Because spooky season means werewolves.
Song Vibe Check:
"Part of me" By: Noah Kahan
"Moonlight Magic" By: Ashnikko
"Your Bones" By: Chelsea Cutler
TJ Klune's name has been one of those names I hear a lot on Instagram. I hear good things about his work, some problematic things about a few of the books he's written. I've seen ads advertising his books from Barnes and Noble and if a book appears too many times in my scope, I am bound to get my curious hands on it. So, Wolfsong is the first in the Green Creek series which I discovered is actually an older series that got a reprint with new covers.
But the story focusing on wolf packs and a fantasy romance that would apparently blow me away, I thought I might as well give it a try and so I luckily found it at the library and checked it out. It laid on my library book stack for weeks and as the deadline to return it loomed over me, I decided to finally pick it up and read it.
And WOW I never expected to finish a 500 page book in less than two days because it blew me away.
So, here we go.
Short Summary: A young man comes across a mysterious family who pulls him into their circle without knowing how his entire world could shift into something more magical than he ever imagined.
Long Summary: Ox Matheson has been told all his life that he's slow and that his life will only be filled with bad things. After his father abandoned him and his mom and going through lots of bullies in school, he finds himself craving for friends and a place to belong and it all changes when he meets the young Joe Bennett who talks to him and pulls him into the fold of the enigmatic Bennett family who accept him with open arms.
As Ox gets used to their physicality and the warmth they radiate, he discovers their secret: They're all a pack of werewolves, and Joe is meant to lead them all when he grows up.
Oh, and he also may have chosen Ox to be his mate once he becomes of age. As the years pass by, the bond between the two young men grows and when tragedy strikes both Joe and Ox's life, both must choose what they're willing to do for the remnants of their family-- even if it means entering a dark path of revenge to get rid of the monster that took from them and the dark road may fracture the Bennett clan entirely.
I was not expecting this book to sink its claws into me and not let go, but it did. Ox was an interesting character to follow and while people judged him for speaking slower than most people, it offered an interesting perspective on the stereotypes that get cast on others. As we met the Bennett family, I came to enjoy the members of the family (Carter among my favorites for how cheeky and humorous he was!) and young Joe who was very energetic and full of chaos and questions on top of questions that made it feel like he was a kid who never got diagnosed with ADHD (his curiosity was something I really enjoyed!). As we follow the interesting love story that unfolds between Ox (who is six years older than Joe!) we get to see the introduction of witches, of wolf hierarchies, a cruel omega who made my heart break multiple times, the prose was something that pulled me in.
Yes, there is repetition, but also the fragmented thoughts, the lack of grammar and just thoughts piled on top of thoughts felt like an accurate and fitting representation of how our mind works sometimes. It added a beautiful touch to it. I smiled, I laughed, I cringed in second hand embarrassment and kept a poker face when the slow burn romance finally reached the Spicy Scene (AHEM over 400 pages later!) I also nearly cried and found myself enjoying this book a lot.
There are four books, although it seems to focus on different people in the pack. I may read them all, I may just read the ones that interest me, but I know that at least I am a bit more inclined to follow this pack and see what else comes out of this series. I think this one will maybe make it into my favorites of the year, but we'll have to see.
Overall:5/5 stars
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