This book was sweet and so full of heart. I loved how much I got to learn about the Jewish culture and I'm so happy about how much anxiety plays a role in this book. It did feel very long and I wish there was a bit more of a focus on plot, but it was fun!

CONTENT WARNING: anxiety, on-page panic attack, antisemitism, racism, mention of death of a parent, xenophobia, homophobia

I originally came to know the author of this book when they were still working on their debut book, through Twitter. I loved watching their journey as they struggled through deconstructing the antisemitic influence in vampire stories, and couldn’t wait to see the finished result. It far exceeded my expectations, and it made me even more eager to get my hands on this book.

Once I started, I was even more excited for this book, because it was everything I would have wanted to see in a story when I was the target age for this. However, reading it as an adult was just as enjoyable. To start with, this is an overwhelmingly Jewish book, but you don’t have to be Jewish to read it. There are a lot of Hebrew and Yiddish terms sprinkled throughout the story, but have no fear, there’s a glossary that explains everything very clearly, and in a way that makes it accessible for younger readers.

“(Midrash is a biblical exploration, like rabbinical fanfiction).”

I loved the way that Moulton doesn’t just pop Benji’s Jewishness into the story like an additive, but rather makes it a key thread that runs through the entire story. Benji lives on a kibbutz setting that also serves as a wolf sanctuary, and while everyone speaks English, they also use a lot of Hebrew and Yiddish loanwords. The kibbutz is made up of observant Jews from different diaspora communities, highlighting the diversity of the Jewish people. Among the families living on the kibbutz are Ashkenazi Jews who settled in Eastern Europe, but there are also families belonging to the Cochin Jews of India, the Mizrahi Jews of Baghdad, and Beta Israel Jews from Ethiopia. The vast majority of these families have experiences antisemitism, xenophobia, ethnic cleansing and threats of genocide. However, the families on the kibbutz all function as a giant family, whether they are related or not. One of my favorite aspects of the story is how Benji finds comfort in the familiarity of prayers—knowing that they have been recited the same way by people all over the world for centuries, and it’s one of my favorite aspects of Jewish practice as well.

“I know exactly what to say. What’s going to be said next. And what comes after that. The rituals have an order. They haven’t changed in centuries. I’m not even ashamed to admit the predictability helps me feel safe.”

Benji is preparing for his bar mitzvah, a big event for a young Jewish boy. It’s complicated by his anxiety—he struggles with anxiety and hasn’t opened up about it to anyone. Benji feels pressure to hide his anxiety because he feels as though werewolves are required to demonstrate control, and having anxiety will show that he doesn’t have control. However, it makes it difficult for him to focus and speak in front of others, including his family. He has found a couple of coping skills that work for him, and we get to see Benji practicing his coping skills in the book. Additionally, Benji grows over the course of the story and makes a lot of progress in coping with his anxiety.

Moulton completely deconstructs the werewolf myth in a similar way that they did with vampire lore. In this book, rather than being transmitted through a bite, werewolves are born that way, with all werewolves having some degree of Jewish ancestry. I loved how it was explained, but most of all, that there was a learning curve for new werewolves to function as wolves when they’ve been humans for their whole lives. It’s always frustrating to me when a character learns a new skill instantaneously, and that was completely avoided here.

“Werewolves aren’t created the way the myths say they are. Werewolves can bite people all day and wouldn’t make a single new werewolf. There’s nothing magical or curse-filled with our bite or spit or blood or whatever. You have to be born as a werewolf.”

This story was wonderful. There are a lot of heavy topics that are discussed throughout the book—anxiety, prejudice, antisemitism, racism, xenophobia, and homophobia—and they directly affect the main characters in the story. Benji is Jewish, gay, and deals with his anxiety on a daily basis. The other major character in the story, Caleb, is biracial and gay, and shows up at the kibbutz because he suddenly discovers he is a werewolf as well. There’s a lot of time devoted to unpacking stereotypes and counteracting them, as well as finding new and creative ways to fighting hatred in various forms.

