"'Get out of my room, buttmeat!'"

Is that not the greatest line to begin the first chapter of a book? I read it several times and cracked up more and more. I knew this was going to be an awesome and original novel.

Thanksgiving, for most families in my experience, is like an annual taste of hell on earth--family drama, bringing up the past, arguing politics, shoving different life styles into one room over a long, drawn-out meal. Well, this story is like that except the stakes are soooooooo much higher and the fresh hell is the deadly, murderous kind.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Everything about was perfect--the writing style, the characters, the pacing. A must read! Highly, highly recommend. It's suspenseful, funny, intense, dramatic--it's f#%$@ng awesome and original!

There's danger in hosting a big social gathering. People you haven't seen in years can still make your throat tighten. Various combinations of acquaintances can be in good terms with you but be mortal enemies to each other. You dread the thought of who may knock at the door next. Your pulse quickens and your survival instinct rings alarms urging you to flee. Once the tension reaches critical mass, too much honesty will rip someone's heart. The exchange of bitter words becomes a series of rounds of mutual eviscerations. Arguments get heated until someone loses their head. A friend's careless remark under too much alcohol may lead to you never seeing them again. At any moment, the air can get so heavy that some of those present will suddenly depart from your life.

In Wolf at the Door, by Canadian author Joel McKay, these emotions that tear people to pieces are materialized into tooth and claw. During the Thanksgiving dinner at the Deerborn home, after unpleasant secrets are exposed and lifelong resentments erupt, the night becomes carnage: throats are grabbed, hearts are ripped, guts are scattered, heads are severed, friendships are abruptly ended. After reading this quick novella, you'll never again lament that your Thanksgiving was the worst ever.

In a recent interview, the author explained that the concept behind the book was sparked by the anxiety of COVID quarantine, which kept us barricaded in our houses because what awaited us outside was death. So Wolf at the Door is an interesting case of intense feelings sublimated into art. In cases like this, the author exorcizes his fears by giving them a name and a face and then allowing the rest of us a vicarious triumph when the monster is slayed.

However, beyond the gimmick, the book doesn't have much else to offer. The violence is described with gusto, so if you enjoy stories where blood splatters on everyone's face, and body parts are munched with a loud crack, this book will carry you through October (and November, if you do Thanksgiving the American way). On the more technical side, the book has problems. The narration jumps between all perspectives from one chapter to the next, which in itself isn't something wrong, but when you have a cast of a dozen characters and little space to introduce them, the lack of a cohesive thread makes it confusing to try to remember whose uncle's sister-in-law's best friend's husband is mad at whom.

Wolf at the Door knows one trick, and it does it well enough. If you need to tune out while your relatives bicker at the dinner table, this grisly tale will take your head somewhere a lot less boring.


The Math

Baseline Assessment: 6/10.

Penalties: −1 for a confusing start. It gets better in the second half, where fewer characters remain alive and therefore the reader doesn't have to make so much effort to remember all the names.

Nerd Coefficient: 5/10.

It’s October in time for Canadian Thanksgiving. Scar and Doug Dearborn are getting ready for the family and friends to come and enjoy the holiday. Across the street Amy and Craig Grayson we’re also getting ready but unfortunately their inner demon wanted to come out and it would affect everyone at the dinner. The invitations were sent to Marlena, Mike their neighbor Randy and Doug‘s brother and parents were coming. His brother Danny was just released from prison on an insurance scam Scarlet Junior and Tommy would be there as well they’re the Dearborn children. SJ is a teenager and she’s sitting outside when her uncle Danny pulls up who immediately comes on to her because as he says he hasn’t seen her in two years how was it to know that was his niece. Scar was so happy because her parents had just left that morning and it was about time because she was going to lose her cool with her mom but unfortunately there was a bad wreck on the highway and this is why they returned to eat Thanksgiving dinner to scars disappointment. When hitting on SJ got him nowhere he started flirting with Marlena 10-year-old Tommy called his mom to tell her he saw a monster outside but it seems everyone who gets a glimpse of the monsters running about think it’s a bear but when Mike is attacked Doug’s dad Lloyd is confident it’s a mountain lion before the day is over the battle will commence in the Dearborns will learn something new about their neighbors. This book was so absolutely hilarious I loved how at the beginning Scarlet senior was so lofty and high flutent but by the end she sitting on her sofa outside. There were a lot of other LOL moments in this book and I can’t go through all of them but I will say as you need to read this book if you love funny paranormal shape shifting then this is the book for you. It was so freaking good! I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This book starts with a couple getting ready to go to a Thanksgiving dinner when they realise it's a full moon and they' don't have time to chain themselves in their basement before turning into werewolves!

What a great way to begin this novella! And it gets better from there. At this gathering of family and friends, the dysfunction is palpable as snipes are lobbed around, tempers flare, and secrets accidentally get spilled.

But when the werewolves crash the party, they'll have to find a way to work together. They won't all make it, of course, but the relationships between these characters add a layer of complexity to this werewolf/slashery tale.

If you want a fantastic werewolf book underpinned with dark humor and gory bits, definitely pick this up. I recommend it and I'll have my video review on my Horror Reads YouTube channel by the end of the month.

Just in time for Halloween haunts.

This was the perfect story to start off my spooky season. A quick read due to the short chapters and hilarious dysFUNctional family members. The horror hit just the right spot amid the squabbling banter.

Would recommend for fans of old school horror movies.

Thank you to Birchwood Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

As someone who is a fan of horror I always find it hard to enjoy werewolf stories but I constantly try them out hoping that my mind will change. This didn't do that.

