litwrite's review
4.0
Such a sad, well-written, heartbreaker of a novel. Not long, but I would say the perfect length. Werewolf as metaphor for puberty and growing up is not really new - it was handled exceedingly well in the excellent Canadian film Gingersnaps, but I also like the way it was handled here with the sinister undertones and the big reveal at the end. Kuehn works with the imagery very effectively and creates a dreamlike atmosphere that really succeeded for me.
I think this would be a great low budget indie flick, someone could handle this really well as to me it really had the air of let's say, Jeffrey Eugenides' [b:The Virgin Suicides|10956|The Virgin Suicides|Jeffrey Eugenides|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1319032910s/10956.jpg|812415], though obviously from a completely different POV.
I think this would be a great low budget indie flick, someone could handle this really well as to me it really had the air of let's say, Jeffrey Eugenides' [b:The Virgin Suicides|10956|The Virgin Suicides|Jeffrey Eugenides|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1319032910s/10956.jpg|812415], though obviously from a completely different POV.
petitesser's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
thegabecole's review
5.0
4.5/5
Intense, unsettling and unexpected. Read it in basically one sitting because I needed answers to so many questions. Definitely a powerful read.
Intense, unsettling and unexpected. Read it in basically one sitting because I needed answers to so many questions. Definitely a powerful read.
ericadeb's review
Why would you give this to a kid to read?? It is so messed up! I going to have insane dreams.
dandelionjelly's review
4.0
(WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS)
I won this book in a giveaway, and although it interested me, I was worried it would be another cheesy teen novel. After I got the book in the mail, it took me a couple of days to actually want to read it. But, I eventually did.
I started and finished the book in one night. In the first half of the book, I was already groaning a little because Kuehn does a very good job at disguising the full point of the story. The book almost has you believe it is some sort of werewolf book. I like some books involving that, but, I admit, there's a lot of those kinds of books coming out and I hoped it wasn't like it. As the story moves forward, it pulls you in because you get a little confused, which makes you want to push further to understand what is going on. The main character, Andrew/Winston, is a strange character that has you wondering who he really is.
Once I started the second half of the book, I was completely glued to the pages. Slowly but surely his real background starts coming into view. When I started realizing what was really going on, I had a lot of "oh, wow" moments for this character. Kuehn did an excellent job in keeping me wondering.
This book would be an especially good choice for anyone into psychology; the twisted and strange events that cause the character's mental breakdowns are stomach-turning and heartbreaking. The book's mystery and psychology make an incredible combination for a book that you won't want to put down, and a book that will be hard to forget.
I won this book in a giveaway, and although it interested me, I was worried it would be another cheesy teen novel. After I got the book in the mail, it took me a couple of days to actually want to read it. But, I eventually did.
I started and finished the book in one night. In the first half of the book, I was already groaning a little because Kuehn does a very good job at disguising the full point of the story. The book almost has you believe it is some sort of werewolf book. I like some books involving that, but, I admit, there's a lot of those kinds of books coming out and I hoped it wasn't like it. As the story moves forward, it pulls you in because you get a little confused, which makes you want to push further to understand what is going on. The main character, Andrew/Winston, is a strange character that has you wondering who he really is.
Once I started the second half of the book, I was completely glued to the pages. Slowly but surely his real background starts coming into view. When I started realizing what was really going on, I had a lot of "oh, wow" moments for this character. Kuehn did an excellent job in keeping me wondering.
This book would be an especially good choice for anyone into psychology; the twisted and strange events that cause the character's mental breakdowns are stomach-turning and heartbreaking. The book's mystery and psychology make an incredible combination for a book that you won't want to put down, and a book that will be hard to forget.
momo1129's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Child abuse, and Rape
theloveofinches's review
2.0
it took me a while to understand this story. the way it was advertised and talked about, I expected almost an entirely different genre than was actually delivered. not so much thrilling as pretty sad. I think my level of appreciation was higher than my level of enjoyment, but overall this one missed the mark a bit. probably just not my style.