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A review by readingrobin
Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The book was feeling like 3.5 at the end of the day, but I want to be fairly positive towards it so I bumped it up to a four.
Those looking for a tense, thrilling, and horrific werewolf story should probably look elsewhere and I don't mean that in a negative way. There are parts where the story adopts horror elements, but it's does not exactly always take place in the realm of bestial monsters with fangs and claws. The werewolf portion mainly just serves as a backdrop/extended metaphor for sexual assault, something the author makes clear at the very beginning. I didn't really mind this aspect of the story. It reminded me of an adult horror book I read last year, Such Sharp Teeth, that also used lycanthropy as a metaphor for assault. However, it's use of the transformations were a little bit more central to the plot, where here a lot of the actual werewolf stuff doesn't really make an appearance until the end. I think this works well for the story Howl is, as the mental and social ramifications of Virgil's attack lead the conflict of the book.
While not exactly action packed, Howl engages its readers through following Virgil as he processes his trauma, navigates being the town outcast, and uncovers the mystery of what really attacked him out on the sprawl. The story takes a more grounded approach to a supernatural tale, focusing more on the bigotry and injustice that takes place in a small town that would rather sweep everything under the rug than face it head on. While it takes a rather slow approach, I found myself zipping through the book, curious as to how he would face his trauma and what it would all culminate to.
The end feels cathartic, though the answer to the mystery seems obvious from the beginning despite a last minute red herring. It never tried to muddy the waters since we know a monster attacked Virgil, but perhaps it was better for this particular story to play it straight due to the sensitivity of the material.
It's not exactly a story with a twist at every turn, nor is it a horror story that is particularly scary, at least, not in the paranormal way. It has darkness, it has some shreds of hope and connection here and there. It's a book that'll be known for its rawness, for its pain, but also for showing how to keep moving forward without becoming the monsters we've faced.
Those looking for a tense, thrilling, and horrific werewolf story should probably look elsewhere and I don't mean that in a negative way. There are parts where the story adopts horror elements, but it's does not exactly always take place in the realm of bestial monsters with fangs and claws. The werewolf portion mainly just serves as a backdrop/extended metaphor for sexual assault, something the author makes clear at the very beginning. I didn't really mind this aspect of the story. It reminded me of an adult horror book I read last year, Such Sharp Teeth, that also used lycanthropy as a metaphor for assault. However, it's use of the transformations were a little bit more central to the plot, where here a lot of the actual werewolf stuff doesn't really make an appearance until the end. I think this works well for the story Howl is, as the mental and social ramifications of Virgil's attack lead the conflict of the book.
While not exactly action packed, Howl engages its readers through following Virgil as he processes his trauma, navigates being the town outcast, and uncovers the mystery of what really attacked him out on the sprawl. The story takes a more grounded approach to a supernatural tale, focusing more on the bigotry and injustice that takes place in a small town that would rather sweep everything under the rug than face it head on. While it takes a rather slow approach, I found myself zipping through the book, curious as to how he would face his trauma and what it would all culminate to.
The end feels cathartic, though the answer to the mystery seems obvious from the beginning despite a last minute red herring. It never tried to muddy the waters since we know a monster attacked Virgil, but perhaps it was better for this particular story to play it straight due to the sensitivity of the material.
It's not exactly a story with a twist at every turn, nor is it a horror story that is particularly scary, at least, not in the paranormal way. It has darkness, it has some shreds of hope and connection here and there. It's a book that'll be known for its rawness, for its pain, but also for showing how to keep moving forward without becoming the monsters we've faced.