Wolfsong

April 1, 2023

Ox Matheson's father repeatedly told him he was nothing growing up, and Ox believed it. Then, at 16, Ox meets the Bennett family, and immediately 10-year-old Joe Bennett latches onto Ox. The Bennetts quickly welcome Ox into their family, only for Ox to discover they are a pack of shapeshifting wolves. Years later, the Bennett pack is broken by a violent wolf who had previously kidnapped and tortured Joe. Joe and some of the Bennett pack leave to hunt down this rogue wolf, and Ox feels betrayed at being left behind. After three years of futile searching, Joe returns home to Ox, who has somehow created a pack of his own despite remaining human. Both Joe and Ox will need to learn to forgive and compromise to make their love and their packs stronger than ever. VERDICT The first in the popular "Green Creek" tetralogy, reissued by Tor, pairs Ox, steady as a rock, with Joe, a tornado plagued by a demon from his past. Their contrasting natures and a pack split generate lots of tension between Joe and Ox and the members of their respective packs, for an exciting start to the series.--Eve Stano

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2023
Bestseller Klune (In the Lives of Puppets) opens his Green Creek series with this slow-burning and intricate urban fantasy, originally self-published in 2015. Four years after Ox Matheson’s father abandons him and his mother in their small Oregon town, the Bennett family moves in next door, and Joe Bennett, an 11-year-old survivor of abduction, immediately imprints on 16-year-old Ox, following him everywhere. Ox eventually learns that the Bennetts are werewolves and, just before Joe turns 18, Joe asks if he can court Ox with the intention of eventually becoming his mate for life, which Ox surprises himself by agreeing to, suddenly seeing Joe in a new light. Tragedy strikes when an old enemy of the Bennetts appears and kills both Joe’s father and Ox’s mother. Joe, now pack alpha, sets off with his brothers to hunt the killer, leaving Ox with scant communication for three years. As Ox discovers surprising abilities of his own and pines for Joe, threats to the pack’s safety and curiosity about Ox’s unusual position as a human among werewolves hold readers’ attention until a final, epic showdown. Klune gets ahead of any Twilight comparisons by making the connection explicit in the text, and the immersive­—if slightly overlong—plot offers plenty of opportunities to fall in love with these characters. Fans will be delighted.

May 15, 2023
Originally published in 2016, this first entry in Klune's four-book paranormal series introduces readers to the werewolves of the fictional small town of Green Creek, Oregon. Plain human Ox, a teenager abandoned by his father years earlier, is slowly adopted by the Bennett pack at the instigation of Joe Bennett, a young boy with a horrific past. As the boys grow up, Ox learns that Joe, a future Alpha werewolf, intends to become his mate. Their blossoming romance is interrupted as the pack is targeted by the same villain who hurt Joe years earlier, resulting in an unthinkable tragedy that leaves the pack divided. Ox must embrace a leadership role he never dreamed he was capable of in order to keep his pack--werewolf and human alike--safe. Though awkwardly paced--over a third of the book and a decade of in-book time passes before the book's primary villain makes an appearance on page--the early focus on developing characters and relationships makes the eventual conflicts more poignant. Fans of Klune's recent best-sellers (like The House in the Cerulean Sea, 2020) will be eager to dive into his backlist.

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June 1, 2023
A lonely man gets a second chance with his shape-shifting boyhood love in this emotional paranormal romance. Oxnard Matheson is only 12 when his abusive father abandons him and his mother, leaving the boy to quickly step into the role of provider. For a multitude of reasons, Ox lives a solitary life though he's desperate for connection. His dad's cruelty dented his self-esteem. He's bullied at school because of his slow speech, and working a full-time job before becoming a teenager doesn't leave much room for a social life. A bright spot comes in the way of new neighbors--the Bennett family--who show up when Ox is 16. He's instantly accepted by them, finding a close friend in the youngest Bennett, Joe, who's 10. They're an odd group, but they take a liking to Ox and soon feel close enough to reveal their secret: They're actually a pack of wolf shifters. Ox hopes they'll become a permanent fixture in the Green Creek community, and they stay for several years. But nothing good lasts forever in Ox's world, and a devastating murder drives the Bennett family away. It's only years later, when Joe reappears, that Ox can start to address the trauma he's experienced over his frequent abandonment. The vignettes telling the story of Ox's early life feel clunky compared to Klune's more lyrical fantasy offerings. For a large part of the story, Ox is a teenager in desperate need of guidance, falling in love with someone six years his junior. While experiencing Ox's formative years and constant yearning for connection is undoubtedly important to the story, his adulthood makes for a more compelling (and comfortable) read. A bloated backstory makes this a "to-read" for die-hard fans only.

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