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sofieishere's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"I wanted to say, I may have started picturing your underage son naked, but I didn't know if that was something someone could say to an Alpha werewolf." ....What? ðŸ˜
The book started of strong, sketching the relationship between Ox and his parents. Especially the relationship with ox's father was very emtional to read. So I expected that the book would continue to be this great. But then came the age gap...
The mc (Ox) has a love interest (Joe) who is 6 years younger than him. That wouldn't be much of a problem if they were both over the age of 18. But they first meet when Ox is 16 and Joe is 10. Joe gives Ox his wolf, basically claiming him. Later in the story there's a flashback to this moment where Joe says something along the lines of "even then you were mine and I was yours" Ox later freaks out when he realises that Joe likes him. They get together when Joe is 17 and Ox is 23.
My main problem with their relationship is that the age gap is completly unnecesary. Joe has an older brother (Carter) who is around the same age as Ox. At first I thought that Carter and Ox would and up together simply because they were the same age and that Joe's obvious crush was just a joke for the plot and would just stay one-sided. But then the book kept developing and hinting at their (potential) relationship. It made me deeply uncomfortable. I'm currently 16 years old and it makes me sick to even think of being in a relationship with a 10 year old. Have you seen what a 10 year old looks like?? Even if they only get together when they're older, it's still mad weird. Like the only use for the age gap is for random jokes. So I have no idea why TJ Klune decided to write them like this. That has to have been a concious decision, right?
But besides the age gap the writing is also just very cringe worthy and eye rolling at times.
There is so much repetition. There were moment were I thought "Wait haven't I read this exact scene before?"
Near the end of the story I just didn't care anymore. I didn't really care about the characters, I didn't care about the plot, I didn't care about the relationships. I honestly just wanted them all to die so this book could finally end, because it was dragginggg on.
Anyway Ox is a hypocrite, I would rather have Ox and Robbie end up together and this review might not be very coherent and a bit hate-filled. But I still found the book quite entertaining. It definitly wasn't great, but it was wasn't all bad.
( Also I've never read a book where the epilogue was just a sex scene lmao)
The mc (Ox) has a love interest (Joe) who is 6 years younger than him. That wouldn't be much of a problem if they were both over the age of 18. But they first meet when Ox is 16 and Joe is 10. Joe gives Ox his wolf, basically claiming him. Later in the story there's a flashback to this moment where Joe says something along the lines of "even then you were mine and I was yours" Ox later freaks out when he realises that Joe likes him. They get together when Joe is 17 and Ox is 23.
My main problem with their relationship is that the age gap is completly unnecesary. Joe has an older brother (Carter) who is around the same age as Ox. At first I thought that Carter and Ox would and up together simply because they were the same age and that Joe's obvious crush was just a joke for the plot and would just stay one-sided. But then the book kept developing and hinting at their (potential) relationship. It made me deeply uncomfortable. I'm currently 16 years old and it makes me sick to even think of being in a relationship with a 10 year old. Have you seen what a 10 year old looks like?? Even if they only get together when they're older, it's still mad weird. Like the only use for the age gap is for random jokes. So I have no idea why TJ Klune decided to write them like this. That has to have been a concious decision, right?
But besides the age gap the writing is also just very cringe worthy and eye rolling at times.
There is so much repetition. There were moment were I thought "Wait haven't I read this exact scene before?"
Near the end of the story I just didn't care anymore. I didn't really care about the characters, I didn't care about the plot, I didn't care about the relationships. I honestly just wanted them all to die so this book could finally end, because it was dragginggg on.
Anyway Ox is a hypocrite, I would rather have Ox and Robbie end up together and this review might not be very coherent and a bit hate-filled. But I still found the book quite entertaining. It definitly wasn't great, but it was wasn't all bad.
( Also I've never read a book where the epilogue was just a sex scene lmao)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Rape, Vomit, and Alcohol
anipie's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
bibliobetty's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
I wasn't planning on rating this book but I can't stop thinking about it and how much I enjoyed it. Will definitely be picking up the rest of the series and other books by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
_forestofpages's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-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
3.75
This was very nearly a new favorite of mine. This was all the nostalgic teen wolf feelings.
I felt instantly protective and connected to Ox, and in love with how TJ Klune wrote him and his journey from an abused and bullied boy to a confident man with a pack he'd do anything for. He's a precious character that I will love always.
