• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam (February 7, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 039915759X
• Source: Publisher

It’s 1904. Frederick, a junior clerk in a small bank, falls in love with Jette, the daughter a woman striving to use her daughter’s future husband as a means to elevate herself in society. Needless to say, Frederick doesn’t exactly live up to Jette’s mother’s expectations. She’s disgusted by Frederick’s “lack of breeding” and forbids Jette from seeing him again. Of course, this just draws Jette and Frederick even closer. Soon, Jette discovers she is pregnant. Frederick is elated, Jette is a bit more realistic, knowing that her mother will never accept this child as part of the family.  Without any other options, the young couple decide to journey to a land known for new possibilities, America.  They set forth on a ship, originally planning to go to New York. When the learn the ship they are about to board will instead take them to New Orleans Jetta replies “New York, New Orleans, what’s the difference. They are both New. That’s good enough.” Embarking on this ship, they are also embarking on a new life together.  

They ultimately end up in Beatrice, Missouri, not necessarily a planned stop. Beatrice is a small town, many of the people speak German, making Frederick and Jette feel at home. It’s not long before they get settled, attempting to keep some semblance of their native land, of their roots, in this new country. So begins the story of a century of the Meisenheimer family. Surrounded by extremely unique and rich characters, each generation of this family is forced to rediscover it’s own unique identity while at the same time appreciating and understanding those before them. It is a multi-generational story of German family, determined to live the dream set out by Frederick & Jette: finding home. The story is at times humorous, oftentimes it is achingly sad.

Two key things lie in the very core of this family: music and food.  The book opens up with the line “Always, there was music.” Never have more true words been spoken. Despite the trials and tribulations the family were dealt, there was always music. Music and food. Each generation supported itself by feeding the community around it, starting with Jette and Frederick and their traditional German food. Despite the gradual transition to more American food, the family devoted itself to this life. Their restaurant served several roles throughout the years: a gathering place for those families with men in the war, during Prohibition, it became a place for people to enjoy food and entertainment. Core to it was always one element: family.

A Good American is a truly epic tale that, like good food or good wine, must be savored. The story of Frederick and Jette is told through the voice of their grandson, James.  Despite having been born in the United States, at times James is just as confused about his identity as his grandparents before him. He, like those before him, learned that family isn’t only based on blood, on heredity. Family is made up of those that surround you, envelope you, care for you.

When I began reading A Good American, I had no idea what I was in for.  I’d picked up on quite a bit of discussion about the book, but nothing too specific. I try to keep myself in the dark about highly popular books until I have had the chance to read them myself. Never could I have imagined how enamored I became with this book, the characters, everything Alex George, through the Meisenheimer family, portrayed to the reader. I laughed with the characters, cried and sobbed with them, celebrated their successes, learned from their failures. As each chapter ended, I refused to go on, but would go back and reread the passages again. I savored the story-like quality of the writing; oftentimes I felt as though I were sitting across the table from James, listening to him tell of his parents, his grandparents, and all those before him. It isn’t often that you come across a book like this anymore, one that you want to read over and over again, relishing each line. I do not exaggerate when I state that A Good American is a truly remarkable book. Highly, highly recommended.

Review: A Good American by Alex George is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

• Paperback:240 pages
• Publisher:Harper Perennial; Original edition (August 2, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0062023144
• Source: Purchased

David Appleton is a small-town veterinarian in a rural New England town. His family is struggling economically, people are unable to pay to have their animals treated. When a hunting accident puts his twelve-year old son in a coma, an entirely new level of stress is put upon the shoulders of this already struggling family. Appleton becomes obsessed with discovering the identify of the hunter that shot his son.  After all, in a small town, there are a limited number of suspects.

When a stranger shows up in town, his interactions with the family put a completely different spin on their life, testing them, forcing them to re-evaluate what it means to be a family.

