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kingicarus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The age gap between Ox and Joe was.... certainly A Choice. Throughout this book, I quickly found the author's use of repetition and "call backs" to lines initially mentioned in the first few chapters to be very grating, as I soon found myself rolling my eyes and groaning whenever Ox mentioned "not being a man yet," or his dad claiming that "he'd get a lot of shit," and at each repeated "I said" (mentioned almost 10 times on a single page).
I also won't lie; I grimaced/cringed at a few scenes that felt a bit... heavy-handed or extremely unnecessary on multiple occasions, especially with one of the later scenes with the main villain. Some of the dialogue in that scene was also a very unpleasant choice, to say the least.
That said, I really liked Ox's mom and Mark as characters, however. For me, this book's only saving grace was the more emotional and impactful scenes (the deaths of Thomas and Ox's mom ), which actually managed to move me almost to tears.
Ended up half-listening to the rest of it at about 1.25 speed around the 50% mark. Unfortunately, I think due to Klune's writing style, I won't be continuing to read this series.
I also won't lie; I grimaced/cringed at a few scenes that felt a bit... heavy-handed or extremely unnecessary on multiple occasions, especially with one of the later scenes with the main villain. Some of the dialogue in that scene was also a very unpleasant choice, to say the least.
That said, I really liked Ox's mom and Mark as characters, however. For me, this book's only saving grace was the more emotional and impactful scenes (
Ended up half-listening to the rest of it at about 1.25 speed around the 50% mark. Unfortunately, I think due to Klune's writing style, I won't be continuing to read this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, and Kidnapping
Age Gap note:chuckyinspace's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Death of parent
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? đ
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
rissa11's review against another edition
I love T.J. Klune's writing, but I can't finish this one. The age gap in the romance is giving me the ick and I can't in good conscience keep reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
dykish's review against another edition
The writing (I found it juvenile and uninspired) nearly made me put down this book. Several cringe-worthy moments (howling for his pack in front of his mother? GAG) nearly made me put this book down. The lack of depth to any of the three female characters (typical of TJ Klune, I've found!) nearly made me put this down. The weird grooming vibe (the family next door, including the three adults, is weirdly physical with the main character, demands his time and commitment to them in a way that borders on abusive, and generally tries to isolate the main character) nearly made me put this book down.
The nail in the coffin was the literal pedophilia. Yeah. I found the main character's relationship with his young neighbor weird from the beginningâthe main character is 16 and the boy is 10 when they meetâbut figured it was at least innocent. The main character is strongly implied to be intellectually challenged (though it's never explicit, he's just called stupid repeatedly. Woohoo, representation!) and maybe he just got along well with the boy? But no, after seven years of a weirdly obsessive but platonic relationship, the 23-year-old main character gets with the then 17-year-old boy. Sorry, but that's pedophilia! Even if the other guy was 18, the main character had still known him since he was 10 and was 6 years his senior. That's grooming AND pedophilia!!!!
I'm horrified that I see this book being recommended without trigger warning for pedophilia plastered all over it. Really, I'm horrified that this book and its uncritical depiction of pedophilia was even published. Read somethingâANYTHINGâelse.
The nail in the coffin was the literal pedophilia. Yeah. I found the main character's relationship with his young neighbor weird from the beginningâthe main character is 16 and the boy is 10 when they meetâbut figured it was at least innocent. The main character is strongly implied to be intellectually challenged (though it's never explicit, he's just called stupid repeatedly. Woohoo, representation!) and maybe he just got along well with the boy? But no, after seven years of a weirdly obsessive but platonic relationship, the 23-year-old main character gets with the then 17-year-old boy. Sorry, but that's pedophilia! Even if the other guy was 18, the main character had still known him since he was 10 and was 6 years his senior. That's grooming AND pedophilia!!!!
I'm horrified that I see this book being recommended without trigger warning for pedophilia plastered all over it. Really, I'm horrified that this book and its uncritical depiction of pedophilia was even published. Read somethingâANYTHINGâelse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia
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
herondaleducks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
fritopie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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
Wish the author had aged up the characters instead of them meeting at 10 and 16. The story would have still worked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Rape
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
2.75
Finished reading: September 10th 2024
âIt was candy canes and pinecones. It was epic and awesome. And it was home.â
WARNING: it's another unexpected stop of the unpopular opinion train!!
I'm honestly still shocked and sad this has happened. I mean, I absolutely adored T.J. Klune's writing in the three books I've read before Wolfsong, and I was SO sure I was going to love this story as well. Sure, I don't exactly read a lot of shapeshifter romances, but this author always seems to create the most wonderful characters and worldbuilding in his books and I was fully convinced this was going to be one of them. I guess I was wrong. It's not that I don't like the premise or general idea behind this book... But somehow the story itself just didn't work for me this time around. I think this had a lot to do with the way this story was written; while unique, I was never able to warm up to the writing style and the constant repetition of certain words and phrases got so EXTREMELY annoying after a while. In fact, you could probably cut out at least 200 pages and still not get rid of all that repetition... While I liked what it represented in the beginning with the pack mentality and connections, it soon really started to grate on me. Especially the second half was a struggle to get through, because I was long over the way this story was written by then. Also, am I the only one wondering about just how inappropriate the relationship between Joe and Ox is, since he was only ten when they first bonded? Sure, nothing sexual happened until they were both adults, but still... I can't say that I was a fan. And then I'm not even talking about the extremely graphic steamy scenes when they appeared. *shudders* The whole quest thing was also extremely frustrating and it seems like it was only used to keep them apart until Joe was of age. There was so much drama and angst in general, and the story gave me Twilight vibes (for me personally that is NOT ment as a compliment). All in all Wolfsong wasn't the story for me, and I won't be continuing the series. I loved the premise, but the execution somehow just didn't hit the mark... This doesn't mean that I love his other stories any less though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
babsy_burns's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Groomed by the Narrative; The age gap between the love interests is very uncomfortable and borderline paedophilic, frustrating that the other characters (not even the parents) had no problem with it, besides one and she was seen as unruly and at worst envious. The chapters dragged and the writing poor. Also the pack read more cult than family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship