A review by danielghurst
Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson

5.0

Shaun David Hutchinson is a prolific young adult author who always creates layered, emotional, and quirky stories, and HOWL is no exception. The story kicks off with a bang with our main character, Virgil, arriving in town with his clothes and his back torn to shreds with claw marks and a story about a monster in the sprawl. But no one believes him. Throughout the story, Virgil deals with losing his connections to his old life in Seattle and a difficult transition to life in Merritt, Florida. His newness, his queerness, and his traumatic attack story make him an outcast, and he isn't sure who he can trust. His life is full of morally gray characters, who are described vividly and depicted believably. Hutchinson is masterful at showing how the people who love Virgil sometimes treat him poorly, or in a way he perceives as poorly, while those he has no reason to trust treat him kindly. Meanwhile, Virgil's internal struggle with his traumas, both those grounded in reality and those with a supernatural bent, is realistic and handled with care. That being the case, the story has moments of redundancy that might make it a less enjoyable read for some, while others will find it powerful and relatable. Readers of Hutchinson's work will find some similar themes and situations to previous works, most notably his memoir BRAVE FACE.