Through a series of journal like-entries, the reader gets a glimpse inside the mind of Appleton.  Here is an example:

CALL: Sick sheep.
ACTION: Visited sheep. Noticed they’d eaten all of the thistle.
RESULT: Talked to owner, who is a composer, about classical music. Admired his tall barn beams. Advised owner to fence off thistle so the sheep couldn’t eat it. Sheep become sick from thistle.
THOUGHTS ON THE DRIVE HOME:  Is time travel possible? Maybe time is not a thing. Because light takes a while to travel, what we’re seeing is always in the past.
WHAT THE WIFE COOKED FOR DINNER: Breakfast

The entries start off brief and to the point, but as the book progresses the entries expand, showing a side of this man.  Murphy shows his caring and endearing side through his interactions with his animal patients, the care he gives each of them is heartwarming. Additionally, the formatting permits the reader to see what the main character believes is important and valuable to share. While it is blunt and to the point, the words that are shared reveal much more than a long, flowing passage might. The author’s own familiarity with the subject matter as a wife of a veterinarian really adds to the book. Ultimately, The Call is not solely a man’s journal about his visits to treat animals. It’s a unique glimpse on one family’s trials and tribulations, about what it takes to be a “real” family. On the surface, it seems simple, but simple is the last word I would use to describe this book. Gritty, harrowing, deep. Those are more accurate descriptions of this phenomenal novel.

The book club I lead at One More Page Books recently discussed this book. Why did I pick it? Other than the obvious, I believed it was a book that could be overlooked (and has been, according to Flavorwire).  Why is this? Could it be the formatting? The description on the back of the book (which I frankly think reads like a Hallmark card)?  While there were members of the book club who were still on the fence about their feelings on the book, many of us appreciated the uniqueness of this novel.  It is a book that will make you think, one that you will want to talk about with others, but most importantly, a book that must be read.  Highly recommended.

Review: The Call by Yannick Murphy is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (November 15, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 006195876X
• Source: Publisher

Classic literature is rich with female  characters deserving of the term “heroine.” From Jane Eyre to Anne Shirley, each of these characters overcame some sort of loss or struggle, landing firmly on two feet at the end. As a teen, I sought out these characters personally, treating them as my own solace from the world:

There’s something in the pause to read that’s soothing in and of itself.  A moment with a book is basic self-care, the kind of skill you pass along to your children as you would a security blanket or churchgoing habit.

Blakemore takes these characters, utilizes the lessons or characteristics depicted by these women, to produce a sort of lesson to inspire the reader. Additionally, each author’s own life is compared to that of her characters, detailing their motivations for writing that particular individual into existence. 

Of foremost importance is one’s responsibility to one’s self, forgoing love, success, etc. in the name of self-respect.

As with many of the authors, their own journey to personal happiness wasn’t necessarily successful. That said, the work they produced provided enough joy to generations of women to follow. They inspired many of us, reading these novels as teens, to aspire to more:

As women, we are the protagonists of our own personal novels. We are called upon to be the heroines of our own lives, not supporting characters.

Blakemore evaluates each of these characters, expanding upon the trait each held that inspired us as readers. These traits include self, faith, happiness, dignity, etc.  At the end of each chapter, Blakemore suggests occasions for reading the particular novel referenced. These range from “When your inner people-pleaser threatens to drown out your gut instinct” to When someone repeatedly misspells your name or implies that they’d rather interact with a man.”

At the conclusion of each chapter, Blakemore also lists each character’s literary sister, listing books of similar topic and theme.

The Heroine’s Bookshelf is guaranteed to be loved by all the women in your life, whether they’ve read the classics or not. I can imagine a book club being formed around the premise of the book, reading the initial classic, followed up by one of its ”sisters” for comparison.

I want to personally thank Erin for reuniting me with my heroines.  I’ve made it a point to create my own “Heroine’s Bookshelf,” a place where I can seek solace in my heroines when life gets a little too rough. Highly recommended.

I have two copies of The Heroine’s Bookshelf to give away to one lucky reader, one paperback and one audio book. To enter, comment below with your favorite heroine from literature. It can from more modern literature, it doesn’t have to be classic. Be sure to indicate which format of the book you would prefer.  The winners will be contacted via email on Friday, November 25th.

