I thought this was an entertaining read from the first few pages. At first, I was a little confused about the different points of view, but overall happy with how everything came together. I was also pleased with Shane’s character arc throughout the book. I was not expecting the underlying themes of race, class, child abuse/neglect, and exploitation to be involved, but I also liked how that was woven into the story to ensure balanced characters and an overall message.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
This concept caught me off guard in a good way. A satirical supernatural mystery about werewolves in power feels original and funny. I missed a bit more emotional depth in places. Still the voice and bizarre premise made it striking and enjoyable.

Werewolves as metaphors for toxic male, venture capitalist greed. Suppose werewolves are real and spend one night a month (full moon) in werewolf form biting and slashing their way through animals, sometime humans and each other. The rest of the month, they are take anything I want, white bros who only true other white males into werewolves. They are racist, misogynistic entitled jerks who think they rule the world. But not all werewolves are that bad, some dont use their special status for bad things and want to eliminate or at least police the problem ones. This is a hilarious but gory romp that requires a suspension of reality to enjoy but just go with it.

The synopsis of this book was so engrossing that I couldn't wait to read the book but unfortunately the book fell short in several ways and just never seemed able to redeem itself.

finally, something new! I loved this book - it was horror and satire combined for maximum entertainment. loved the puns, the bizarre weirdness and the multiple POVs. But I've worked for a VC firm for 10+ years so I might've found even more entertaining personally than others!

This was an interesting story told in a unique manner. The flow of the plot felt slightly disjointed at times, but covered an interesting take on Werewolf lore. This story didn't really resonate for me, but that is due more to personal taste. The main protagonists arc had very nice conclusion despite the very tumultuous story. Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this and give my unbiased opinion.

It took me quite awhile to ‘get into’ this book and I actually considered putting it in the DNF pile but I stuck with it and about 30% into it I got hooked! The author seemed to figure out what was happening and things started to come together for me. Stick with it as it definitely gets better.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hyperion Avenue and Emily Jane for this ebook ARC to read. All opinions are my own.

I loved On Earth As It Is On Television so was excited to read this.
The intersection of capitalism and werewolves. I really liked it!!

#NetGalley

Emily Jane always infuses a bit of magical realism or fantasy into her books. I enjoyed 'Here Beside the Rising Tide', where a town is terrorized by sea monsters and people come back from the dead. 'American Werewolves is a bit more gorey and sadistic. It's a send up of American capitalism in the form of monsters. Because aren't most hedge fund managers insufferable?

Once you get past the gore and violence, you'll appreciated and be drawn to most of the characters. There's Shane-an ambitious VC on the cusp of partnership whose transformation forces his moral reckoning; Natasha, a homeless woman seeking revenge after her roommate’s murder; and Bit, a young boy who is wandering across the US and has with ties to ancient werewolf origins. Somehow they all come together to fight another clan of evil werewolves that rule the city. It's about power and greed, who has it, how they got it, and why they'd do anything to prevent losing it. It's also about friendship and loyalty.

Like all her books, it's fun, weird, and totally entertaining.

I thought this was a well written, imaginative and clever book. Borderline 4 stars, but what held it back (for me at least) was that it wasn't until about halfway through the book that I really started to care about the characters and get invested in their stories. The first half of the book just kind of ambled along. While the second half moved along at break-neck speed. Another minor irritation (which I'm not sure was intentional or just a quirk of it being an ARC) was that every second or third page there was a section whereasentenceortwooftextwouldruntogethermakingitdifficulttoread. See what I mean? To me at least, it happened too often to just be an ARC glitch. But I also didn't really understand the point of the run-on words. Regardless, I did thoroughly enjoy the story of the "Wolves of Wall Street" literally being werewolves.

"Many full moons ago, a young American boy with ambition in his belly and the moon in his veins followed his destiny west, determined to carve a path to success no matter the carnage.Two centuries later, a city is captivated by the strange and savage murder of a young woman. Her roommate, Natasha, no longer able to afford their apartment alone—and hounded by both rumors of wolves and a pop-star's angry fan-swarm—has resorted to living in her car. There's nothing left for her…except vengeance.Across town, Shane LaSalle is about to see his wildest dreams come true. He already has a gorgeous apartment and a high paying job in venture capital. Now the partners of Barrington Equity have invited him to board the company's private jet for an exclusive retreat. But with partnership finally in his reach, Shane realizes he's losing his taste for just how ruthless and all-consuming the firm is."

It was a little different for me, but i was intrigued about where the story was going to go. I am glad I didn't give up on it and will be checking out other works of this author!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for a review!

