Misha Avalos

I wanted to like it more. The good parts: The writing is beautiful. TJ Klune's talent adapting his style of writing to better suit his characters personalities/mannerisms continues to make me a fan of his work. The way he captures the feelings of loss, love, and all that's in between is fantastic as always. The pacing can drag little at times, but there are so many chapters that will keep you HOOKED into the story and turning the page. The inclusivity of queer characters and how they're handled is always amazing. The bad: A lot of the characters feel one dimensional, which is upsetting considering there is an entire family of werewolves that could have potentially added to the action. The villain particularly felt lackluster. Sure, they explained their desire for revenge but I felt that there should have been more to it. Considering TJ Klune's ability to give depth to his main characters' thoughts and actions, I found myself wishing others in the story got the same treatment Ox did - perhaps some other trait or reasoning to show nuance. Sometimes the characters just felt like they were there, mentioned, and then shelved. The BIGGEST issue in the book for me age gap between Joe and Ox when their relationship "started". 10 and 16...... There was some level of discomfort when it was implied, but then when it was revealed...... I almost dropped the book entirely. Their relationship would have worked the same without such a gap. A two year gap would not have changed the story very much and I think might have actually benefited the story more. Ox never had many friends - why not introduce Joe as another kid near his age that also experienced the same kind of isolation he felt? I sincerely question why the age gap was large. Did it really need to be that way? Overall, fun to read and would be enjoyed by other supernatural romance lovers.