Why am I rating this lower? Mostly, because of the repetitions, the pacing which was a mess past the 300 page mark and the writing which started so well but I think deteriorated toward the end of act 2. It felt like a lot of that section was padded and just went on for too long, for me. I do love the ending, but it was still a lot of conversations being repeated and parts that definitely could have been cut and nothing about the story or character development would have changed. Also, the choice to make the age gap six years and have one of them be eleven when they meet is something I will never like or understand. He could have been a year older or maybe two, why six??
(Side note: I am picky about sex scenes because if it's too detailed I can't take it seriously and I usually just laugh. The one really explicit scene in this book was WAY too detailed and IMO went on too long. It was like fifteen pages ffs)
Overall, I am excited for the rest of the series, despite my issues with the length and bloat of book 1.
I felt instantly protective and connected to Ox, and in love with how TJ Klune wrote him and his journey from an abused and bullied boy to a confident man with a pack he'd do anything for. He's a precious character that I will love always.
Why am I rating this lower? Mostly, because of the repetitions, the pacing which was a mess past the 300 page mark and the writing which started so well but I think deteriorated toward the end of act 2. It felt like a lot of that section was padded and just went on for too long, for me. I do love the ending, but it was still a lot of conversations being repeated and parts that definitely could have been cut and nothing about the story or character development would have changed. Also, the choice to make the age gap six years and have one of them be eleven when they meet is something I will never like or understand. He could have been a year older or maybe two, why six??
(Side note: I am picky about sex scenes because if it's too detailed I can't take it seriously and I usually just laugh. The one really explicit scene in this book was WAY too detailed and IMO went on too long. It was like fifteen pages ffs)
Overall, I am excited for the rest of the series, despite my issues with the length and bloat of book 1.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Blood, and Death of parent
yoursisterscanary's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual violence
ninja5phinx's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual violence
kstacy91's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
A beautiful, adventurous ride from start to finish. The story blends romance, found family, and the supernatural so smoothly that you can enjoy the world without feeling lost. The characters are phenomenal, dynamic, relatable and lovable. I’d recommend this for fans of urban fantasy series such as The Last Sun by K. D. Edwards or looking to dip their toes into adult lgbt+ fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
marieeh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
3.0
This book was hard for me to rate. On the one hand, I loved the writing, the meandering chapters taking me through the story. I liked that this was a long, slow paced story spanning many years. I really loved the examples of non-toxic masculinity - men who loved each other openly, hugging, crying, sharing their emotions. It was refreshing. I also really liked the descriptors. "Candy canes and pinecones". I can smell that, but I also feel like I understand the emotions those scents evoke. That phrase made me feel something every time it was mentioned.
However, I got really icked out by the age gap romance. I tried to get past it since all the characters just sort of explain it away as a mates thing and "when you know, you know", but I had a really hard time and never really did. I just don't see why Joe couldn't have been aged up even to like 14. Everything else could have happened exactly the same. And I could accept a 3 year difference a little more easily. I honestly think I could have even accepted it if they both met as adults (21 and 28) but since they met when Joe was 10 and Ox almost 18?? I couldn't. I was also kind of blindsided by the very explicit and lengthy sex scene. I am not big on those to begin with, and it came late in the book and kind of without warning - there had been really nothing sexual like that and then boom. And the fact that the epilogue was a sex scene too? I loved the way the final chapter ended, it was beautiful, but then throwing that in (I know it was an important "mating") just kind of cheapened it to me.
All that said, it was a good, sad story. I wasn't expecting how emotional of a read it would be. I really liked the characters, though I wish some had been fleshed out more (maybe in the other books in series?) and like I said before, I loved the writing. It was very poetic in places. I'm not jumping to read the rest of the series right now, but I will definitely check out more by this author.
However, I got really icked out by the
All that said, it was a good, sad story. I wasn't expecting how emotional of a read it would be. I really liked the characters, though I wish some had been fleshed out more (maybe in the other books in series?) and like I said before, I loved the writing. It was very poetic in places. I'm not jumping to read the rest of the series right now, but I will definitely check out more by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
maralaene's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
4.75
This book is a rollercoaster. At 30% in I thought for sure I had to be near the end, but I wasn’t even close. There is so much in this single book—it is wild. The narrator did a fantastic job and I would definitely recommend.
I just can’t even imagine how there are 3 more books in this series…but now I’m hooked. And I will most definitely be reading all of TJ Klune’s books now.
I just can’t even imagine how there are 3 more books in this series…but now I’m hooked. And I will most definitely be reading all of TJ Klune’s books now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
saretta02's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Stalking