too. Biology is destiny. You can't blame the women." Excuse me...WHAT? There was another instance in which another character told Jake to relax because they all know "it's" your girl, the "it's" being Talullah. Like shut tfu. And of course Talullah is a powerful werewolf but what does she care about at the end? Makeup. That's right. Because of course she does. The way he treats women in general is deplorable.
If the misogynistic tone wasn't bad enough Duncan insists on using weird turns of phrase constantly throughout the book. He actually used 'autism' as a descriptor at one point.
This whole novel just had me constantly saying wtf. He kills his wife in cold blood because of course he does. I don't know whether Jake or Duncan or both are just horribly arrogant or what but I can say that I never gave a single fuck about Jake. If it's not bad enough that Talullah is trying to express vulnerability in a scene and Jake decides to slip a finger into her 'anus', there it is again that damned word Duncan loves so much, he has no redeeming qualities in my eyes.
Other random tidbits: Duncan randomly throws in a Lolita reference which...why? What is he inferring? Does he know what Lolita is about? Oh and his cock thickens or twitches all the fucking time. At seemingly nothing. Stop it.
And of course it ends with Talullah being pregnant. Once again, personally, I'm tired of reading about motherhood being the only reason for characters to keep on living. Why not just be a badass werewolf with your other badass werewolf husband? But then I guess it wouldn't be "The Last Werewolf." There are plenty of women in the world who do not want to be mothers. We have other motivations and reasons for living.
I am shocked to see that the next book, based around Talullah, is the best reviewed of this trilogy. I loathe to admit I'm actually interested in knowing what happens to her, because who wouldn't want to read about a female werewolf, the last one on earth supposedly, but I'm sure Duncan will waste no time in talking about anuses, rape, wombs that supposedly feel something (again, men need to stop writing about women and our anatomy they have no clue what they're saying we do not feel things in our fucking womb), makeup, and whatever else that makes Talullah a werewolf, but not the powerful kind, no, the lesser than kind because she's female, terrified and applying mascara. Eye roll.
I listened to the audio book for this one, even though I do have a physical copy, and not even Robin Sachs's magical voice could save this.
This furthers my track record with being thoroughly underwhelmed or disappointed by books published in 2011. The day I find a favorite that came out that year will be truly special.
I remember buying this book yeeaarrsss ago, and it has sat on my bookshelf ever since. (Hobby of buying books and reading books are two entirely different things). And I'm glad it'll no longer be there.
Men shouldn't be allowed to write about women anymore. I am sick to death of male writers constantly having to mention breasts in every f*cking thing they write. It's obnoxious. I have never read the words 'breasts,' 'cunt,' and 'anus' so much in my life. I found myself constantly detecting the phantom smell of shit wafting through the air because of how often Duncan also likes to mention bowels and excrement.
The misogyny in this book is ripe. Duncan regularly mentions rape, and seems to have no issue with it. Later in the book Talullah is with one of her captors and has a vision of him quote "sodomising a young girl." Wtf. Oh yeah and while we're on that note, how about this: "I've always said women make the best agents. Deceit comes naturally to them. It's hardly surprising: If you were born with a little hole half the population could stick its dick into whenever it felt like it you'd learn deceit too. Biology is destiny. You can't blame the women." Excuse me...WHAT? There was another instance in which another character told Jake to relax because they all know "it's" your girl, the "it's" being Talullah. Like shut tfu. And of course Talullah is a powerful werewolf but what does she care about at the end? Makeup. That's right. Because of course she does. The way he treats women in general is deplorable.
If the misogynistic tone wasn't bad enough Duncan insists on using weird turns of phrase constantly throughout the book. He actually used 'autism' as a descriptor at one point.
This whole novel just had me constantly saying wtf. He kills his wife in cold blood because of course he does. I don't know whether Jake or Duncan or both are just horribly arrogant or what but I can say that I never gave a single fuck about Jake. If it's not bad enough that Talullah is trying to express vulnerability in a scene and Jake decides to slip a finger into her 'anus', there it is again that damned word Duncan loves so much, he has no redeeming qualities in my eyes.
Other random tidbits: Duncan randomly throws in a Lolita reference which...why? What is he inferring? Does he know what Lolita is about? Oh and his cock thickens or twitches all the fucking time. At seemingly nothing. Stop it.
And of course it ends with Talullah being pregnant. Once again, personally, I'm tired of reading about motherhood being the only reason for characters to keep on living. Why not just be a badass werewolf with your other badass werewolf husband? But then I guess it wouldn't be "The Last Werewolf." There are plenty of women in the world who do not want to be mothers. We have other motivations and reasons for living.
I am shocked to see that the next book, based around Talullah, is the best reviewed of this trilogy. I loathe to admit I'm actually interested in knowing what happens to her, because who wouldn't want to read about a female werewolf, the last one on earth supposedly, but I'm sure Duncan will waste no time in talking about anuses, rape, wombs that supposedly feel something (again, men need to stop writing about women and our anatomy they have no clue what they're saying we do not feel things in our fucking womb), makeup, and whatever else that makes Talullah a werewolf, but not the powerful kind, no, the lesser than kind because she's female, terrified and applying mascara. Eye roll.