I read this aloud to my 15y/o before bed. When we finished tonight, I asked them if they had any thoughts I could share and they just said "hot damn." So there you have it.

(We both laughed so much, and were grossed out quite a bit [some of the descriptions are particularly visceral], they demanded I highlight so many things, and the book is going on their holiday wishlist.)

Half of me just wants to put incoherent nonsense here because wow my brain has melted in the best way possible?? The other half of me wants to try and put this into words because this story deserves it.

“All I have to do is make it two more days and this might finally be over. I tell myself this as if I haven’t been telling myself that for my entire life. Just a few more years and I’ll start testosterone; just a few more years and I’ll have my perfect chest; just a few more years and I’ll stop feeling like I’ve got trans branded on my forehead. Never now. Never soon. Always somewhere in that distant, unspecified future. It makes my skin crawl.”

The way this story is able to make you feel the discomfort Hunter feels.. the loneliness.. the overwhelming feeling of things just not getting better…. I dunno how many times I had to pause, put my Kindle down, and then come back to reread the same paragraph after I had gathered myself. The body horror is descriptive enough to make you cringe and get goosebumps, but it’s not gratuitous in my opinion?

You’ll get sucked into the lives of Hunter, Gabe, & Mars, and when you get spit back out, you’ll feel confused and a little heartbroken and a little hopeful and a lot chewed up. Pick up this book if you like stories that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, make it so you’re unable to put your book down during your workday, & leave you yelling to your husband for half an hour immediately after finishing it because you needed to talk to someone about it.

3.5 - 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's Books for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Earlier this year, I read Logan-Ashley Kisner's debut and completely adored it. I knew immediately that I wanted to check out his sophomore novel, especially seeing the comps to Ginger Snaps. I'm happy to say that I enjoyed my time with this book.

The story follows Hunter, who after having top surgery, is attacked by a werewolf. We follow him as his body begins to change in ways completely out of his control, while he and his friends are scrambling to find a cure before his first transformation.

Hunter was such a compelling main character. He is truly going through the most stressful month of his life. Kisner continues to write his protagonists as flawed and nuanced people and allows them to make mistakes. It feels especially important to show trans characters being imperfect and still deserving love and care.

The horror elements were done very well, especially the body horror and the terror of your body becoming unknowable to you. There was a chapter that leans a bit experimental and I was very surprised and impressed by Kisner's approach. I think the character dynamics in this book are captivating. I found Hunter's relationship with the werewolf that changed him so fascinating. I also really enjoyed what the author termed the "biblically accurate love triangle" and the outcome. I loved how firmly Gabe and Mars were in Hunter's corner and fought to protect him. I also really loved how well Kisner captured how emotionally devastating a friend breakup can be, even years after the fact.

Logan-Ashley Kisner has quickly become a new author to watch for me. I'm so interested in seeing what he continues to do in the future.

Right as Hunter has returned home from having top surgery- and finally getting to take control over his body- he is attacked by a werewolf, triggering changes that threaten to tear that control away.

This is such a good take on the werewolf story. I loved Hunter, and his amazing friendships with Gabe and Mars. I found myself so invested in his story battling the supernatural threat in the woods, the transphobic bigots in his community, and his own self doubts. I even found myself feeling for the werewolf more than I’d expected to.

This is a perfect pick if you like your supernatural horror mixed with social horror. There’s the monster in the woods, but there’s also the monsters in the locker room, the school bus, throwing bricks through windows. Hunter has to decide whether to fight for the life he wants, when it’d be so much easier to give into the rage.

Between this and Old Wounds, Logan-Ashley Kisner has quickly become an auto-read author. Can’t wait for what comes next.

I've read the author's previous work Old Wounds as well, and I honestly liked this one more. It's a similar type of horror, but with one POV and fear going beyond just the risk of death. It's definitely triggering, so please pay attention to the trigger warnings Kisner provides at the beginning.

I believe that Kisner is good at reflecting what trans kids are most scared of. Between Old Wounds being about being outright killed and this one about forcible transition, he clearly knows what it is the trans community needs to see dealt with. While he as one person cannot fix this country, he can take that fear and turn it into a monster. I think that is what we need as we try to get through this.