What a fun read! I didn’t expect this funny, tense and snappy slasher story to be so good. Once I got my head around who all the characters were (would’ve like the brothers to have less similar names 😂), I enjoyed reading about the relationships, tensions and dynamics of this bunch of people. Really quick read and although not necessarily a scary story, great for spooky season.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

129 pages

4 stars

What an intriguing story!

A Thanksgiving dinner celebration between several people who mostly don’t like each other. Sounds like a good time, right?

A teen obsessed with her cell phone, a young boy obsessed with monsters, diners who say unfortunate things, a married couple who are divorcing, but making nice for appearances sake, a mother who won’t let go of the past and an ex-con brother.

This collection of people make for fireworks in November. A holiday to remember - or perhaps not.

This is a delightful book. It is a very quick read. The short story is filled with tension and drama. The reader knows from the get go that things will not go well for the house party and eagerly awaits the action. It is not long in coming.

I want to thank NetGalley and Birchwood Press for forwarding to me a copy of this great story for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Ahhhh, Thanksgiving dinner. A tradition you may love or dread depending on the family you're a part of.

Married, mother-of-two, Charlotte Deerborn, has vowed this is going to be a good Thanksgiving. She's pulled out all the stops to present a fabulous day for family and friends. Unfortunately, the other members of this spectacular dinner aren't so gung-ho for it.

Just when the toxic dialogue, uncomfortable comments and bad behavior seem to be at their peak, just when the attendees think things can't get much worse, they do and in a striking and unbelievable way.

Knock, knock, it's a werewolf at your door and he wants his dinner too!!!

Is anyone going to get out of this damn dinner alive!? You'll have to pick this one up to find out. Seriously, y'all, I'm tickled pink. Wolf at the Door is a bloody great little creature feature. This one should be on everyone's Spooky Season TBR!!

The set-up is fun. This group of characters is bleak. They don't get along, you wonder why anyone even agreed to go to this dinner, but hey, that's family. I enjoyed how McKay didn't shy away from the blood and violence of this Thanksgiving day night. It's all on page for you to enjoy.

It gets claustrophobic as the characters are literally trapped inside a remote house waiting for either daylight to come, or their own tragic end. I definitely recommend this one for Horror fans. If you love creature features that take it there, this one should scratch that itch nicely.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Birchwood Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had a lot of fun with this one!

"Her stomach lurched again. She bit her lip against the pain, drawing blood. She ignored it and looked down at her swelling feet, to the lines in her skin where she knew her feet would split open shortly."

Holidays can be a nightmare!

Charlotte Deerborn just wants to host a nice Thanksgiving dinner. Does she get that? No. As with any family get-together, the holiday quickly erupts into a volcano of family drama. As if that weren't enough, there are two more guests who are about to take this terrible Thanksgiving to whole new level.

Wolf at the Door is a very quick read that would be perfect for spooky season or even to squeeze in a few laughs before the holiday season. I wouldn't say it's strictly horror but more horror comedy with some pretty solid graphic moments.

I loved how quick it was to read. The book is separated into small chapters which is always something I appreciate as someone who can't stop reading until I get to the next chapter. I also liked most of the characters and found relatability in most of them which helped make the book feel more like I was having Thanksgiving with my own family as opposed to characters from the book.

I liked this one a lot and would recommend it to anyone who likes horror comedies or disfunctional family dinners.

Thanks to the author Joel McKay, Birchwood Press and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Joel McKay is a new author for me. Every once in a while I come across a new author and I am surprised how much I enjoy their stories. Joel McKay is a fabulous writer. I enjoyed this story!

The Deerborn family are hosting Thanksgiving at their home and there will be 12 people at their party, including the family. Char and Doug, the husband and wife who are hosting the party with their two children, Tommy and Charlotte, are an awkward bunch. And the awkwardness leads to a few unhinged moments in the story. And then a wolf comes knocking and barging in on their party.

This was a fun story. It works well being a short story. I liked all the characters and the banter. This is a good spooky season book to put on the “to be read” list.

Thank you #NetGalley and IBPA for sending me the ebook to read and review.
#WolfattheDoor

"Thanksgiving Is all About Getting Your Dysfunctional Family Under One Roof and Hoping the Police Aren't Called!"

Thanksgiving -when all you want to do is gather with friends and family, eat some turkey and watch some football and then a werewolf shows up!

Charlotte Deerborn wanted to have a lovely Thanksgiving. She was happy to host but no one was very happy about being there. People are snappy and some drink too much. The guests are dysfunctional and likeable, and soon the you-know-what hits the fan!

This book can easily be read in one sitting and is quite enjoyable. It's a simple yet satisfying tale. Weighing in at 129 pages, this book packs a punch and yes, the police are called!

This grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I loved how we are introduced to the "monsters" in this book and enjoyed reading as the guests begin to be terrorized. It's good horrific fun! Although, I didn't find Wolf at the Doorto be scary, it did deliver on entertainment, tension, some humor and chills. One could say it was a bloody good time!

This is a perfect read for the fall/Halloween season! I love reading Horror this time of year and I picked the perfect book to read to begin the chills of the season!

Some may be horrified by some of the scenes but keep in mind, this is a horror book but nothing is too gory or scary.

So bloody good!


#WolfattheDoor #NetGalley.

4 stars

I love love love campy horror, and this book fits the bill perfectly! I was such a fun and quick read, with great characters and story line. I definitely recommend!

Campy horror romp - what I scarier, being trapped with your totally dysfunctional family and friends, or being attacked by a werewolf - right, both! Fun and short comedy of horror,