This book has me back in love with TJ Klune! The characters hit just right and I can't wait to continue with this story in book 2.

I finished TJ Klune’s Wolfsong a month ago and have been struggling with how to review it. I think I needed some time to process, to recover from this novel, and space to think about how Klune used themes that I found personally problematic.

Let me get the whole “personally problematic” thing addressed first. I did struggle with several aspects of this novel, including the age gap between Joe and Ox, Joe's possessive urges, and the sheer violence of the packs facing the Omegas. As I read, I had to keep reminding myself that most of these characters were not human. Again and again, I had to reevaluate how far I was willing to suspend my disbelief and stay immersed in this novel's fictional landscape.

Turns out, I was willing to suspend disbelief indefinitely and stay with Wolfsong until the end. (I mean this second thing in an I-can't-stop-reading-how-is-it-already-three-a.m. kind of way. Because, yeah, I tried to go to bed at a reasonable hour but found myself unable to stop thinking about the book. Since I couldn’t sleep anyway, what with all the obsessing over Ox and Joe, I picked Wolfsong back up, reading clear through until the book was finished and it was nearly time to get up and get ready for work.) This was possible for two very simple reasons: (1) by the time the age gap seriously came into play, it was essentially moot, and (2) it was always very clear that the possessive thing was tied to being a wolf shifter. As for the overall violence? Well, it is a werewolf novel, so...

To avoid writing a too-long review, I’ll keep my gushing about the book as short as possible. In a single sentence: I loved the characters. The main and secondary characters were all so perfectly flawed. The MC’s backstories were powerful—traumatic without being more than I could take—and their development throughout the novel was complex and ultimately astounding. Particularly when it comes to Ox, we really got to grow up with him. And I loved how Klune used different writing styles to differentiate between Ox’s youth and maturity—and yet another to indicate internal pack communication. (I’ll admit here that the prose style at the beginning of the book seemed sort of choppy and immature, and I wasn’t sure at first that I was going to be able to stick with the book. Once I realized that it was intentional, illustrative, and episodic, I was so glad I’d stayed.)

My final word: considering (1) my inability to use a dang bookmark with this novel, (2) my emotional response (I didn’t get into it here, but I cried—wept—through the last 30%, which is not a normal part of my reading experience), and (3) how strongly this book has stayed with me for the past month, five stars is the only fair rating I can give.

This chronicles Ox's journey to becoming part of the Bennett pack over 11 years. It starts very slow, when Ox is a teenager and Joe Bennett is a child. The book makes fun of itself referencing twilight and imprinting, but I found it a little weird that the connection between Ox and Joe, even if it wasn't romantic yet, started so young. Once I got to about the 40% point of the book, and seven years in story, everything really picked up and it was an enjoyable paranormal story.

Definitely not a YA book, but I really enjoyed this one. I'd heard a lot of good things, so I'm glad this is getting a reprint.

Ox is a young man living in a small Oregon town (shout out Oregon!). One day new neighbors arrive and their young son, Joe, is immediately attached to Ox. The Bennetts take Ox in and eventually take in his mom as well and they become like part of their family. Ox eventually learns that the family are werewolves. The story spans over 10 years and as Ox and the family get older there is a love connection, a werewolf feud, a friend that turns out to be a witch, a new alpha (or 2) and a lot of trauma and drama.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book other than it had to do with werewolves. I really enjoyed the story as a whole. There were a few parts that made me feel uneasy or were difficult to read (TW: child abuse, mention of sexual assault of a minor as a hypothetical). That one moment rubbed me the wrong way but it did paint the villain as a major villain. It was also a little hard for me to wrap my head around the relationship between Ox and Joe at first. I liked their relationship and how it grew over time and how they cared for each other but it was still hard to think that Joe knew Ox was his since he was 7 (but then again, when reading about werewolves and magical creatures I suppose it is best to suspend reality a bit). Overall I enjoyed this story and the way that it was written and I was left wanting to read the next book in the series.

TJ Klune always always hits the nail on the head for me. The characters are so full. The story has so much heart. Did I mention there are queer werewolves? If that's not enough to sell you on this book I don't know what is. I don't want to say too much because I think its best if you go in not knowing what to expect but do yourself a favor and read this book!