Hunter is not a perfect character, but he is realistic, and is allowed to change. I especially loved the casual representation in this book, as it is always a great surprise to find something like that that you don't expect.

My main issue is there are some factual/medical inaccuracies that I assume won't be changed before final publication. The main characters are teenagers so a lot of it can be forgiven I think, but it was something that irked me. They in no way truly impacted the book.

Overall, this is a book well worth reading. While I think a lot of people will enjoy it once it comes out.

Barely fresh off of the hype from his debut novel released last year, Logan-Ashley Kisner has written yet another brilliant, heart-felt novel about young adolescence, the tragedies of high school, transition, and now has a werewolf supernatural element that pleases me greatly! In a harrowing political climate such as now, it is vital for those who are suffering from America’s ineptitude feel respected, not just seen and heard, but for who they truly are as they figure it out for themselves. They deserve to be perceived as human no matter what. This novel’s symbolic and literal use of lycanthropy feels brutally real as Hunter goes through his personal transition — from the top surgery recovery and the initial attack to menstrual needs and everything else that occurs, he is going through a tumultuous state of being that tests his mental strength, loyalty, sense of being, and belonging. Luckily for him, Hunter’s friends are there to support him. I especially resonated heavily with Mars’ tenacity, music taste, boldness, leadership in a crisis, and sense of humor. I found myself wanting to cry, on the edge of my seat, and practically giggling with anxious delight while reading. It’s certainly an emotional roller coaster that makes readers sympathize with the main characters. Overall, The Transition is a masterful work full of light-hearted and dark humor, meme references, hockey, and self-discovery. Most importantly, it is a piece of literature that honors and can inspire trans lives.

This is a very solid, straightforward YA horror that swept me up immediately. The plot is pressing and suspenseful, the characters are engaging and lovable, and I connected to the writing right away. This is an incredibly important addition to trans literature for kids, especially now.

What keeps me from giving this five stars that I just kind of wished it had *pushed further.* As a trans reader, I wanted to be completely swept up in the emotion and delve deeply into the feeling of your body changing against your will. This is definitely explored, but i wanted more. Similarly, given the "antagonist's" agenda, I wanted go deeper into trans rage.

These critiques are obviously very particular to me... Overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend widely.

Rating - 4 Stars

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the early copy for review!

The Transition follows Hunter, a trans boy who has just gotten top surgery. Hunter is just trying to survive his recovery and the rest of high school -he doesn't want any problems. But problems seem to find him... in the form of a werewolf wreaking havoc in his town. When Hunter gets bit and begins transforming into something beastly, it's up to him and his two best friends -Mars and Gabe- to find a cure, before its too late....

I love werewolf stories! Werewolves are my favorite monster. If there's a werewolf in a book, it's almost guaranteed I'll pick it up! As far as werewolf stories go, The Transition did not disappoint.

Kisner's writing was succinct and compelling. I don't read a lot of YA anymore, but this book kept my attention regardless. The entire story was raw and real and surprisingly unflinching in its horror. Kisner did not shy away from portraying the trans experience in all its shades. The core of friendship, love, and hope at the center of the book was heartwarming and touching.

Fans of monster horror and body horror may enjoy this one!

4.25 stars!

Unsurprisingly, this book is great! With its twists on werewolf tropes, The Transition vividly explores the fears and anxieties that trans people have surrounding both transition and detransition.

Hunter is a few weeks post top surgery and ready to start the rest of his life when a wolf bites him and sets in motion and new and uniquely horrifying transition. We've all heard about werewolf analogies when in comes to transition and largely that idea has been reclaimed by the trans community as empowering, but Kisner takes it in a different direction, instead emphasizing how becoming a werewolf goes against bodily autonomy in the way that transition doesn't. It's a super impactful story with a great cast of complicated characters with messy feelings, which I love. I'm having top surgery in less than two weeks (insert confetti here) and by the time this review goes up I will be a few months post-op, so the place that Hunter is in his transition hits very close to home.

If you are trans and reading this book, I do recommend heeding the content warnings. The Transition discusses a lot about social anxiety surrounding being trans and the doubts that lead to detransition, which are important to see represented but can also be difficult to read about. Take care of yourselves, because god knows it's not the best time to be a trans person in the US. Still, as the book outlines, we aren't alone in this.

