I love werewolf stories, I love Jewish stories, so when I saw this I had to get my hands on it. Benji is working on preparing for his bar mitzvah but suddenly there’s extra stressors when someone is trying to break into his family’s kibbutz/wolf sanctuary to show how dangerous wolves are and Benji’s crush from school suddenly shifting into a werewolf. When you’ve already got anxiety and feel like you’re going to disappoint everyone if you don’t give a perfect speech at your bar mitzvah, this is a lot of extra weight to carry!

I really enjoyed the Jewish aspects of the story and the way the werewolf myth came from Jewish theology instead of traditional monstrous ideas of werewolves. I especially loved a part near the end where an elder explains how all werewolves originate from Benjaminites but due to impacts of diaspora and historical persecutions, people don’t always know they have Jewish ancestry until they shift and find a community of other wolves. There are some really great characters and family moments throughout. I also really liked how things resolved in the end.

Overall this is an interesting take on werewolves and a fantastic Jewish story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Deke is not only a great person, but they are a great storyteller as well. I loved this as well as her debut Don't Want to Be Your Monster. I’ve learned so much about Judaism and being Jewish from these books. Having to look things up and learn has been so insightful. I would have never thought about any of this before, which means children reading these books might feel the same way. I finished this up in one day because it is short and also because it was enjoyable and fun to read, which you also need for a children’s book.

Benji was such a relatable MC. I felt for him through his anxiety and his longing to be able to express his true self to his family. I think we’ve all had moments as kids where we aren’t sure if we ready to tell them things about ourselves because we fear for their reactions. Benji being anxious and being gay were huge things for him to have to get off his chest. He felt like it was easier to be a wolf and not have to worry about the anxieties and pressure of being human.

I wasn’t sure what to make of Caleb at first. He came off as a show off and a bit of a jerk, but he grew on me as the story progressed. He’s obviously just a kid who feels unwanted and unloved and can’t express himself. I’m glad we got a lot of his story and got to see the real him behind his façade.

I wish there were more of the side characters. I was glad to see Rachel again at the end, but she gets lost for most of it. She seemed like a good friend who was willing to stand up for Benji, but she’s also barely there. I’m just glad Benji was able to stand up for himself after a while.

The message of tolerance and forgiveness is so powerful in this book. The conflict resolution is done in a way I know I wouldn’t be able to because I’m a vindictive adult, but seeing kids work things out and make peace made me so happy. Seeing Benji be strong was so inspiring. I love the messages that were sprinkled throughout the story. Be yourself and be accepting. You aren’t trying to make the world exactly like you. You are trying to make the world accept EVERYONE and everyone is allowed to be happy in their culture, religions, and practices. This was a refreshing middle grade book that I will recommend highly.