THE LAST WEREWOLF BY GLEN DUNCAN {review}

Paperback, 368 pages

Published April 17th 2012 by Vintage 

Rating: ★★★★

Told in a diary format, though without dates and times, the reader is given a glimpse into the present and past of the last known werewolf, Jake Marlowe.

Duncan's florid prose is in turns evocative and pretentious, though this works extraordinarily well as our narrator, a 200-year old werewolf, is chock-full of existential ennui. Some lines, even whole paragraphs, are clunkers, but Duncan largely manages to keep from dipping.

It's not until about halfway through that the story really finds its stride and by the end of the book, you understand why.

At any rate, it was an enjoyable read; a different take on standard werewolf (and vampire) mythology that is all but written in stone by this time.

DARE ME BY MEGAN ABBOTT {review}

Hardcover, 290 pages

Published July 31st 2012 by Reagan Arthur Books
Rating: ★★★★

This book was recommended to me and as such I went in with very few expectations and with absolutely no knowledge of anything that happened within it. As such, it was a bit of a surprise when I found myself riveted, compulsively turning pages, unable to stop.

Dare Me's protagonist, Addy, has a rich inner monologue, her naively cruel narration does well to bring the reader into the story. Abbott manages to capture the paradoxes of being a teen girl, the nuances of young sexuality and the almost innocent corruption that results. 

Dare Me features three rather complex characters, filtered through Addy's narration: Addy herself, her aggressively popular best friend Beth, and the new cheerleading coach, Colette French. Addy's waxing and waning obsessions with Beth and Colette drive much of the plot, even when a suspicious suicide brings attention to them. 

I found the language lush and dangerous, capturing the cherry-red aggressiveness of cheerleading and the burgeoning intelligence of teenagers exploring their boundaries in ways they shouldn't. Darkly beautiful and highly recommended.