I wanted to love this book. I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea so I was really looking forward to this book. I ended up DNF this book about half way through. I enjoy the writing itself but the relationship of the main characters was just a bit cringe for me.

I will definitely continue reading TJ Klune books but this one specifically just wasn’t for me.

DNF at 25%

I really wanted to like this one, but I couldn't get past the main romance. I was intrigued by some of the characters, but based on the tone of the first bit, I was worried that it would be heavy and depressing. I also was not a fan of the way the romance was set up as the two main characters know each other when one is a straight up child. I know it wasn't romantic at that point, but it was weird and I just wasn't in the right headspace to process it. I think this is one that I may come back to at a later time when I am more in the headspace for depressing, but I know that if I pushed through it at this point that I would really dislike it.

So it's a DNF. but a soft DNF and one that I think I could appreciate later on.

I’ve been a big fan of Klune since reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, but I’d never read his earlier books. When Wolfsong (an earlier release from 2016) popped up on NetGalley, I decided it was time to get acquainted with them.

I mentioned in another review that I haven’t come across anyone who does found family better than Klune. It’s also a dominant theme in this story, but it’s turned up to an eleven. Ox’s father told him for years that he wasn’t worth anything and wasn’t smart. He abandoned his family when Ox was twelve, and it’s the best thing that could have happened to him. When the Bennett family returns to a neighboring house, Ox finds a place where he belongs and is loved and accepted for who he is. They just happen to be a family of werewolves.

Let’s just address the werewolf in the room. Ox is sixteen when he meets Joe, who is ten at that time. I’m not revealing spoilers when I say the two of them have an intense connection and are fated to be together. A romantic relationship develops between them but not until Joe is nearly eighteen. That’s difficult territory to navigate without it being freaky, and I had my doubts, but I should have known to trust Klune. He handled it beautifully.

I adored Ox, the Bennett family, and everything about this book. It’s heartwarming, heart-wrenching, thrilling, and action-packed. Ox’s character arc is incredible, and character development for both main and supporting characters is outstanding. Family bonds are strong, and their banter had me snorting out loud. I’m thrilled there are three more books in the series because I can’t wait to spend more time with these wolves and humans and see where their story goes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I'll be honest, I'm usually a fan of TJ Klune but this one fell flat for me. The more I get to know the author and how they get ideas for their books, makes me increasingly feel downright yucky.

Wolfsong was no exception. I know that this book originally came out in 2016 and this was just a new edition but I definitely feel the writing, in general, could've been better. But more importantly, the relationships were borderline cringey and almost inappropriate. I understand that the bulk of the relationship happened when the characters were older, but there are many scenes of them first dating when one was 17 and the other is over 18 (23 I think) and that just rubbed me the wrong way.

As with Klune's other books, the world of Wolfsong felt lyrical and beautiful.

Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

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 Klune's a better writer).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Once again, T.J. Klune has written an utterly charming story with characters one can both hate and love. Plus, there's werewolves!

Oxnard Matheson, Ox for short, has a daddy that left him and his mom on their own when Ox was still very young. When the house down the street finally has new occupants, Ox is interested in meeting them. On his first day home from school after their arrival, a young boy named Joe is waiting for him. Joe introduces himself and wants Ox to meet his family. Thus began the story of a pack. Will Ox be safe with them? Will Ox's dad ever return home? You'll have to read this to find out.

Klune has a way of writing characters that move me. I'm not sure how he does it, but he does. His books almost always have LGBTQ characters and, as best a straight person can figure out, he writes them realistically. Their lives aren't always easy but I guess if they were the book wouldn't be that interesting, would it?

As far as Ox's relationship with his pack, I loved how those portions of the tale were written. A sort of stream of consciousness type thing: pack pack pack love family family family . It worked well for me and brought home how a pack might communicate when not restricted by words.

Even though I loved those portions, even I have to admit that the repetition got a bit dreary. Between Joe's feelings for Ox and vice-versa, many things were repeated over and over and over again. This tale could easily have been a hundred pages shorter and I wouldn't have missed them.

Speaking of Ox and Joe, let me just say WOLFSONG features one of the hottest sex scenes I've ever read. For this reason I will say this is not a YA book. Maybe 16 and up, or so? But please keep that explicit sex scene in your mind when determining whether or not your youngster would like this book,

The repetition is the only complaint I have about this tale. I loved Ox, I loved Joe and the entire extended Bennett family, ( pack love love pack ), loved how this story was told, and I'm off to see if Green Creek #2 is available yet!

Highly recommended!

*Thanks to Tor & NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

I have loved everything this author has ever written and I’ve really tried to read this but I finally DNF this one. I had a hard time getting into it or caring about the characters. I’m sorry. I really want to love it.