If you want another chance to win a copy of the book, be sure to participate in today’s #Indiethursday on Twitter & Facebook (click here for more information on IndieThursday).

Review: The Heroine’s Bookshelf: Life Lessons, from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder by Erin Blakemore is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week. Feel free to grab the button & join in!

This week’s featured book is Your Presence Is Requested at Suvanto by Maile Chapman:

• Paperback:280 pages
• Publisher:Graywolf Press (May 24, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 1555975879
• Source: Publisher

Set in the late 1920s, thousands of people are dying of tuberculosis. Suvanto is a Finnish convalescent hospital, a place of recovery for many women. Most of the patients are wealthy women, seeking reprieve from their everyday lives.

Julia Dey, a former dancer, has been admitted to Suvanto against her will. Suffering from a number of ailments, including a horrible infection, Julia makes her displeasure about being a ward of the hospital known to all around her. Her nurse, Sunny Taylor, is an American.  She came to Suvanto to escape her unhappy life, winding up unhappier than before.  Ultimately, however, she realizes that the patients have reason to complain, validation for seeking solace from their lives.

Dr. Peter Weber is the physician who runs the hospital. Like many doctors of that time, he believes most of the women’s problems are gynecological.  He believes he has perfected a procedure that will cure these woman.  This procedure includes a specific stitch, and ultimately a hysterectomy, to literally rid the women of what he believes is the source of their ailments. He sees the women of Suvanto as test subjects, guinea pigs on which to test his skills. Unfortunately, not enough is known about hysterectomy’s at this time, and Weber’s efforts to heal become lethal.

Your Presence Is Requested at Suvanto is an incredibly dark, gothic novel. The time period in which it takes place, the setting of an isolated hospital, really add to the overall feel.  The pacing is quite slow, done deliberately so the author can describe and set up the setting around the novel. Chapman leaves the latter part of the novel, after the horrible event that sets the climax, up to the reader to interpret.  Many readers might have issue with this, I personally enjoyed it tremendously. To play detective, piecing together clues, was incredibly entertaining.

The characters of this novel aren’t easy to love.  Despite the issues leading to/causing their bitterness, I couldn’t really find sympathy with any of them.  The character that came closest was Sunny. In an attempt to escape her own life, she became immersed in a living hell. But even her character is questioned at the end, the reader left wondering what happened.

Your Presence Is Requested at Suvanto is a novel I enjoyed immensely, but not one that I would recommend to just anyone.  It’s not an easy read, both due to the theme but also the detailed writing as well. It is a book you must devote your entire focus to, but once you do you will become immersed in the lives of the Suvanto women. Not only a mystery, but also a showcase of the time period, the way women, even the wealthy, were regarded.  I’m not sure which part of the book terrified me the most: the horrific medical practices or the way women were regarded.  Chapman has obvious talent; I look forward to reading more of her work.  Highly recommended.

Frightful Friday: Your Presence Is Requested at Suvanto by Maile Chapman is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

• Paperback:256 pages
• Publisher:Signature Editions (September 1, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 1897109431
• Source: Publisher

When a work crew at an abandoned villa in a small Italian town uncovers a body, an investigation begins to determine the identity. It is revealed that the body is that of Vito Santoro, a man whose family believed to be living in Argentina for the past several decades.  Due to a family strife, no one had spoken to Vito in years.  That is, except for Piera, the matriarch of the Santoro family.

As the family reunites, Piera locks herself in her room, refusing to speak with anyone but her nephew, David, currently living in Canada.  Piera is the only one who knows the secrets behind Vito’s death and eventually reveals the sordid past to her nephew, taking the reader on flashbacks to post-war Italy.   The truth that is revealed is a disturbing one, full of family secrets, including incest.  Bloodlines David long believed to be accurate are retraced and he is forced to reckon with an almost unacceptable truth.

Don’t let the description above detract you from reading this powerful novel; it is rich with family history, deeply moving and passionate. The reader learns a great deal about Vito, the child of an impoverished family, always the black sheep among his siblings.  As a child, he was routinely sent away to live with other family members, to join the military, etc. as an attempt to control his wild streak.  Each time he returned, he seemed less and less a part of the family.

