Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

29 reviews

oranges448's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

booklifeisthelife's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny sad slow-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? No

4.0

Alright so. This is probably a 4 star for me.

I really enjoyed this. I liked the slow, gradual approach to everything and that we learned about the world as he did. The friendships and family bonds happened gradually as well, just like with everything else. It felt natural. Even his relationship with Joe which was "mystical moon magic" we saw develop through the years. However, on that note, the lack of development after Ox finally sees Joe and realizes his attraction is unsatisfactory. They have what, a week, before everything happens and they are separated? Would have liked a bit more. But even that could have been fixed by after they come back together they build their relationship again? Spend time together? Yes they did spend time together and have to build a relationship again but it was mainly Ox having to let go of his anger. Which is totally justified btw. I don't like that some of the characters were calling his feelings "ridiculous". But whatever. They take time to come together again which I liked, that it wasn't an instant thing. But after? There wasn't an after. We didn't get to see their relationship after. We didn't get to see how they work as a couple, them going on a date, them doing anything besides the really short claiming scene at the end which I also didn't love since Ox didn't bite Joe? I felt like should have both bit..but meh. I would have liked a little more into the after. Onto another aspect, I didn't agree with every choice characters made but you almost never will. But for Ox, sometimes his thought process irked me. Him blaming the wolves, even a little. Not just after the death right then but even years later he still feels it a little. I didn't like that. But at the same time it shows how human he is? How imperfect he is? Ox or even Joe, neither are perfect characters without flaws. They are still great characters regardless. So I can't fault Ox for that even though it made me a little uncomfortable. Anyway. I'm happy Ox finally found somewhere he belonged. A family who accepts him fully. A place he belongs, as pack, as alpha. It still isn't fully but that'll time time and it's okay. He mostly accepts it now. The position really suits him. He earned it. And as mates. Joe will make sure Ox is the happiest person there is, same with Ox towards Joe. Joe will never let Ox think himself as less, he's the perfect person for him. So yeah, despite a few complaints I enjoyed this book.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Vomit, and Kidnapping

greymouse's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Gore, Sexual content, and Blood

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Torture, and Kidnapping

hhopper's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

I honestly did not know what to expect going into this book. I enjoyed the one other TJ Klune book I’ve read, but this one was so much darker. I honestly really enjoyed that though. He didn’t hold back during fights scenes or in the life changing events the characters went through. It felt high stakes the entire time. 

The only reason this isn’t a 5 star from me is because I struggle a bit with Klune’s writing style. Once I am fully into the book it’s easier, but something about the flow is just a little bit off to me until I settle in. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying and Emotional abuse

evreardon's review against another edition

emotional tense slow-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

3.25

I’m so conflicted with this one. I wanted to fall head over heels for this series because I love Klune’s other fantasy novels. But parts of it didn’t sit right with me (namely the age difference & possessiveness). 

I loved the found family & the pack. I loved the setting & a lot of the characters. I loved Klune’s take on werewolves. 

I found some of it repetitive and I understand the function of repeating memories/stories/thoughts, but because I read it in a shorter time span- it grated. I wanted more depth or newer information? I’m not sure. But again, I understand that repetition is part of life and it made it feel more real but it didn’t jive with me here. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Bullying and Grief

Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol

kimschouwenaar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I devoured this book, finished it within 48 hours. And I am a slow reader.

Oh my god. Oh my god, y'all. 

You gotta smell him and then tell me why it’s all candy canes and pinecones and epic and awesome.

I never thought TJ Klune would succeed in ripping out my heart and shredding it entirely. Alas, here we are. As a slow reader, I usually take my time to get through books, especially when they're a little chunky (yes, this is 'only' about 450 pages long, but it's longer than books I normally read). However, that wasn't the case with this book. I sprinted through this, couldn't put it down, didn't WANT to put it down (because 'you always have a choice'). It has been a long time since I stayed up until 3 am to read. I think the last book that kept me up all night was The Foxhole Court, which is now one of the books I reread every year. Because, fuck. This book doesn't consist of words, it's predominantly made up of characters, pain, and a rollercoaster of emotions. 

People could be cruel. They could be beautiful, but they could be cruel too.

At least the first half of the book is what you read in the synopsis: we briefly follow Ox through his childhood when his father leaves, but it quickly moves on to his teenage years and his first meeting with Joe. Joe, the little tornado. Joe. Ox meets the rest of the Bennett family, befriends them, becomes their family, becomes part of their pack, becomes their pack. Until murder comes to town and three remain. 

Sometimes I walked in the woods. Things were clearer there. The trees swayed in the breeze. Birds told me stories. They didn’t judge me.

Klune doesn't take the time to wholly explain the setting, making this a timeless book. He glosses over descriptions of buildings, surroundings, characters. And yet, I saw Greek Creek, Oregon as if I've lived there my entire life. I'm not going to lie, his writing style took some time to get used to. It's a lot of dialogue, and you need to stay focused or risk losing track of who's saying what. But it works because that's who the narrator is. That's who Ox is. He sees the world through his own unique lense, and Klune is a master at depicting that lense through his writing.