TJ Klune is such a cool writer. I appreciate the chance to read any of his books, because each of his series is completely different. And yet they all draw you in! I had seen this series when it was self published/ just on Amazon, and I’m so glad they’re getting re done for a larger audience. I also LOVE the cover, it looks so good!!

I sadly dnfed this book. I pushed my way through 67% before I couldn't go on at all. I felt like it was written very poorly and was such a strange story. I could not get passed the weird age gap in this one, and I felt like the story was everywhere.

This book reminds me of twilight but gay, with wolves and so much better! It has the signature TJ Klune feel focusing on love and found family, in the midst of chaos and tragedy. There were parts that rambled on about the main character’s feelings, and sometimes felt repetitive. But that is the only critique I have. Otherwise, this book was happiness and excitement. There is more steaminess in this book than others from TJ Klune, just FYI. If you like fantasy, especially with wolves, this gives you the softer side of wolves without skipping on the fierceness. This is my 3rd TJ Klune read, and I can now officially say I will read absolutely anything he writes. He can do no wrong in my eyes. I can’t wait to read Ravensong!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for their ARC (new edition release) in exchange for an honest review.

Can’t believe I missed the first release of this, I would have loved to read this when it initially came out. Loved the characters a lot, only complaint is the synopsis giving a lot away!

I originally read this book in 2016 when it first came out, but seeing that the books in this series were to be re-published this year I knew I needed to return to Green Creek.

Ox is a young person when his father abandons him and his mother. Eventually he begins working at the same shop his father left in order to help pay the bills and this is the first step that brings him into a world full of things he never imagined - Witches, werewolves, and paranormal politics. Something about him is incredibly special - as the reader, one hears his voice so clearly and sees the draw. For Joe, a young damaged wolf with a destiny bearing down upon him, Ox is his person even though neither knows what that looks like when they first meet.

I adore the writing in this story - the found family, Ox's point of view, and oh, the angst! The ending is satisfying but makes you want to read on in the series immediately due to not wanting to leave the world behind.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for my review copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read.

If you've read read any of TJ Klune's other books and enjoyed them then you'll love this one as well. A great writer to follow and see what's next.

I wanted to love this book. I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea so I was really looking forward to this book. I ended up DNF this book about half way through. I enjoy the writing itself but the relationship of the main characters was just a bit cringe for me.

I will definitely continue reading TJ Klune books but this one specifically just wasn’t for me.

DNF at 25%

I really wanted to like this one, but I couldn't get past the main romance. I was intrigued by some of the characters, but based on the tone of the first bit, I was worried that it would be heavy and depressing. I also was not a fan of the way the romance was set up as the two main characters know each other when one is a straight up child. I know it wasn't romantic at that point, but it was weird and I just wasn't in the right headspace to process it. I think this is one that I may come back to at a later time when I am more in the headspace for depressing, but I know that if I pushed through it at this point that I would really dislike it.

So it's a DNF. but a soft DNF and one that I think I could appreciate later on.

I’ve been a big fan of Klune since reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, but I’d never read his earlier books. When Wolfsong (an earlier release from 2016) popped up on NetGalley, I decided it was time to get acquainted with them.

I mentioned in another review that I haven’t come across anyone who does found family better than Klune. It’s also a dominant theme in this story, but it’s turned up to an eleven. Ox’s father told him for years that he wasn’t worth anything and wasn’t smart. He abandoned his family when Ox was twelve, and it’s the best thing that could have happened to him. When the Bennett family returns to a neighboring house, Ox finds a place where he belongs and is loved and accepted for who he is. They just happen to be a family of werewolves.

Let’s just address the werewolf in the room. Ox is sixteen when he meets Joe, who is ten at that time. I’m not revealing spoilers when I say the two of them have an intense connection and are fated to be together. A romantic relationship develops between them but not until Joe is nearly eighteen. That’s difficult territory to navigate without it being freaky, and I had my doubts, but I should have known to trust Klune. He handled it beautifully.

I adored Ox, the Bennett family, and everything about this book. It’s heartwarming, heart-wrenching, thrilling, and action-packed. Ox’s character arc is incredible, and character development for both main and supporting characters is outstanding. Family bonds are strong, and their banter had me snorting out loud. I’m thrilled there are three more books in the series because I can’t wait to spend more time with these wolves and humans and see where their story goes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I'll be honest, I'm usually a fan of TJ Klune but this one fell flat for me. The more I get to know the author and how they get ideas for their books, makes me increasingly feel downright yucky.