This is an especially meaningful book, and the author’s note makes that clear for a variety of reasons. First of all, Moulton shares their own experiences in the army as an openly Jewish person, living among people who held prejudices, many of whom had never even met a Jewish person before. It’s a lot easier to avoid hate than to stop it once it has taken hold. They also offer resources for people who have anxiety, and Moulton discusses their own experience with anxiety. I’m a huge fan of OwnVoices books, because it adds a level of authenticity to a story that I don’t generally find in books written by authors who don’t have personal experience with the subject matter. But most importantly, I loved the way that they allow Benji to find pride in his identities in a positive way, rather than focusing on the negatives. And the author leaves us with an important suggestion that applies to any group of people we don’t know much about:

“Don’t learn about a group of people from someone who hates them.”

Overall, this is a great story, and I loved every minute of it. We get a bit of everything in this one book, so it’s a satisfying read. There are elements of fantasy, romance, mystery, but this is mainly a coming of age story. The characters are fully developed, even the side characters, and their motivations are explored thoroughly in the story. Readers get to see what Modern Orthodox Judaism is like from the inside through the experience of Benji and his family, and have it explained as Benji describes what is going on to Caleb, who has a lot of questions. I loved seeing the emphasis on tolerance and cooperation to combat hate, which often stems from ignorance and misunderstanding. And while I loved the story for what was in it, I found myself loving it even more when I found out how personal of a story it was for Deke. This book also particularly stood out to me as a prime example of why OwnVoices books are so important—one word in this book hit me right in the feels. One single Yiddish word took me back to the days when my father was alive, and said that word all the time. It made me smile every time it showed up (which was often), and really see myself and my family in the pages of this story. Plus, the glossary helped me finally learn what the word means.

This could have been so much more interesting if it talked more about the werewolves. It's mainly a book about Judaism, which is interesting but not when you want a werewolf story.

You CAN judge a book by its cover.
A title about a "Ravenous Werewolf" might lead a potential reader to assume that the book is a horror story. But the beautiful cover with the picture of Benji lighting the Sabbath candles, while Caleb looks on, gives a better idea of what is inside. This is a coming of age story. Benji is a werewolf, but he is also a young man who is preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, dealing with an overwhelming hidden anxiety issue, and his feelings for a friend who has turned into a bully.

Benji is a werewolf. But he in not a monster. The monster in this book is prejudice. Author Deke Moulton begins the book with a biblical quote and then a very clever opening line. The quote is the basis for a Jewish werewolf mythology. Jacob's son Benjamin was a werewolf, and therefore so are his dependents. She then presents the idea that all of peoples' assumptions about the werewolves are wrong. She draws the analogy between peoples' fear of wolves and werewolves based on hateful myths to the fear and hatred of other minorities.

Benji lives in a wolf sanctuary and kibbutz. The wolf sanctuary provides a perfect place for werewolves to live with out discovery. Over the years, several other werewolf families have found the sanctuary and joined the kibbutz. Benji is supposed to be preparing for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah, but he is overwhelmed by anxiety. He constantly feels that nothing he does is good enough. But he keeps this anxiety a secret. His other secret is his feelings for his classmate Caleb, the only person who he felt comfortable around. He realizes that he has a crush on Caleb. But when the town fair goes to the wolf sanctuary instead of the stepfather's free range ranch, en Caleb's stepfather becomes hateful. The boy becomes a bully, and Benji is crushed in a different way. When Caleb shows up at the shelter in wolf form, Benji must help the young man deal with his changes. In the process, they get to know each other better.

The author does a magnificent job of weaving together a coming of age story, with the themes of prejudice based on myths and fear, dealing with anxiety disorders, and a sweet story about first love.