On top of that, Ox is hilarious. I had to stop reading the book several times, because I was on public transport and I could not risk bursting out laughing. And then I was reading at night and had to stop reading to I didn't wake up the rest of my family. I was dying. And it's not just Ox. It's Carter, Kelly, Joe, Elizabeth, Thomas, Mark, Gordo, Ox's mum, and everyone at the garage Ox works at. 

But hearts are a funny thing; they beat strongly in our chests, even though they can shatter at the slightest pressure.

And then comes the heartbreak. The waiting, and the pining, and the years of trying to work your way through loss. It took me out. I was sobbing. 

I think the only criticism I have is the use of the word 'retard'; although it was used in a memory Ox has of when his father calls him that. Kind of. And it took some time getting used to the age gap, but it's only 5/6 years and nothing explicit happens until both of them are adults. 

So, yeah. This is easily one of my favourite reads of 2023, and it has been added to my all-time-favourites shelf. It's a romance, yes, but it's also so much more. It's grief, it's family, it's loyalty, it's friendship, and it's love that transcends that on the romantic plain. 

That was fine. That was okay. Because we were the goddamn Bennett pack. And our song would always be heard.

If you have come this far, I am very much looking for more book friends! You can find me on:
IG: kimschouwenaar
TT: _kimschouwenaar
Goodreads: Kim Schouwenaar

I am also in the midst of creating an IG account specifically for my reading, writing and art journey, which you will be able to find under the username @shelvesofsanity! And I'm obviously on here, so feel free to send me a friend request! (:

- kim <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Gore, and Abandonment

Minor: Cursing

17kmcollins's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Child abuse

ravenk28's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful sad tense slow-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

This book has me searching for words to describe how amazing it was. I was consumed by this book from the very beginning. From the way Ox was introduced to the way he worked through his hardships. I fell in love with every single character and felt every emotion portrayed by the TJ Klune, he truly is a wonderful story teller.  

I felt such a personal connection to Ox, to his struggles and his way of protecting his pack. Him and Joe were so meant to be in every way possible

This was an all round phenomenal book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Gore

k80mae's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

3.25

I find myself struggling to write any kind of nuanced review for this book. On the one hand, I absolutely devoured it in just a little over a day. I read the first 300 pages in one sitting. I found the characters and their voices to be absolutely compelling, even if their arcs felt circuitous and repetitious at times. Ox especially had an absolutely wonderful narrative voice and made it so easy to be immersed in his story when normally, I find the first person POV absolutely grating. Every single one of his platonic relationships were compelling and interesting and I wish had been fleshed out even more than they were. The interpersonal dynamics here were fascinating and so much fun to read. 

On the other hand, I don't know if I was really sold on the romance here. Next to Ox and the rest of the cast of characters, Joe did not feel nearly as fleshed out or strong of a character. Throughout the book, he was the only character whose voice I felt did not land for me. Considering he is the main romantic interest and driving force behind Ox's actions, it made it difficult to invest myself in the romance. What I find myself most distracted by, however, is that I was completely unable to look at the world-building and plot and not think that the author had to have been inspired by fandom for a very specific television show popular in the 2010s. Nearly every world-building element felt like a detail I had already seen before, to the point where I wouldn't be surprised to have found this on AO3. I don't want to outright say that this is a negative quality because I do think that it absolutely worked for this story, but it made for a very distracting read even as I sped through it. 

Overall, I'm not sure if I will personally continue with the series, but this is absolutely the kind of book that has a very particular audience who I hope is able to find it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Gore, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Alcoholism and Bullying

Sexual assault is threatened, but the description in that threat is repeatedly vivid so the SA tag is necessary. The adult/minor relationship is a bit of a grey area, but when Ox and Joe enter a romantic relationship, Joe is still only 17.

joshoonet's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-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

5.0

• MY HEART
• TJ Klune you have done it again
• The next volume only comes out in August (at least in the edition that fits the one i have now) and i am in pain
• I only read Cerulean Sea and Whispering Door before this, and... this is darker. And SMUTTIER. Also people say fuck. I like it!
• Klune is one of my favourite authors because he always includes healthy, but realistic! communication, especially between men. It's just so damn refreshing.
• Also a bunch of queer characters! Incredible! I have yet to find a trans character though, maybe in his next book? 
• His book have been the only one to make me genuinely emotional in a long time

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Torture, and Murder

Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Rape, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Ableism, Domestic Abuse, Alcohol:

the protagonist's father is kind of a piece of shit, but he leaves pretty early on in the book. Nothing too graphic here.

Adult/Minor Relationship:

the protagonist falls for his friend, who he's known since that friend was ten years old. This only happens when the friend is 17 and the protagonist is 23 years old; nothing graphic happens between them at this point.

Sexual Content:

around page 442 there's a pretty damn smutty sex scene between the male main characters, apart from that only a mention here and there.

Death of Parent, Grief:

the protagonist's mother dies by violence, and his father "in all but blood" as well. Grief is a major theme of the book. The protagonist's biological father dies as well, but there isn't really any grief tied to it.

Abandonment:

a major theme in this book. The protagonist's father left pretty early on, and later his friend and partner leaves for an undetermined time as well; this is devastating for the protagonist.

All the bloody stuff: this book centers around werewolves, so there's a bunch of defending the territory and so on, also...

one of the main characters was kidnapped and tortured as a child, which is mentioned quite a lot.