Ok, so I love TJ Klune's books. Usually, the novels have strangers coming together to make a loving family. Wolfsong is the same...but with werewolves! Except, they're not just werewolves, they're swearwolves. Oh my, there was an abundance of the f word. I can't afford an f word-o-meter so you'll just have to take my word for it. And lots of violence of the werewolf kind, but these werewolves eat vegetables. The violence is between the veggie-eating wolves and the rogue werewolves. Humans can join the werewolves! What fun! Except for getting mauled and mangled. That might hurt. What else? Some graphic gay sex. I learned new ways that spit can be used. After three or four pages of graphic sex, I wanted to yell, "Too much information!" I'm more of a squeaking bed springs kind of reader.

Wolfsong has many of the attributes that Mr. Klune's other books having. But, if you're looking for The House on the Cerulean Sea, this ain't it. It has a sweet story involving a young kid and a blended family but with sex, violence, and swearwolves...I mean werewolves. Well written and great as a horror story...with spit.

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review Wolfsong.

Mr. Klume, may I call you Mr. Klune?

After devouring Cerulean Sea, I saw this adorable cover and thought, why not? I love your writing and representation, so I requested it - to my astonishment, I was approved.

To my ABSOLUTE delight, I was met with found family (Klune Klassic) and gay werewolf romance (couldn’t not), THEN VIOLENCE INSUED and you ripped my heart from my chest (in which only TJ Klune can).

Mr. Klune - I say - you cannot write like you have in Cerulean Sea and then smack us in the face (gatekeep? Maybe since this actually originally came out long before cerulean sea) with the absolute TOP TIER GAY ROMANCE of the century.

May I add - please keep adding whatever you’re adding to you’re books because I can’t stop, and won’t stop.

Forever your humble servant, who has never once used a straw until a very specific moment

I have never read a TJ Klune book that I didn't love and Wolfsong is no exception. He has such a way of getting you to fall so in love with his characters. His writing is so atmospheric and I love every moment of a Klune book. Wolfsong was such a great intro to this series and I can't wait to read the rest of the books!

I remember this being sold as if "Jacob won Bella" which I mean originally put me off. But I found that a pretty poor descriptor for this slow burn tale, and light romance.

I loved the story, and I am normally a werewolf follower. However there was a chapter that I can see could be a problem for some folk. Too bad, as I don’t feel it added that much to the story.

I have been wanting to read Wolfsong for quite a while, and when I saw it on NetGalley, I had to request it. I am so thankful that I was chosen to read and review this book! The story tugged at my heart. I felt for Ox, and I cheered for him. He was raised with an abusive father, and this caused him to think a certain way about himself. I appreciated the way TJ wrote Ox's thoughts. I understood Ox and why he thought of himself in the way that his abusive father influenced him. The twist of a supernatural story along with a realistic world (with all the bad, abusive, negative "real world" crap) seemed like something I wasn't going to believe mixed well, But it did mix well, and it was wonderful! Anyone who loves fairytales with a twist of reality, please read this book. But check out the TW's first.

This is very clearly an earlier work from Klune, but he still manages to create characters that are both very flawed, yet incredibly likable. (Also, I'm VERY glad that Tor is republishing this). The romance portion of the book is a little awkward, though the overall story is compelling, with a rich setting and side characters who you'd like to read more about. I'll be recommending this to those who enjoy urban fantasy romance and urban fantasy fans.

I've read all three of TJ's most recent releases - "The House in the Cerulean Sea," "Under the Whispering Door," and "In the Lives of Puppets." So, it was about time that I (finally!) checked out his beloved Green Creek series. I'm so grateful to TOR for making the ARC available for review because I had so much fun reading "Wolfsong." I stayed up late into the night (two nights in a row!) because I just had to know what happened next. This, in my book, is always a sign of a good, well-written story!

The pacific northwest setting, the wolfish found family, and the elements of magic coexisting with a small town community gave me Twilight vibes (but just the good parts, and none of the weird/sketchy parts!). The relationships in this book are mature and well-developed, and the tensions felt so real. The book spans a large period of time., and TJ covers that ground beautifully. The story takes place over an 11-year period, so we get to see the main characters (Ox and Joe) grow up and mature together - coming together, drifting apart, coming back together...