I have never read a book by Emily Jane before, but that ends now. I will absolutely be looking into her backlog because this book was absolutely fabulous! First of all, Jane tackles some difficult themes but disguises them in a fun and a bit of an unhinged way. The writing is absolutely beautiful, and she conjures up characters that are amazing in their own way. Mythical monsters as real people? Yep! This is a must read for people who love greedy, capitalistic werewolves!

solid and interesting book. i really liked the way that it worked out throughout and the characters were unique and interesting. the flashback portions were also cool, if a little odd. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Not for the faint of heart...which should be evident from the title. Easily read but slow to take off...historical perspective bogged down the flow but ultimately did tie together the characters. Although some might find a comparison between the financial world and monsters would only recommend to those who like horror.

kind of highkey obsessed with this book and idea but I wish it 'went harder' in a lot of the places.

3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.

I liked this, but I was happy when I finished. A fantasy/paranormal/realism novel, I wished it was more of all three. It felt a little restrained, and only kept me moderately interested. I really didn't care for or have any feelings for any of the characters, which isn't necessary for me, but certainly helps me connect to a story.

Bonus points for: the inclusion of Goetta in the tale. For those who don't know, here the wiki: Goetta is a meat-and-grain sausage or loaf, popular in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, with German origins. It's primarily made from ground pork and beef, steel-cut oats, and spices. Traditionally, it's sliced and pan-fried until crispy, and often served as a breakfast meat alongside eggs.

My wife and son love it.

Will I read more from the author? Yes, I've enjoyed other books from her.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

When I first read the synopsis for Emily Jane's American Werewolves I really wasn't sure what to expect. I mean the whole idea of venture capitalists is that they are "wolves" devouring the companies they acquire. That doesn't mean they are actually werewolves...except in this case they are. They are not the friendly "Twilight" wolves we've come to know over the years but more like the "American Werewolf in London" type of wolf. They are vicious, hungry and hideous in appearance all hidden by their human skins most of the time. Ms. Jane has a very unique writing style that I first enjoyed in her Here Beside the Rising Tide. Her stories seem to start slower only to pick up steam about halfway in and then they really take off finishing with a bang. This does not mean the beginnings aren't good or important. They are very interesting and necessary as they are filled with so many ingredients that will ultimately tie everything together...characters, story lines, two hundred years of history and lycanthropy. The interweaving of all these details results in a really fun, exciting story with a climactic conclusion. So join Shane, Natasha and Nova as they band together to take on the American Werewolves. Theirs is a great story...one that stayed on my mind long after I closed the book. I don't think you'll be sorry.
4.5 Stars

Thanks to Hyperion for the ARC.

4.5/5 stars rounding up to 5 stars

Emily Jane’s On Earth as It Is on Television is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year and werewolves are my favorite fantasy creature, so when I saw she was writing a werewolf novel I knew I had to get my hands on it.

American Werewolves was a fantastic read. The werewolves were both literal and metaphorical beasts, so you get a critique of capitalism with your gory transformation scenes. I found both elements worked really well together because after all, capitalism is its own horror story, so adding the werewolves only enhanced it. If you’re worried about there being a lack of werewolf action because they’re venture capitalists, that’s definitely not the case here!

One of the hallmarks of werewolf stories is the body horror and I thought it was very well done here. It’s definitely gruesome, but I wouldn’t say overly so for those more sensitive to gore. The transformation scenes are fascinating and gross and everything you want from a person shifting into a wolf.

I really appreciated that this novel pointed out how women (specifically white women) are a major part of upholding the patriarchy, to their own detriment ultimately. They didn’t get a pass just because their husbands were doing worse things.

Natasha and Shane were great protagonists, both dealing with the werewolf revelation in their own way. The results of their crash outs was also very representative of what rich white guys get away with that others don’t.

An element of Emily Jane’s writing I really enjoy is how she takes these seemingly separate stories and brings them all together in the end. With Natasha and Shane’s stories, you can see the connecting points early on, but where Bit’s story started intersecting with theirs wasn’t what I anticipated. I loved seeing the last few threads pull together with Bit.

If you’re looking for a good werewolf novel, this is it. It doesn’t get to much more than a surface level critique of capitalism, but ultimately I was in this for the werewolves anyway so that didn’t really bother me.

This was a really fun, creative take on werewolf fiction and it's going to be one of my new favorites in the genre for sure. I really liked all the characters and all the different story threads came together in the end in a satisfying way. This is my first time reading anything by Emily Jane, though I do have one of her other books on my to-read list, and I'm glad I got to start with this one. Now I'm looking forward to checking out her other works even more.

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the ARC!

American Werewolves offers a fresh take on werewolf mythology, blending folklore with contemporary themes in a way that feels both familiar and original. Emily Jane’s writing is vivid and atmospheric, creating a world where the supernatural seeps into everyday life without losing emotional depth.

The characters are well-drawn and flawed, navigating identity, transformation, and belonging with nuance. The pacing holds steady, balancing moments of tension with quieter, introspective scenes.

While it may not break completely new ground in the genre, the novel’s strength lies in its character-driven storytelling and immersive setting. Fans of supernatural fiction looking for a thoughtful, engaging read will find much to enjoy here.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. This review reflects my honest opinion.