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Reviews tagging 'Violence'

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy

76 reviews

adventurous dark tense fast-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

Fast paced, brutal, and mind-bending, a great summer horror.

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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yeah just rip my heart out thats fine

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

Is that possible? To live in this world and not scare yourself to death? To feel turbulence and not imagine the plane going down? To experience hope as a grown-up with the same clarity a child feels terror? How do you not call forth the things that will devour you and give them teeth? 

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dark slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

Nat Cassidy's When The Wolf Comes Home isn't a werewolf story. The bodies of reality are far more torn up than the actual human bodies within the narrative. Nevertheless, reality-warping doesn't dissuade the amount of visceral violence within the journey of Jess and "kiddo" as they seek a place of serenity and deal with their separate daddy issues. It is a journey that suddenly erupts once the "wolf" appears at Jess's apartment complex, and it is a road trip that continues to get crazier and crazier after revealing the root of that craziness. That root turns out to be "kiddo," and as much as Jess hates to consider it, she then realizes that there could be no way of restricting his unstable superpowers.

It's a book with a plot that isn't different from any science fiction and horror stories from the 1980s, such as Firestarter. Supernatural forces and special agents intermingled in a cat-and-mouse chase across America. However, having this cliche framework doesn't make the story's heart hollow. The book's heart is apparent from the developing relationship between Jess and the "kiddo" as they bond within their predicament. Cookie and Uncle Pepsi also bring heart to the story as they fill Jess's anguished void left by her absent father. These loving relationships help balance out the horrific wake of "kiddo's" abilities.

The scope of "kiddo's" abilities is emphasized by how he brings cartoon weasels and Halloween decorations to life. Nonetheless, one of the most horrifying examples of "kiddo" powers is how he makes sure that Agent Michael Santos never exists when "kiddo" suffers a fear-induced breakdown. It starts with a vision of a thread before it spins off into a complete agony of Agent Santos having his organs and his soul removed from the fabric of reality. That pain is passed on to his wife in the next chapter or in the new reality, just Emmaline, permanently removed from the role of Santos's spouse.

While the ending can be bothersome because we don't know how Jess suddenly absorbs the excess of power from "kiddo". The ending doesn't take away from Cassidy's novel being entertaining and emotionally moving.

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-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

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dark

A creature feature with a major twist. I loved this book! Gory but also introspective. 

Books with no true villain and no true hero are always the best to me.

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated

When The Wolf Comes Home absolutely wrecked me in the best way. This was a wild, anxiety-fueled thrill ride packed with body horror, gore, and  emotion. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, constantly guessing where it was headed. 

The emotional depth caught me off guard. There were layers of fear, love, and daddy issues that rippled through every character. It was fast-paced, symbolic, and surprisingly heartfelt. I didn’t know I needed this book, but wow… I did. Also, do not skip the Afterword—Cassidy’s words there hit just as hard. My first read by him, but definitely not my last.

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