It's been said: GAY WEREWOLVES. Need we say more? I shall...
Read: 01/10/2024
Okay okay I get the glaring problem of this book, so let's just address the elephant in the room first thing: the age gap is problematic. It definitely could be worse, but I think the story and relationship would have been equally as powerful and slightly less creepy if Joe was just like two years older than he is (so the age gap is 19 and 23, not 17 and 23). I think the romance is still done tastefully because it's obvious that Joe and Ox's relationship and love is rooted in friendship and family first and foremost. Also, we have the benefit of Ox's internal monologue so we know there wasn't anything predatory about his feelings of Joe (i.e. he only was physically attracted to him when he was an adult.)
So now that that's out of the way... these characters are so special to me. This is what the Cullens should have been: a family that understands each other so well and just authentically want the best for each other. That being said, the werewolf aspects that are brought into this otherwise-normal family dynamic are fascinating. The idea that Elizabeth basically switched packs away from all three of her sons was baffling to me, but I really leaned into the werewolf reasoning of it. It's the same reason I felt that the physicality and closeness of the family was endearing rather than awkward/slightly creepy. I definitely started out with the latter, but Ox really explains how primal the connections are and that it is a distinctly non-human type of bond and feeling, which makes sense because they are actually not human. The fact that humans are later added to the pack(s) just leans into the idea that humans are more capable of love and affection than we are usually willing to show.
I was just so sucked into this story. The small-town atmosphere was perfect, and I felt the perfect amount of rage (a lot) for the villain. The book was intentionally set up with sequels in mind and there is so much room to grow the story with all of the side characters. Overall, I found Ox's narration unique, engaging, and heartwarming, but also beautifully and almost lyrically sad. TJ Klune can do no wrong.
Final verdict: Gay. Werewolves.
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