I'm glad that political turbulence can't stop books like this from being written and ending up in the hands of the people who need it. Stay strong, folks!

Thank you to Logan-Ashley Kisner and Delacorte Press for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW I really loved this book! I'll be honest, werewolf books aren't normally my favorite, but I love trans horror and I loved Kisner's previous book. This book was fantastic and really kept me on the edge of my seat. Unfortunately, the dog dies in this one, but the wonderful cast of characters makes up for it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for giving me an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!

This was a very well done subversion of the "trans people like werewolves" trope. As great as it would be to be a shapeshifter, "destroy my shape by changing it" and all that, there is also something horrifying about fighting for so long for control over your body, and then to just suddenly lose it. Versus, of course, simply giving into the change but then having to deal with the consequences of that choice. Either way, you are both in control and not in control of the changes your body is going through-- a poignant allegory for transition (as the title would suggest). I really enjoyed this story and seeing, again, that subversion of the trans werewolf trope.

Thank you Delecorte Press and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Hunter has finally had the top surgery he’s been wanting for a while. He’s still dealing with a lot of body dysmorphia surrounding his body and maleness. And it doesn’t help that he has to deal with the transphobic assholes at school. Things get worse when he’s attacked by a big dog or something and he’s left with wounds that don’t hurt like they should and even stop bleeding quickly. But then he ends up having menstrual blood, something he hasn’t had in years. And it worse than he’s ever experienced before. Luckily he’s got his best friends Mars and Gabe to help him figure it out. It’s not tell Mars suggests werewolves that those pieces slowly start to fit. Now in order to stop what’s happening to him he’s got to find the one that attacked him and kill it. But who is it? And when a voice starts to wish about acting out justice on the transphobes who bully him with that call be greater? A deep and raw story! A heartbreaking and heartwarming story! A trans monster body horror story that will keep you thrilled! Logan-Ashley Kisner provides complex mix of emotions with this one!

I. Am. Feral. As often as being trans feels like a fight against the rest of the world, it just as often feels like a fight within myself. Do I risk my safety to ensure I'm being properly represented as myself, or do I compromise my mental and emotional health to try to gain physical safety? Do I let someone else's hatred kill me, or do I let my self hatred kill me? Just when Hunter has checked his "ideal self" boxes, he's forced to undergo a change he did not consent to. Compounded by the bullying he's undergone for years, this transformation pushes him to the very edge of sanity, and the option of becoming a monster only gets more and more appealing. Kisner explores the internal battle Hunter faces in a realistic and intimate way, demonstrating that the vulnerability needed to form meaningful connections with people and the strength to stand up for oneself can go hand in hand. Lady Gaga was right, love is like a brick, you can build a house AND sink a dead body.
This book is scary, in a visceral and gorey way. It's gut wrenching and heartwarming in all the right places. It made me nauseous, it made me laugh, and it made me cry. It's brilliant and it's beautiful and it's the kind of book that makes me wish I could write a review worthy enough for it. I'm a diehard Kisner fan at this point, and I cannot wait to read what he comes up with next.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

An interesting take on werewolf lore with twisted Ginger Snaps worldbuilding and a host of characters you love (and love to hate).

yesssss hit me again with the trans monsters please i need more for my dragon horde!!!!

i loved the first book about how the literal monster was more accepting of trans people than The Humans were, and similarly i loved how this one was about how a trans guy preferred to become a monster rather than try (and fail, and try, and fail) to assimilate completely with cis humans. hunter was (understandably, teenage-ly) annoying with his not trusting his friends with his secrets, but the relationship and understanding he had with lawrence was honestly heart wrenching. i felt terrible for that guy and like, understood it and was confusingly rooting for and against him at the same time.

love that it ended poly btw. GOD i love my little queer horror books and damn logan-ashley do you sit right up there with the rest of them after this. i will read whatever u throw out there

Logan-Ashley Kinser does it again! The Transition takes the werewolf legend and turns it on it's head for an amazing teenage body horror novel that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