The Santoro family is riddled with family issues, going back for decades.  The strife among family members continues with the current generation, Piera’s siblings angry for her keeping this secret for so long. Gunn does a tremendous job of detailing the lives of this family: 7 children, a strict, almost abusive father, and a passive mother. The only characters I found to be sympathetic at all were David and Piera, but I still questioned just how much I could trust them, Piera in particular. Her memories seemed to be jaded due to her own feelings toward Vito.

Gunn’s descriptions of the Santoro family’s history and traditions allow the ready to become easily immersed in the Italian culture. The novel is evenly paced, allowing the reader to become immersed in the rich historical detail while trying to simultaneously solve the family’s mystery. As mentioned above, the theme of incest exists, but is not overpowering. Fans of novels with rich characters as well as fans of historical fiction will be impressed by this novel, long-listed for the 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize, an award recognizing excellence in Canadian fiction. Recommended.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a special guest post by the author, Genni Gunn.

Review: Solitaria by Genni Gunn is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

• Hardcover:352 pages
• Publisher:Random House (July 12, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0385344082
• Source: Publisher

Every summer, the first Sunday in June, the Moses family gathers for a family reunion on the family’s hundred-acre farm in Arkansas. To Willadee Moses, it is a chance for her to spend time with her mother and father, Calla and Joseph.  Her husband Samuel Lake’s role as a Methodist minister requires their family to move quite frequently. 

The timing of the reunion always frustrated Willadee; it takes place the same weekend of the annual conference in which Methodist ministers in Louisiana found out whether they get to stay or move to another parrish. This shift is made depending on how happy the district superintendents were with the minster’s “service.”  Samuel, known to unintentionally ruffle feathers, is often asked to move.

Just as the reunion is kicking off, a horrible family tragedy takes place, forcing the family to come together like never before. Additionally, Samuel learns he has lost his parrish. These events, among many others, require a season for change for the Moses family.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake is a novel flowing with rich characters.  They are so real, so vivid, it’s not hard to find characteristics of one’s own family within them. My favorite is the feisty, out-spoken Swan Lake, daughter to Samuel and Willadee.  Known to say what she thinks, nevermind the consequences, Swan lets down her shield to protect a young boy, horribly abused by his father. She literally risks life & limb to keep him from further harm.  The relationship she forms with this young boy, Blade, is an endearing one, a relationship that forever changes the unlikely duo.

A second character I felt drawn to was Samuel Lake. He’s a devoted, hard-working husband and father, left without a job and a home for his family. He’s forced to question everything he’s known, including his faith. All the tragedies thrust upon his family result in an overall evolution in his character, and his family as a whole.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake is a novel you can’t help but fall in love with.  Rich in Southern charm and humor, family drama & tragedy; so many elements to experience and explore.  I can see this being the perfect book club discussion book, the themes of good vs. evil, forgiveness and hope are guaranteed to generate a great deal of discussion.

Bottom line, The Homecoming of Samuel Lake is a novel the reader will remember for some time, with characters that will truly find a place in your heart. While seemingly full of tragedy, this book will leave you with an overwhelming sense of hope. This book has earned a position on my list of top books of 2011. Highly recommended.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this book.  Please be sure to check out the book’s tour web page and visit the other stops along the tour.

Review: The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Random House (July 26, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0345494482
• Source: Publisher

Lauren Mahdian, (age six) and her brother, Alex (age nine) awake from a night spent in their treehouse to learn their mother is dead, their father arrested for her murder.

Decades later, Lauren is now a real estate broker and Alex is a doctor. Lauren refuses to speak to or visit her father in jail, while Alex pursues his own investigation of the crime, unwilling to accept their father is guilty. They are orphans, in a sense, raised by their grandparents.  Their grandfather passed away several years ago, their grandmother is now in a nursing home, suffering from Alzheimer’s.