There is no shortage of action or tension to keep things moving along, but you never feel rushed. I was left wanting to know more about all of these characters (pack pack pack), so I can't wait to dive into "Ravensong!" In short, this was a very fun read - I'm so happy to see this series getting re-released into the world!

Just some gay werewolves they said. (They being the author)
It will be fun they said.
...yeah real fun crying over these fucking idiots. (obviously I mean that in the best way possible).

I adored this book! Ox Matheson is one of the best characters I've ever known. The unique writing style of existing in Ox's head, and the slow reveal of the things we the reader already know to be true are perfection. I love the entire Bennett family, but really and truly, my entire heart is Ox's, his personal growth is incredible to see happen. I know this is the goal of a lot of stories, but the Ox at the beginning of the story wouldn't even recognize the Ox at the end, and yet all of the most important elements and the whys of who he becomes are preserved. So excited to follow the Bennetts for more stories.

Thank you so much @TorBooks for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 04 Jul 2023)

SYNOPSIS | Ox's father walked out when he was 12 years old telling him that he would never amount to anything in life which left him with very low self esteem. 5 years later he meets Joe when walking home, a 10 year old whirlwind of a boy who immediately pulls Ox into his world & claims him as family.

WHAT I LIKED:
- big heartwarming found family vibes
- the inner monologue chock full of conflicting emotions, desires & fears

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the choppy, repetitive writing style sadly repeatedly pulled me out of the story
- we saw very little of the magical world beyond werewolves and witches
- I didn't mind the age gap (6 years), but I didn't like how Joe "claims" Ox at 10 years old as his mate
- also wasn't the biggest fan of the possessive alpha energy from both of them

"Candy Canes and Pine Cones and Epic and Awesome"

This story follows Ox Matheson as he grows up in his small town community of Green Creek. As a teenager he meets The well respected Bennett Pack when they move in down the road. We watch has Ox meets Joe Bennett and the family and grows and heals from past traumas.

This is a heartwarming story with fate, love, loyalty and found family.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc for the new release.

This about-to-be-reissued book is a story about community, self-esteem, and personal growth carefully hidden within a big action story about Werewolves and a special human who manages to join the pack in a surprising way.

The story is interesting and the writing good (I absolutely loved Klune’s "In the Lives of Puppets" which was just released). Wolfsong could be simply summed up as a gay “Twilight,” with more emotional depth. It's action and gay romance (with a capital R). At first I felt like it was more of a YA book, but about 80% of the way in began some seriously explicit homosexual sex scenes. More explicit than I really needed — frankly I would have liked a little warning! The book was also (for my taste), too long and quite repetitive. On the other hand, if you love action and enjoy a little gay romance / porn, this might be a great book for you!

I did actually love the stereotype busting world of he-men (mechanics, warriors, werewolves) who like to cuddle like puppies in a pack, love ferociously, and explore their feelings — sometimes out loud. I enjoyed the characters a lot — I just wish they had managed to figure out a few pretty obvious things a little earlier.

At first, I wasn’t sure where this story was going to go (forgive me, I have Twilight ptsd with werewolves and age gaps). But Klune fixes this for us straight away! Phew… anyways, Klune combines sensory imagery with a beautiful love story with elements of found family, loyalty, and such sweet sweet hot angst. Dear Lordy. Haha
Ox and joe have such beautiful chemistry and I enjoyed seeing their love develop and flourish over the years and morph into something wild and absolutely mesmerizing to read. I definitely would recommend and now excuse me while I continue with the rest of the series! Oh also side characters were so fabulously written. I didn’t want the book to end!

I haven't loved a werewolf story so much since Maggie Steifvater's Shiver series.
This book is poignant in a way that only T.J. Klune knows how to write.
There is such a kindness and soft light about his writing. This book is poetic and observant.
It about coming of age and finding yourself. It's about family, and love, and trust.
I cannot get enough of T.J. Klune's writing. This one is so very different than his "popular" books, but in a good way.
Klune writes with such a level of empathy, it is honestly staggering at times, and it brings the reader to tears, at least this reader.
I enjoyed the format of this novel as well, like the unique chapter names and the rambling narrative. It felt natural to be in Ox's head.