Although this book is a rerelease, it has the signature tone and sweet romance that I have come to expect from Klune's more recent works. I was a very nice story of a young human man gradually falling in love with his friend who is a werewolf and with the friend's/lover's whole pack. It's a great story of found family.

What keeps it from being five stars, in my opinion, was that I think it could have been 50-100 pages shorter and still have had the same impact. It was a very readable story that kept me engaged but some parts felt repetitive and the flow of the action was inconsistent.

I'm sure I'm perpetuating every cliched review when I say...

Epic. And awesome.

This is proof that TJ Klune can write about anything and I will read it. Werewolves? Done. Guess I need to move on to puppets next.

Rather than summarize this endearing, found family, queer romance, I'd like to share the one thing that just screamed off the pages for me the entire book: Ox's voice.

From the first page, I could hear Ox as clear as a bell. Very rarely do I get this from a book. It was reminiscent of Holden Caulfield or Forrest Gump. I knew exactly who he was and trusted everything thought and feeling he head. I have heard people use the word voicey before, and I don't love the word, but I'd guess that's the right descriptor for what I experienced. Except, maybe, I'd upgrade it to voiciest.

Oxnard Matheson is the voiciest character I've read this decade.

I'm always excited for a new TJ Klune book, and this one is no different. TJ Klune is a must read author for me.

When the Bennett family comes to town Ox feels a strange pull to them.
Befriended by the youngest son Joe, Ox soon becomes a part of the family. But the Bennett’s are hiding a secret. When a murder rocks the family Ox is faced with a huge responsibility.

This was not my favourite. I found the dialogue to be overly dramatic at times. I get it their wolves, I’m sure their blood runs high, but cool it down a bit.
I also found the love story pretty cringy.
While the age difference is not huge. Most of the book takes place when Joe is a little kid… and he seemed to be feeling some rather adult feelings at 11 and that doesn’t really sit well with me.

Not my favourite read

2.5 stars

Pro:
* Klune’s characters and their emotions are immediately round and complex and captivating
* Blends fantasy and realism seamlessly

Con:
* I didn’t realize it was a rerelease.
* Not nearly as good as his newer books
* More explicit than others I’ve read by Klune. Goes beyond “romance.”
* So disappointing - the second half of the book feels completely different from the first. All the nuance, humor, and complexity disappear, and it becomes gratuitous.

Thank you to TJ Klune, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

So, so good. I don't know why I haven't read this sooner!! That's what new cover art will do to a series haha. So glad I picked this up and can't wait to read more!

I'm very familiar with TJ Klune's books and had high expectations for 𝑾𝒐𝒍𝒇𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈. This is the first time that I was disappointed by a TJ Klune book. Surely I'm not the only person thrown off by the age gap. This piece really threw the whole story off for me and took away from enjoying the spice and romance in the book. The writing style also felt different which was a bit of an adjustment.

⭐️4.75⭐️

TJ Klune has quickly secured a place as an author whose I will immediately purchase without knowing a thing about it. His ability to write such human characters (even when they're not human), flawed, broken, and imperfectly beautiful is more beautiful than I can find the words for.

Wolfsong follows the story of Ox and his journey into the lives of werewolves. I honestly didn't have high hopes for this being in the midst of a reading slump and werewolves not really being my thing, but 10 pages in I had tears in my eyes, 10 more and I was hooked.

In my attempt to give this book the review it deserves, my words keep seeming to fall flat. Instead, this book is for anyone who has ever felt lonely or not enough. Someone who feels like they don't have a place and has been told they'll never amount to anything. This book is home. This book is a reminder: You are worthy. You are enough.

I have been wanting to read this one for awhile and I was excited to see Tor was publishing it. This was a fun read for fans of werewolves and the supernatural. I was not expecting the spice.

I typically love TJ Klune's writing; this one, however, was not my cup of tea. In fact, I disliked this one so much, that I had to stop reading before the end.

Wolfsong follows Oxnard, who falls in with the Bennett family who moves in next door. Particularly, he forms a close bond with their youngest son, Joe. As the years pass and Ox becomes closer with the family (or, I should say, the pack), his connection with Joe becomes undeniable.

I really wish I could have loved this one. I tend to enjoy TJ Klune's stories, and the premise of this really intrigued me. A found family story centering werewolves - sign me up! Unfortunately, there were a few big things that prevented me from enjoying this story.

First, and most important, I had a hard time getting behind the age gap in this story. Ox is 16 when he first meets Joe, and they have a very strong connection from the beginning. Although, of course, it is possible for a friendship to form at these ages, the overwhelming connection formed at the beginning that turns into romance was an uncomfortable point for me. Secondly, I struggled with the writing style of this. The language the characters used was flowery to the point that I had trouble suspending my disbelief. Usually, this doesn't bother me, but it was so overblown here that I found myself groaning every time the characters spoke.

