Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Wolfsong is a series starter and paranormal coming of age romance by TJ Klune. Originally released in 2016, this reformat and re-release from Macmillan on their Tor imprint was released 4th July 2023. It's 528 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a well written queer romance and coming of age fantasy. TJ Klune is very well known for non-CIS romance, and YA fantasy, and this is another in a genre not overcrowded with relatable young queer protagonists. That being said, it's not problem free. A central plot element is the romance between Ox and Joe. The other main fabric of the tale is built around found family and acceptance, "othering" and feelings of inadequacy. When Ox and Joe meet, Ox is 10 and Joe is 16. Their relationship is foreshadowed (heavily) at that point. When they meet up again, Ox is 17, and they get romantic. The fact that they were more or less children together felt very borderline unacceptable to me.
There are numerous very possessive passages which made me literally cringe. Here's one (there are several):
He sighed. “I don’t know if I can explain it, really. That feeling inside. The Alpha. I’m not one yet, but it’s close. It bubbles just below the surface. There are times when all I can think of is marking you so everyone knows who you belong to. To carve my name into your skin so you never forget me.
It's undeniably well written in general, and the plot development is well constructed. With all the current challenges and bannings, especially in the USA, this would be a brave/foolhardy choice for acquisitions personnel, and especially for school library situations (too spicy).
Three and a half stars. For extreme fans of Twilight, this could be a winner (and it's better written).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.