I love Ox. He is kind, he is observant, and he is soft in a world that is unforgiving and unkind. I adore that people rise up around him to protect him.

This book is also hot as hell. I was a little put off with age difference, not the years but that fact that the MCS meet when one of them is 10. It gives slight grooming vibes but because Ox doesn’t even think about Joe sexually until he’s almost 18 and has major reservations about, I forgave it. They also don’t act on their desire until Joe is almost 21; so for forgiveness.

The magical realism blends in so well the the "real" world that you could almost imagine this story happening in real life.

The relationships are complex and the characters' devotion to each other is amazing.

I'd recommend this to anyone looking to read a fantasy novel without having the whole High Fantasy experience. Also anyone who love character driven novels with a lot of harsh observations about the world

I am going to read all of T.J. Klune's books now. Im obsessed. . Before Wolfsong, Cerulean Sea was the only one I'd read.

Five brilliant and wonderful candy canes and pinecones and epic and awesome BRILLIANT five stars!!!!

I have never devoured a five hundred page book so fast in my life.

Thank you so much to Tor for the advanced copy of this beautiful read. I will be thinking of it for years to come.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

This is a slightly self-aware, hella gay & explicit "Twilight" werewolf fanfiction-ish novel that follows Ox, a young man whose alcohol addicted father has just abandoned him and Ox's mother. Ox befriends the new boy from next door and soon finds out that the supernatural is real.

I liked Ox as a character, especially at the beginning when he is struggling to speak and people tell him he's stupid, while he has such a vivid inner live and just cannot form and find the right words fast enough.

I would've given the novel 4 stars but the shift from "oh he's my best friend and like a brother" to "I wanna bang him so hard" was a bit weird for me as well as Joe was introduced as a vulnerable, heavy traumatised child. Reading it was a bit disgusting.

The other thing I also dislike a lot (looking at you "Twilight", ACOTAR...) is this animalistic sexual bit that always disgusts me slightly and the idea of "imprinting" a "mate". Yes, the novel tries to problematise this a bit but not enough for my taste.

And the last thing: if you've read other Klune books, especially the Verania ones, you'll notice strong similarities in terms of writing relationships, this kind of magic, and gay sex. It's a bit annoying but this novel is also old and I started reading newer Klune books.

Another last thing: Klune cannot write women and it shows again. In this one we've got the annoying girlfriend and the perfect mother (two times!). Everybody else are men. And the entire patriarchal alpha business annoyed me. Hardcore.

3.5 stars because I was very invested in the characters and the book was very hard to put down!

This book was a bit of a departure from the other TJ Klune books I have read in that there was less humor involved throughout the book. It still had Klune’s gift for beautifully written prose, queer representation, found family, and wonderful portrayals of different types of love. Werewolves are not really a thrill for me, but I still enjoyed the story and especially the way Klune had the pack interacting and hearing each other. My only complaint is that it felt too long - about halfway through I kind of sighed and settled in for the rest. I am glad that I read the book and the pacing probably works well for the scope of the story. I cared deeply for the characters. I am not sure I would seek out sequels, just due to personal preference.

Oxnard "Ox" Matheson keeps to himself and tries not to make trouble. His father left when he was twelve and told Ox that he was worthless. He and his mom have been trying to make it day by day since then. When the Bennett family moves in next door, Ox's world shifts. He finds himself seamlessly becoming part of their family until he discovers their family secret and he has to recalibrate everything he knows about them. Trouble comes looking for the Bennett family and Ox has to decide how far he is willing to go to be part of their world.

I liked this book. I found the writing style a little slow for the first half, but then it was worth the payoff. It felt like a lot of the slow part was world-building so I'm hopeful that the future books in the series will move a little faster now that we know the main story. I'm excited to start Ravensong soon!

I fell in love with TK Klune’s writing. Poetic, unique and it manages to immerse the reader deep into the characters’ lives.
I loved every single second of Wolfsong.