Benji Zeb Is A Ravenous Werewolf is an exciting and entertaining novel for Middle Grade readers. Young readers will love its adventurous plot and will easily relate to Benji's daily routine of school, chores, bar mitzvah prep and you know, werewolf things. But aside from this easy-to-love story, I think Deke Moulton accomplishes something extraordinarily special and important. Hate is not simply exposed, the "bad guy" isn't just labeled as evil beyond redemption or cut off from society. Instead, Benji Zeb builds a bridge, extends an olive branch. I think this is rare in any literature, let alone kids' lit. And I think it makes this book singular and remarkable. Yes, our kids need to learn how to stand up to hate. But Deke Moulton has taken it a step further and shown the next generation that we can do more than draw a line in the sand. We can rebuild and we can make our world a better and more just place. 

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada/Tundra Books for the ARC. Benji Zeb is A Ravenous Werewolf will be out 7/2.

I just couldn’t get into this. It’s probably not bad, but I read neurodivergent and queer and was excited to read a young readers book.

It’s just boring and I’m obviously too old to be hopping into this one hoping to get something out of it. But I can see it being really good for kids or to read with your kids.

I loved the werewolf storyline and the discussion about about how they were discriminated against. Benji was a sweet protagonist with very relatable struggles. However I unfortunately feel like there was a bigger emphasis on the religious/cultural aspects of the story rather than the werewolf plot, which disappointed me. A better balance between the two would be ideal. But overall this was an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Benji Zeb, a werewolf that lives in a wolf sanctuary run by his Jewish family, is studying for his bar mitzvah and keeping secrets from his tight-knit family. Anxiety is gripping him over reading the Torah and the only thing that makes him feel better is becoming a wolf. Ima, his mother, won't allow him to escape into his werewolf form as his must keep studying to nail his bar mitzvah. On top of that, a local rancher is angry the wolf sanctuary was granted to town's fair to highlight their wolves and how they effect the ecosystem and is acting out in prejudice, hateful ways, trying to turn all the ranchers against the wolf sanctuary. Caleb Gao (mixed race Chinese American), the ranchers stepson, ex-friend and crush of Benji, pulled away and began acting as angry as his stepdad turns up at the kibbutz as he's become a werewolf, too. The themes of religion, prejudice, sexuality, and family are layered and nearly lost on the Jewish religious teachings and rituals. The werewolf aspect - a gene that only shows up in those with Jewish heritage - gets lost in the religious aspects of the story and isn't well flushed out. The book had a lot of potential, but it gets bogged down by the dogma. This isn't unimportant, sharing this information about the Jewish religion, but it felt heavy handed and didn't allow for the other themes of the book to be fully explored.

What a perfect way to ring in Passover (Pesach). Thank you, Deke, for providing mirrors for us Jewish readers and windows for non-Jewish ones!

Endless thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"And for the first time, I really do feel like Shabbat is a sneak preview into HaOlam HaBa, because this? This calm that settles over me. The peace of being accepted. I could live in an eternity of that."

Deke Moulton has definitely become an auto-buy author for me. I will now read anything they publish, as their books bring me so much joy. I adored their debut, Don't Want to Be Your Monster, and this book was just as exceptional. Moulton does such an incredible job at depicting adolescence - Benji's voice and personality shined through in this novel, just like in their debut. Benji was at times hilarious, naive, scared, and anxious, but also incredibly precocious, brave, wise, and tenacious. His experience with anxiety broke my heart, but I loved how honest this portrayal was. I love how Moulton uses werewolves here as a metaphor for Jews and their experience with hatred and vicious antisemitism - from centuries ago to now. I loved the Hebrew and Yiddish embedded throughout; I truly felt the Kibbutz vibes, the sense of community and love. I loved how Jewish history was described, and I loved seeing it being told to Caleb, another character whom I adored.
I loved Caleb's attitude and humour, his heart, and his pain. I loved how Moulton showed realistic conversations, showing how people outside the Jewish faith and community would not be aware of our history, and the microaggressions and antisemitic libels that fester and influence the way Jews are perceived. I loved reading about the Chinese-American experience as well, as there were some aspects of history I was unaware of. The relationship between Calbe and Benji was simply adorable, and I loved watching them learn from each other, and be their truest, most vulnerable selves with one another. Again, the author's note at the end is essential reading. The message of the importance of community, the strength it takes to stand up to hate, to educate one another about our histories, and to learn to live with one another, engage in dialogue, and find common ground and understanding all shine beautifully here. It's a message I hope to see in our world soon.