When Alex tells Lauren he is headed to Iraq to participate in a Doctors Without Borders program, Lauren is heartbroken.  Alex is persistent and heads off to Iraq, leaving Lauren on her own.  Before he leaves, he attempts to talk to her about his investigation, the leads he’s uncovered, but Lauren refuses to listen.

When Alex goes missing after an explosion at hospital at which he was working, Lauren is inconsolable. In an instant, the only immediate family she knew is now gone.  She uncovers a file Alex was keeping on the investigation and begins to follow her brother’s tracks, the most valuable piece of evidence being an earring found at their home the night of the murder.

Sylvia is a 43-year-old woman, pregnant with the child her husband doesn’t want.  She decides to leave him and head to New York, the home of her “wild child” friend from her youth, Victoria.  The person she discovers is not the friend she remembers, but a woman who drowns memories of a horrid night by drinking, leaving her young daughters in the care of her mother, Mae.

Mae and Victoria share a horrible secret, one that involves Sylvia and, unknowingly, the lives of Lauren and Alex as well.  They are all forced to come to terms with the horrible incident of one evening and how it will forever change their future.

Close Your Eyes is quite a unique story of family, love, honesty and ultimately, forgiveness.  There was a bit going on with this story, in a sense too much, in my mind.  There were so many characters, each with quite involved storylines if their own.  I wish more time was spent developing each of the characters rather than just trying to solve the mystery that connected them all.  

Lauren does go through a tremendous change in the novel.  Used to having her brother Alex to support her, she puts on a brave face and overcomes a reluctance to learn the truth behind her mother’s death. I don’t believe she would have taken this step had Alex been around to support her.

It is Sylvia’s character that I wish was more developed.  At times, it seems her character, and the characters of Victoria and her mother, Mae, were just thrown in to add additional drama to the story.  I wanted to know more about her, perhaps allowing me to feel more sympathy for her than I did.

At just over 250 pages, I think adding a bit more details about many of the characters would add to the overall experience.  I was left feeling sympathy for each of the individuals involved, but only at the surface.  That said, not all mysteries must have strong characters, authors often have a difficult decision in chosing between deep, strongly developed characters and a robust storyline.

 Ward does an outstanding job of portraying this decades-long mystery.  The prose was eloquent, instantly capturing my attention.  My emotional reaction to the writing perhaps outweighs my opinions of the character development.  Ward took me completely off guard with the storyline; never would I have connected the characters.

Close Your Eyes is an engrossing read that may at surface level seem dreary or depressing.  Ultimately, however, it is a story of hope, of persistence, and of trust.  Despite my issues with the book, I would still recommend it.

Thank you to TLC book tours for providing me with the opportunity to participate in this tour.  Please check out the other stops in this tour:

Monday, July 11th:  Bewitched Bookworms
Wednesday, July 13th:  Starting Fresh
Monday, July 18th:  A Bookworm’s World
Saturday, July 23rd:  Take Me Away
Tuesday, July 26th:  Bella’s Novella
Wednesday, July 27th:  Colloquium
Thursday, July 28th:  In the Next Room
Friday, July 29th:  Luxury Reading
Monday, August 1st:  Nomad Reader
Wednesday, August 3rd:  Life in the Thumb
Thursday, August 4th:  Rundpinne
Wednesday, August 10th:  Crazy for Books

Connect with the author on her website, www.amandaward.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter

Review: Close Your Eyes by Amanda Eyre Ward is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Knopf (June 14, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0307595129
• Source: Personal Copy

Review: Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

• Hardcover:352 pages
• Publisher:Algonquin Books (May 24, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 1565129903
• Source: Publisher

Dana Lynn Yarboro and Bunny Chaurisse Witherspoon are both teen girls, growing up in 1980s Atlanta.  They are also half-sisters, both daughters of a bigamist, James Witherspoon.  Only Dana and her mother, Gwen, are aware of James’ double life.

