Tag: Werewolves

Bite Risk: Caught Dead – S.J. Wills

The moon was almost full when I got my claws on this book. Six Howl nights have passed since I first met Sel, which is appropriate because that’s how long it’s been since the Rippocalypse.

It was much easier getting into Tremorglade this time around because it’s no longer cut off from the outside world. Thanks, Sel. Now the entire world has been introduced to the corpus pilori virus. Thanks, Sel!

When you’ve already helped cause the end of the world, what’s left to be afraid of?

The people of Tremorglade have had a long time to get used to turning into Rippers and would be only too happy to lend a hand to the newbies, especially Olive. Depending on your perspective, transforming into a Ripper once a month is either the best thing ever (think Ripper Cultists) or the end of the world.

Immutables, people who don’t Turn, are now in the minority and some have little dog syndrome. They’re trying to convince anyone who’ll listen that Rippers should be put back in their cages, but Rippers aren’t dangerous anymore, right? Right?

The main characters don’t know who to trust and neither did I. I viewed practically everyone with suspicion and wondered if that was in part a result of the us versus them mentality of some of the characters. Fear of the other was the impetus for a whole bunch of dastardly deeds.

Having several narrators telling the story can be distracting for me sometimes but it worked really well here. It’s a good thing, too. Otherwise we wouldn’t know what was happening for entire sections as you don’t remember what you do when you’re Ripped out.

My favourites from the first book all returned for the second in some form or another and I got to meet some of the newbies. My favourite new character wasn’t a newbie at all. She was there all along but because she’s only eleven, Sel hasn’t really paid that much attention to her before, even though they’re next door neighbours.

Mika is oftentimes the voice of reason. She’s determined, persistent and gutsy. And she has a pony called Jelly Bean. I absolutely adore her!

After waiting six entire full moons to be able to sink my teeth into this book, I got sucked straight into it. The story was engaging from page 1 and was as good, if not better, than the first book.

I hoped all book that there’d be an opening at the end for a third book and, oh boy, is there an opening! I need the next book really soon, preferably before the next full moon!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

After Sel Archer and his friends uncover a conspiracy that turns the whole world upside down, it seems that the residents of Tremorglade are finally free. Adults can Turn at the full moon with no restrictions, no longer locked in cages and left to roam free. But the town’s new found fame is at risk as attacks begin to happen on Howl Night. Rumours of a foul, unkillable beast begin to stir … someone or something is plotting to control the Turned once and for all. 

A blockbuster teen horror series for fans of Skuduggery Pleasant, join Sel and his friends as they navigate a nail-biting horror story, dodging terrifying adults and even more terrifying beasts. Discover the first heart-pumping instalment with the multi award-shortlisted Bite Risk.

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Big Bad – Chandler Baker

There’s an order to these things, a way that events must unfold.

Sam knows all too well what can happen when things don’t go to plan so he makes sure everything is done just right. What’s not part of the plan, though, is his wife, Rachel, arriving home late.

With wolves too close for comfort and an unexpected visitor at the door, thing are about to go bad, in a big way.

While I was here for the horror, unexpected bonuses came in the form of Odie and June, Sam and Rachel’s daughters. Odie tries to be a good big sister, despite June being June. As I waited for the inescapable bloodshed, Odie warmed my heart. She’s determined to protect her younger sister from something neither of them understand and I was in awe of her courage.

“There are things we’ve never told you.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to read this short story.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

For a family trying to make an isolated farmhouse into a home, fear and rage are getting harder to control in a primal short story by the New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network and Cutting Teeth.

The Strauss family is on knife’s edge. Sam is a resentful stay-at-home dad. Rachel feels the restlessness in her blood returning. Their children are getting out of hand. And a recent mudslide has forced the wolves out of the woods to look for food.

As dusk falls and tensions rise, the family must come together to survive the night —from the threats outside and those within.

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Bite Risk – S.J. Wills

One night a month, kids rule Tremorglade. They can stay up all night and do whatever they want. Once their parents have been securely locked in their cages, that is.

Set up, lock in, watch out.