Deke is amazing at fusing Judaism and fantasy. I absolutely adored this book. It was so timely, especially considering the rise in antisemitism. I cannot wait to have my nephew read this book. I think he, as the target audience of a Jewish 10 year old boy, would devour this book as quickly as I did.

Actual title: "Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf".

A much more accurate title: "Benji Zeb Is an Anxiety-Ridden Jewish Teen".

I'm a big fan of fantasy/supernatural stories and Young Adult books, so the blurb, along with the cute cover for this one, sold me immediately.

Unfortunately, having grown up in an extremely rigid, evangelical household, I have less than zero interest in all things religion, so I was less than thrilled when the book turned out to be about 20% werewolf and 80% "Introduction to Jewish Culture, Customs, and Terminology 101."

I really enjoyed the werewolf and wolf sanctuary parts of the story, but sadly, it felt as though there were four pages on Jewish life and Benji's anxiety for every one wolf-related page. 😞

And with "werewolf" being right there in the title, I was expecting/hoping for quite a bit more action, instead of the story being largely contemplative and introspective.

To have been tagged as Middle Grade, I suspect that more action would also hold the interest of that target audience a bit better, too. I remember being a middle grade reader and I tended to lose interest quickly when MC’s were stuck too deeply in their own heads.

3 stars.

I was expecting good things after reading Deke Moulton's middle-grade debut, Don't Want to Be Your Monster, but I was completely blown away by Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf!! I loved everything about this. The Jewish werewolf lore, the Talmudic discussions, the seamless integration of Jewish culture and tradition throughout. I laughed, I cried, I thought about the Yiddish word "paskudnyak" for the first time since I was a kid. Moulton tackles antisemitism, racism, and the political divisiveness in the United States, and somehow still manages to leave the reader feeling optimistic and hopeful for a better world. It was exactly the book I needed to read right now, and I think it is the book the world needs right now. I highly recommend this, for adults and young readers alike.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

Nobody does heartfelt paranormal MG like Deke Moulton. BENJI ZEB IS A RAVENOUS WEREWOLF is sweet, fun, and fierce in equal measure, dousing the classic werewolf tale with wonderfully sincere heapings of queerness and Jewishness. It's about transformation, courage, and finding your people--and yourself--when the world considers you monstrous. Benji stole my whole heart from page one. I cannot WAIT to see what this author does next.

"Is this a kissing book?"

** spoiler alert **

I loved Deke Moulton's debut novel Don't Want to Be Your Monster. It was a strikingly original vampire story for middle grade readers with the Best Vampires Ever! I am therefore sorry to report that their second novel, Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf, a middle grade novel about Jewish werewolves, did not hit the spot for me in quite the same way.

I was surprised to learn that Jewish werewolves are a thing. In their Author's Note, Moulton reveals that this surprised them, too

"I didn’t even know we had our own werewolf mythology. Or that Jewish werewolf myth is built upon lines from Torah, and that rabbis, thousands of years ago, built a midrash around it (Midrash is a biblical exploration, like rabbinical fanfiction)."*

So that was fun -- in fact, I learned about a bunch of things I had not previously been familiar with before. That was the best part.

The problem was that, as a novel, it didn't really work for me. Our hero Benji somehow never really came into focus. Benji suffers from anxiety attacks, and, judging from the end matter, Moulton meant that to be an important facet of Benji's character, but I was barely aware of it as a distinctive trait -- that is, as something different from the anxiety everyone often feels.

Also, I found the story disappointing. It is, in unfairly sketchy outline: "Jewish community is pressured/attacked by bigots, then our hero makes everything all right with a Big Speech to one of the bigots." I couldn't make myself believe the "Big Speech solves everything" part.

Finally, for the Princess Bride question, "Is this a kissing book?"

Yes, yes it is.

I thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an advance reader copy of Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf. This review expresses my honest opinions. Release date 2-Jul-2024.