For context, I read the Old Wounds ARC in early 2024 and loved it. I immediately cataloged this authors work alongside other YA horror authors that I had read and loved, like AJW and Freddie Kolsch. His next works were highly anticipated by me and I was itching to get my hands on an early copy. And boy oh boy- did Kisner knock it out of the park again. Deep, raw emotion collides with the skin in a mess of teeth and flesh in The Transition. As somebody who experience their teenage years as a semi-closeted transmasc, Hunter's transition struck home. Watching him tumble through every stage of euphoria and grief imaginable while fending off a werewolf was both lovely and thrilling. I was enrapture by the supernatural of it all, which is usual for me, as I normally stray clear of any werewolf content, but the idea of Hunter becoming the hunter was a little too intriguing to ignore. All that said, I will forever enjoy YA books about the horrors and the highs of being trans, and the fight we wage to be ourselves, whether it be against others or even ourselves.

This is trans horror at it's very best. It's about transformation, about how painful it can be to exist in a world that seems determined to fight who you truly are, and how living a life while trans is absolutely, fully worth it.

(Review also posted to goodreads)

Kisner DELIVERED with this one y’all! The slow crawl of Hunter’s transformation gave me similar vibes to Benji from Hell Followed With Us in the best way. The voice of the wolf in his head was well in that I couldn’t tell if it was Hunter or an outside consciousness at first, and I’m not sure if Hunter could either.
My main issue was mostly just with the formatting of the actual e-book, because there were times, when the voice was becoming more coherent, that I had trouble differentiating between the voice in hunter’s head and the other ‘regular’ text on the page. Not sure if it was just the font chosen, but I’ll find out when my physical book arrives in September (because I 100% preordered as soon as I was able).

Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Logan-Ashley Kisner’s “The Transition” is a raw, emotionally charged, and fiercely original combination of body horror and queer coming-of-age that refuses to pull its punches. Centered on a trans teen navigating both post-op recovery and a supernatural transformation, this story is as much about identity and bodily autonomy as it is about werewolves—and it delivers on both fronts.

Hunter is finally beginning to feel comfortable in his skin after fighting for and receiving top surgery. But peace is short-lived when a mysterious creature attacks him in his backyard, leaving him bruised, bleeding, and... changing. Rapid healing, unsettling dreams, and even the return of his period signal that something inside him is shifting. Soon, it becomes clear: he’s becoming a werewolf.

The werewolf metaphor isn’t subtle—and it’s not meant to be. Kisner uses this classic monster trope to explore the complex, often painful terrain of dysphoria, bodily change, and the trauma of being trans in a world full of misunderstanding and cruelty. As Hunter’s transformation accelerates, so does his mental deterioration, amplified by a voice in his head—the monster—that offers vengeance, power, and an escape from pain. It’s terrifying, tempting, and tragically familiar.

What makes “The Transition” stand out isn’t just its horror elements or its trans representation—it’s how it balances the grotesque with the deeply human. The story itself is heavy, yes, with frank depictions of bullying, transphobia, self-harm, and psychological distress, but it’s also filled with warmth and love. Hunter’s best friends, Gabe and Mars, offer critical support and moments of levity, giving the story a grounding that keeps it from becoming overwhelming.

The character work here is layered and honest. Gabe in particular is a standout, full of quiet strength and complexity. The relationship between Hunter and his father is also a highlight, with its difficult but evolving dynamic bringing emotional weight to the story. There’s even a love triangle that subverts expectations by exploring polyamory—though reactions to that aspect may vary depending on the reader’s preferences.

And yes, there’s satisfying revenge. As the bullying crescendos, the story doesn’t shy away from exploring what it means to take power back—or the cost of doing so.

Kisner’s writing doesn’t sanitize the experience of being trans, nor does it fall into misery for misery’s sake. Instead, “The Transition” invites empathy and understanding while weaving a supernatural horror tale that feels grounded, urgent, and painfully real. The transformation scenes are filled with visceral body horror, mirroring the dysphoria Hunter experiences. At the same time, the ending offers closure and hope—a sense of moving on, even after all that has been lost and changed.

Overall, “The Transition” is a bold and deeply resonant horror book that brilliantly uses genre to unpack the trauma, beauty, and complexity of trans identity. Gritty, emotional, and full of heart, this is a must-read for fans of queer horror, body transformation narratives, or anyone seeking a book that refuses to look away from pain but still insists on hope.