Every full moon, the adults of Tremorglade transform into Rippers; they’re hirsute and they have fangs and claws. Raw meat becomes much more appetising to them and if you’re not careful, you’ll also be on the menu.

Here in Tremorglade, because we’re so isolated, we don’t have to put up with many of the horrors that the rest of the world does – deadly weather, plagues, violent crime and marauding pirates.

In fact, it’s so scary out there that hardly anyone ever leaves Tremorglade.

Thirteen year old Sel is approaching the age where they too will Turn but for now, their Confinement night is spent outside of a cage.

This was a really entertaining read. I guessed some plot points before Sel experienced them but it didn’t bother me as I was having too much fun.

Although I liked Sel, the standout character for me was Ingrid, Sel’s archnemesis. Taekwondo champion Ingrid hates everyone but her hatred for Sel is next level. Dora, who Ingrid is responsible for on Confinement night, was the person I most wanted to spend more time with.

This book has horror, action and humour, with an overarching mystery that kept me engaged. I loved learning how this insular community worked, especially its technology, and trying to figure out who I could trust.

I flew through this book and can’t wait for the sequel.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

When everyone’s a vicious beast, it’s hard to spot the monsters …

The first book in S. J. Wills’ blockbuster teen horror series, perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Fear Street and Skulduggery Pleasant.

Sel Archer lives in a normal town with normal residents, except for one night a month …. When the full moon comes out, almost all of the adults turn into werewolves, and it’s up to the young people to protect themselves from danger.

But, as this quiet life begins to unravel, and the Turned start to escape, can Sel and his friends uncover exactly who – or what – is watching their every move, before it’s too late?

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Such Sharp Teeth – Rachel Harrison

It’s a miracle and it’s a curse, the secrets our bodies keep.

When Rory agreed to temporarily move back to her hometown to support her pregnant twin, Scarlett, irrevocable changes to her life (and body) weren’t what she had in mind. After running into Ian, who’s been in love with her forever, at a bar, she has an accident on her way home.

It wasn’t a bear that attacked Rory that night under the watchful gaze of the full moon. It turns out werewolves aren’t as fictional as we’ve all been led to believe.

“Yep. Werewolf,” I say. “A real thing apparently. Who knew?”

While Rory was justifiably concerned about Bambi’s welfare after the accident, it’s not Rory’s car Bambi needs to worry about; it’s her appetite.

The body horror is strong with this one, with the transformation process a particularly visceral experience. The close encounters with a smorgasbord of meats will mean you’re likely to either crave a big juicy steak while reading or reconsider your carnivore status entirely. Or, if you’re like me, your stomach will be turning even as you wish you had a cheeseburger in front of you waiting to be devoured.

Having a female werewolf central to the story doesn’t just make for an entertaining read. It also paves the way for themes of power and control, rage, how we live after trauma and the reclamation of bodily autonomy when your body has been used by another as an object and it doesn’t feel like you inhabit it anymore. Rory’s struggles with what her life looks like now and with her family and past are explored while she works her way through the deli section of the local supermarket.

In all the fairy tales, the wolf is big and bad and dangerous. A predator. Devious and evil. Something to be feared. But fairy tales are bullshit. Maybe wolves just get a bad edit.

There are worse things to be. I know because I’ve faced those monsters.

Content warnings include mention of domestic abuse, grooming, physical abuse and sexual assault. If you have emetophobia, do an about-face now. This is not the book for you.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Rory Morris isn’t thrilled to be moving back to her hometown. There are bad memories there. But her twin sister, Scarlett, is pregnant and needs support, so Rory returns to the place she thought she’d put in her rearview. After a night out at a bar where she runs into Ian, an old almost-flame, she hits a large animal with her car. And when she gets out to investigate, she’s attacked.

Rory survives, miraculously, but life begins to look and feel different. She’s unnaturally strong, with an aversion to silver – and suddenly the moon has her in its thrall. She’s changing into someone else – something else. But does that mean she’s putting those close to her in danger? Or is embracing the wildness inside her the key to acceptance?

This darkly comedic love story is a brilliantly layered portrait of trauma, rage and vulnerability.

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