Wolfsong was no exception. I know that this book originally came out in 2016 and this was just a new edition but I definitely feel the writing, in general, could've been better. But more importantly, the relationships were borderline cringey and almost inappropriate. I understand that the bulk of the relationship happened when the characters were older, but there are many scenes of them first dating when one was 17 and the other is over 18 (23 I think) and that just rubbed me the wrong way.

As with Klune's other books, the world of Wolfsong felt lyrical and beautiful.

Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Wolfsong is a series starter and paranormal coming of age romance by TJ Klune. Originally released in 2016, this reformat and re-release from Macmillan on their Tor imprint was released 4th July 2023. It's 528 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well written queer romance and coming of age fantasy. TJ Klune is very well known for non-CIS romance, and YA fantasy, and this is another in a genre not overcrowded with relatable young queer protagonists. That being said, it's not problem free. A central plot element is the romance between Ox and Joe. The other main fabric of the tale is built around found family and acceptance, "othering" and feelings of inadequacy. When Ox and Joe meet, Ox is 10 and Joe is 16. Their relationship is foreshadowed (heavily) at that point. When they meet up again, Ox is 17, and they get romantic. The fact that they were more or less children together felt very borderline unacceptable to me.

There are numerous very possessive passages which made me literally cringe. Here's one (there are several):

He sighed. “I don’t know if I can explain it, really. That feeling inside. The Alpha. I’m not one yet, but it’s close. It bubbles just below the surface. There are times when all I can think of is marking you so everyone knows who you belong to. To carve my name into your skin so you never forget me.

It's undeniably well written in general, and the plot development is well constructed. With all the current challenges and bannings, especially in the USA, this would be a brave/foolhardy choice for acquisitions personnel, and especially for school library situations (too spicy).

Three and a half stars. For extreme fans of Twilight, this could be a winner (and Klune's a better writer).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Once again, T.J. Klune has written an utterly charming story with characters one can both hate and love. Plus, there's werewolves!

Oxnard Matheson, Ox for short, has a daddy that left him and his mom on their own when Ox was still very young. When the house down the street finally has new occupants, Ox is interested in meeting them. On his first day home from school after their arrival, a young boy named Joe is waiting for him. Joe introduces himself and wants Ox to meet his family. Thus began the story of a pack. Will Ox be safe with them? Will Ox's dad ever return home? You'll have to read this to find out.

Klune has a way of writing characters that move me. I'm not sure how he does it, but he does. His books almost always have LGBTQ characters and, as best a straight person can figure out, he writes them realistically. Their lives aren't always easy but I guess if they were the book wouldn't be that interesting, would it?

As far as Ox's relationship with his pack, I loved how those portions of the tale were written. A sort of stream of consciousness type thing: pack pack pack love family family family . It worked well for me and brought home how a pack might communicate when not restricted by words.

Even though I loved those portions, even I have to admit that the repetition got a bit dreary. Between Joe's feelings for Ox and vice-versa, many things were repeated over and over and over again. This tale could easily have been a hundred pages shorter and I wouldn't have missed them.

Speaking of Ox and Joe, let me just say WOLFSONG features one of the hottest sex scenes I've ever read. For this reason I will say this is not a YA book. Maybe 16 and up, or so? But please keep that explicit sex scene in your mind when determining whether or not your youngster would like this book,

The repetition is the only complaint I have about this tale. I loved Ox, I loved Joe and the entire extended Bennett family, ( pack love love pack ), loved how this story was told, and I'm off to see if Green Creek #2 is available yet!

Highly recommended!

*Thanks to Tor & NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

I have loved everything this author has ever written and I’ve really tried to read this but I finally DNF this one. I had a hard time getting into it or caring about the characters. I’m sorry. I really want to love it.

Although this book is a rerelease, it has the signature tone and sweet romance that I have come to expect from Klune's more recent works. I was a very nice story of a young human man gradually falling in love with his friend who is a werewolf and with the friend's/lover's whole pack. It's a great story of found family.

What keeps it from being five stars, in my opinion, was that I think it could have been 50-100 pages shorter and still have had the same impact. It was a very readable story that kept me engaged but some parts felt repetitive and the flow of the action was inconsistent.