Dana and Bunny live vastly different lives: Dana & Gwen struggle to get by, only receiving minimal financial support from James. Dana has memories of her father sitting her down, ordering her not to reveal the truth behind their “secret family.” To all concerned, Raleigh, James’ close friend, is Dana’s father. To prevent being referred to as “illegitimate,” Raleigh goes as far as to sign Dana’s birth certificate.  In Dana’s mind, however, she will always be illegitimate:

In my mind, Chaurisse is his real daughter.  With wives, it only matters who gets there first.  With daughters, the situation is a bit more complicated.

Chaurisse and her mother, Laverne, on the other hand, appreciate all the comforts of a “normal” family. James and Laverne married quite young; Laverne was unable to complete high school due to her pregnancy. Her only existence is that which she shares with James; she never had the opportunity to experience the milestones typical teen girls do.

James and Raleigh do their best to keep the girls apart, to prevent their meeting.  However, 1980s Atlanta, according to James “ain’t nothing but a country town, and everyone knows everybody.” 

I read Silver Sparrow in one sitting, unable to tear myself away from the story of these two girls. The first line: “My father, James Witherspoon, is a bigamist.” This sentence prepares the reader for the drama that is about to ensue.

Silver Sparrow is told by the viewpoints of both girls; the first half in Dana’s voice and the second in Chaurisse’s. The reader can’t help but feel sympathy for Dana; she knows of her father’s “deception,” realizes there is another family who she’s forced to share him with.  the lack of a male role model forces her to make poor decisions, all due to desperation for male attention and love.

On the opposite side, Chaurisse and Laverne are completely clueless; they live years believing their family is a secure and normal one.

The insecurities each of the girls feel is quite compelling: Dana and her mother are attractive but this is not apparent in their feelings about themselves due to the lack of security they feel as a family.  Chaurisse and Laverne, on the other hand, are plain, typical women and have a sense, albeit false, of security in their lives. Each family is missing something, apparent or not.

Since Silver Sparrow is told through the eyes of Dana and Chaurisse; the reader doesn’t get to see the saga in the eyes of the two mothers, or James and Raleigh.  I believe this adds to these unique novel; had it been told by the two wives the reader would experience a completely different story.

Bottom line: Silver Sparrow is a stunning novel with several topics and themes worth discussing, making this the perfect book club choice. Highly recommended.

Review: Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week. Feel free to grab the button & join in!

This week’s Frightful Friday featured book is The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan:

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Knopf (July 12, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0307595080
• Source: Purchased from Book Depository

Jake is the last werewolf on earth.  In the two hundred years he’s existed, he has been through a great deal.  The fact he’s the sole survivor of his species depresses him to no end. He’s contemplated suicide; what sort of future does he have? He can’t procreate sexually (werewolves are sterile) and the werewolf curse is no longer passed through bites.

Jake spends his time sleeping with women he doesn’t love.  The concept of love is a word foreign to him; since he literally devoured the love of his life shortly after he became a werewolf, Jake actually pursues women he dislikes. There is safety in this; he will never fall for a woman again.

Jake is prepared to face his own mortality, ready to turn himself over to WOCOP (World Organization for the Control of Occult Phenomena). However, circumstances change and Jake left wanting to preserve his life, able to finally accept the monster he has become.

Told in a journal format, The Last Werewolf is not your average werewolf tale. It’s beyond a monster story, instead it truly captures one man’s evaluation of his soul, his life, his purpose for living. Jake goes through a dramatic transformation throughout the book, not just physical. He starts off as a monster who continues to punish himself for an action that occured centuries in the past. In the end, he’s a man, who just happens to be a monster, who wants to preserve his species.

Definitely more on the literary side of the spectrum, Duncan provides readers with a completely unique and innovative attempt at the werewolf tale. I wouldn’t recommend it for someone looking for your average werewolf story; Duncan’s attempt is much more of a contemplative, introspective look at a werewolf’s life.  Above all, despite previous marketing, I would not promote this as the “Twilight for adults.”

Bottom line: The Last Werewolf is more than just your typical werewolf story; it’s more an examination of  identity and ofaccepting what one has become.

Warning: violence, scenes of a sexual nature.

Frightful Friday: The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.