Ultimately, I do not think I would jump to recommend this title to others. I think the age gap will be a hard sell for many people. However, for those who are aware and do not mind, this would be a great story for fantasy romance enjoyers.

TJ Klune is a MUST buy author for me so I was thrilled to be accepted to read the first book Wolfing in the 4 book series.

Wolfsong is an M/M shifter romance. But it’s so much more than that. I wouldn’t want this amazing novel to be limited by such a restrictive description. Yes, it’s a love story and yes, one of the guys is a wolf shifter. But this story is about so much more. It’s about growing up, about family and trust. It’s about anger and loss. And love. Above all, it’s about love and not only the romantic kind.

I admit, for the first few pages I was a bit put off by the writing style. At a first glance, it appeared too crude and simple. Too abrupt. Almost child-like in the telling. But pretty quickly, I realized how wrong I was. The writing is nothing but brilliant. Apart from the fact that the short and concise style is the perfect fit for Ox’s personality and self image, and the fact that it’s a genius way to convey the world from Ox’s point of view, it also makes for some truly hilarious conversations. I high-lighted so many exchanges between Ox, Joe and his brothers just so I could go back and laugh some more. Simply brilliant.

This story is for everyone. It doesn’t matter if paranormal isn’t your preferred genre, it doesn’t matter if you’re skeptical to read about a love-story between two men. This read is a definite must-read. So emotional. So lovely. So raw. It’s a true slow-burn romance – and I mean sloooooow burn – it takes ages before they even kiss. But it’s magnificent. Personally, I would have liked some more hot man-on-man action, I mean who wouldn’t? But Wolfsong is pretty tame with the physical stuff and not very explicit. Basically the contrary to what I like, but it’s still one of the best books I’ve ever read.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book

T.J. Klune continues to be my go-to author when I'm in the mood for a found family story. No one writes them quite like he does. Wolfsong is a bit darker than the cozier books I've been reading from Klune but I still really enjoyed this one.

Wolfsong focuses on Ox, a young man who had my whole heart from the first moment we meet him. From a young age, Ox's father had told him that his life would be full of hard times and that no one would ever understand him or see his worth. After drilling that into Ox's head, his father then abandons Ox and his mother. Ox's school life isn't much better. He doesn't have any friends, and only his size (He is as big as an ox) saves him from endless bullying.

When he turns 16, Ox's life changes forever when the Bennett family moves in next door. Ox doesn't realize it for a long time but the Bennetts are shapeshifters who can transform into wolves at will. Joe, the youngest Bennett family member, has been through a recent trauma and hasn't spoken in over a year, but when he meets Ox, suddenly he is willing to speak again. Recognizing that Ox is special, the Bennetts take him under their protection, treating him as one of the family, or pack I should say. Ox grows equally attached to all of the Bennetts, basking in their loyalty and friendship which he has never experienced before, but also becoming especially attached to young Joe.

I thought Klune did a wonderful job of having that connection between Ox and Joe grow and develop as the characters get to know each other over the years. Yes, this is an age gap fantasy romance, but nothing happens between Ox and Joe until they are adults. In fact, Ox doesn't even realize why he feels such a connection to Joe until tragedy strikes and Joe is forced to leave home for over three years. When Joe finally returns, now a man, it is then that Ox realizes the true depth of their connection.

As I already mentioned, the biggest draw for me in this book was the found family element and I loved that in this case, the found family is a wolf pack. I adored the Bennett family because of the way they treated Ox and his mom. I also thought Klune did a brilliant job of writing these characters so that they acted a bit wolf-like even when they were in their human forms. You'll have to read it and experience it for yourself, but it was truly unlike any other werewolf characters I've ever read about.

I don't want to say anything else since this one is best experienced for yourself knowing as little as possible up front, but it is a wonderful read filled with unforgettable characters.

"Wolfsong" by TJ Klune is a courageous exploration of the human spirit, wrapped in a gripping tale of werewolves and family. Klune's writing is raw and powerful, cutting through the noise with an unapologetic voice. The story unfolds relentlessly, immersing readers in a world where love and loss intertwine. Klune fearlessly delves into the complexities of human desire, including intimate moments not for the faint of heart. Klune's depiction of sexual scenes is both explicit and unapologetic, refusing to shy away from exploring the depths of passion and vulnerability. These moments are crafted with a raw intensity, reflecting the characters' raw emotions. Brace yourself for a provocative exploration of intimacy that leaves no detail unexplored.

Klune's narrative will leave you breathless, craving for more. Prepare to be captivated from the first page to the very last.