*The quote is from an advance reader copy and may change before publication. If necessary, this review will be corrected on the release date.

WOW – a fabulous Middle Grade book about werewolves/shape shifting, Jewish identity, antisemitism & racism and struggles with sexual orientation.

Benji is a Jewish boy (and also sometimes werewolf) living in a Kibbutz in Washington. He faces feeling left out/different at school and has conflicting feelings about Caleb, a boy who he met last year, developed a crush on and now ignores him.

I loved the representation, of Jewish identity but also Chinese, and the customs and traditions of each.

First off, I am totally jealous of Benji's torah portion. Mine was terrible. This wonderful and heartwarming book follows some of my favorite tropes and explores a side of werewolve mythology I've never seen before. I absolutely adore the "A "bully" and their victim have to work together to solve a magical mystery/go on an adventure/defeat a terrifying villain" concept that's been showing up in MG books lately. In evey story where this appears the kids end up as close friends when the bully realizes their methods are causing more pain than they intend and the the victim learns their bully is dealing with issues of their own. I also love how accurately this book portrayed the struggles of anxiety and unexpected stressors.

Deke Moulton has shown, once again, that they’re the one to watch. Their ability to write age-appropriate middle grade fiction that is still engaging and enjoyable for adults is one that middle grade books desperately needs.

Like their debut novel, BZIARW tackles difficult topics without shying away from them or sugarcoating them. Benji is a Jewish werewolf and he faces antisemitism in his community and his personal life. Caleb is Chinese and is equally impacted by racism.

The lore of werewolves has a lot of antisemitic tropes baked in, so seeing Moulton flip it on its head and use a Torah portion as in-universe proof that ALL werewolves are descended from Benjamin, an undeniably Jewish figure, no matter where they’re from or what they look like, was as delightful as it was healing.

Non-Jewish readers will be able to learn a lot about Jewishness through Benji and his family and Jewish readers will revel in seeing themselves unabashedly, lovingly, and complexly portrayed on-page. The epitome of mirror/window literature.

I absolutely adored Deke Moulton's DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR MONSTER. Not only was it a fantastic story, but I learned so much about the vampire myth, and some of the distasteful cultural origins thereof, that I was completely unaware of. With similar touchstones, BENJI ZEB IS A RAVENOUS WEREWOLF is such an absolutely perfect companion novel that one can assume they're taking place in the same Moultonverse. (Crossover novel, please!) The werewolf legend is given the same, thought-provoking and realistic treatment here -- and expanded upon with wonderful care and detail. Beyond all the wolfiness, is a truly fascinating window into other cultures and religions -- all presented with pitch-perfect clarity without risk of going over anyone's head. Further, the themes addressed (anxiety, antisemitism, homophobia, cultural divisions, and more) are so important for readers of all ages. Representation matters and Middle Grade novels are some of the most vital places where that representation should be featured. BENJI ZEB IS A RAVENOUS WEREWOLF is a stellar piece of writing and definitely earns this reviewer's highest recommendation. Plus - adorkable queer crushes! Bonus!

I love werewolf stories, I love Jewish stories, so when I saw this I had to get my hands on it. Benji is working on preparing for his bar mitzvah but suddenly there’s extra stressors when someone is trying to break into his family’s kibbutz/wolf sanctuary to show how dangerous wolves are and Benji’s crush from school suddenly shifting into a werewolf. When you’ve already got anxiety and feel like you’re going to disappoint everyone if you don’t give a perfect speech at your bar mitzvah, this is a lot of extra weight to carry!

I really enjoyed the Jewish aspects of the story and the way the werewolf myth came from Jewish theology instead of traditional monstrous ideas of werewolves. I especially loved a part near the end where an elder explains how all werewolves originate from Benjaminites but due to impacts of diaspora and historical persecutions, people don’t always know they have Jewish ancestry until they shift and find a community of other wolves. There are some really great characters and family moments throughout. I also really liked how things resolved in the end.

Overall this is an interesting take on werewolves and a fantastic Jewish story.