Wolfsong: A Green Creek Novel (Green Creek, 1)

So I was really on the fence about getting this book. I'm not a huge shifter book, but I have loved every Klune book I've read/listened to. I checked the audio and it's by a narrator that I'm not very fond of. I feel he is monotone. I think this book is far better than the audio because of that.

Yes, there is a LOT of repetitive words. Many sets of 3, and a LOT of I said, He said etc. In audio form it gets on my nerves, it did even in ALSH. But here in written format, and for the type of book this is, I felt it fit. It was like an echo, of the instinct or the subconscious. So it actually made me feel more into the book, this particular time, although in audio format with out the exact right inflection, it would absolutely kill the book.

Another issue many complain about is the length of time between meeting, joining the pack and the years they are apart. Every bit of those years are absolutely needed to be discussed and in depth. What happens to Ox during that time is really the actual heart of the story. I didn't feel this section dragged at all, and was actually my favorite part. Putting himself and others back together again, putting the Pack first.

The final few chapters, after he is back is so heartbreaking and the hurt and pain is so beautifully expressed here, but the absolute and total love of the pack for Ox is by far the most beautiful thing.

This was a very unique shifter story, at least from the ones I've read. Ox is so special and he can't see it. I think most of us are like that, special and we can't see what we mean to others.

The other issue that a few have discussed is the age gap, it's SIX YEARS, that is nothing. Now, to be extremely and firmly clear, Ox does not even think or look at him as anything but the very best and closest friend he could ever have. He absolutely knows they have a special bond, more than he has with the other members. But it does not even occur to him until he is an adult. So, there is absolutely nothing inappropriate here. There isn't even a large age gap here. My husband is 19 yrs older than me. I wasn't even born yet when he graduated from HS, so 6 years isn't anything. When Ox was a teenager and young man and Joe is a kid, it's a close relationship, but absolutely ZERO attraction.

I adored seeing the boys grow up, Ox become a part of the pack and discover he has someone who adores him exactly as he is. It was heartbreaking when the terrible things happened to take Joe away, and it was amazing to witness how Ox stands up and becomes what the town needs. The ending was beautiful and perfect.

I felt every single page was needed here. Every interaction was needed, it made it hit home. Tj doesn't go into massive discriptions of the area, the looks beyond brief discriptions, he uses the feeling of what the place gives the character to set the scene and let's the reader/listener fill in the rest. I love that, it makes it hit your heart not your eyes.

Some have said it is basically fanfiction of the Vampire/wolf book. Nope, not even the tiniest little bit. Yes, there are the mine, you are mine. But it's not an ownership thing, over and over and over they talk about how each character is given the choice. The choice to stay or go, and when the characters make those choices, they aren't allowed to say it isn't their fault at what happened. The Mine Mine Mine is not possession but connection. That if the other person were to cheat or leave or die that the others soul would be shattered. To me, that isn't any different than when you get married or have a child. They are yours and you are theirs. So NOT like those other books that several people have mentioned.

The instinct and tethers were a wonderful part of this book, I have read others that were similar but somehow TJ just puts more heart into it, more importantance.

All I can say is I hope you give this a chance, I hope that you give it a chance even if shifter books aren't your favorite, because this is about far more than that. As Bobby Singer always says, Family don't end in blood, and this book here could not have expressed that sentiment any more clearly or with more heart.

This shifter romance is unlike any other I have read. In fact, calling it a shifter romance automatically throws this story into the same lot as every other shifter romance, but that is doing Wolfsong a great disservice.

The prose is beautiful, almost like poetry in many parts of the books. The writing style is very different as well and I loved it. I can honestly say that haven't read a shifter romance that had me teary-eyed so many times. I even straight-up cried at one point and had to put my Kindle down until I got over it. It was the writing itself that had me hooked from the first page.

The shifter world in Wolfsong, while similar in some aspects to other shifter stories, had a few differences that I really enjoyed, like the Omegas. And the characters were fleshed out really well and I found myself caring about all of them, not just Ox and Joe. They added wonderful comedic relief that was very much needed in this pretty heavy story.

All in all, I think this book was worth every penny. I read a lot of stories on KU and those are generally very short and often lacking in any real plot development so finding a great, full-length story like this was like finding buried treasure.

Wolfsong - T J Klune A Green Creek Novel Book 1

My Review: My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice: 🌶🌶 Pages: 511 Genre: Paranormal Romance Tropes: Fated Mates, Age Gap, Found Family, M/M

Quotes:

“It was candy canes and pinecones. It was epic and awesome. And it was home.”

“All I wanted to do was come home, because without you, I don't have a home. You can plan for life, but life always has plans of its own.”

I absolutely adored this book! This book is about family, bonds that are unbreakable, love, loss and tragedy, where hearts make sacrifices. But reiterates love conquers all. I generally do not read M/M, but this was so beautifully written that I fell in love with Ox and Joe. This book is wonderfully well written. I most definitely will be reading the rest of the series. This book moved me like no other has in quite some time.

Ox - A 16 year old boy when this book starts out. Verbally and emotionally abused by his father who left when he was young He has troubles putting his thoughts into sentences and is large for his age. His mother is his whole world.

Joe - A 11 year old boy who just moved back into the Bennett house up the road from Ox’s. He and his family are shape shifters - wolves. He was kidnapped and tortured for weeks at age 10. Once rescued he never spoke a word until he met Ox. The day after he met Ox he gave him his polished stone wolf that is given to each wolf shifter when they are born.

This begins the journey of Ox and Joe and the Bennett’s. It is a journey that is beautiful, heartbreaking, redeeming, tragic and panic inducing. Prepare for all the feels in the wonderfully written book!

I very highly recommend this book. I’m giving it 10 stars out of 5 because it is truly a book worth reading.

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❓This book touched my heartstrings. Name a book that brought out the same emotions in you.

I have no idea how to start this review... because this book... this story... these characters... sighs I am seriously sitting before my laptop, with fingers hovering over the letters and... I can't find words good enough to describe my absolute love for this novel... you don't know how many times I started writing something... then delete it... and start again... only to delete it again... because no matter how hard I try, there's just no way for me to really describe all the feelings this book gave me... the complex and emotional journey it truly is for a reader to experience... I thought it would be easier to write if a few days have passed since I finished it, but nope... not even close... just thinking about this story makes me... feel everything... again... so I will do my best to try and express myself and we're just gonna hope for the best... :)

This is a long story... spanning over more than ten years... it's so complex and so many things happen over that amount of time that I don't want to spoil you, so instead I will give you just a few basic informations... the main character of this book is Ox... the book is written from his perspective, starting when he's only twelve... people say he's... slow and stupid... big and dumb... but that's not the case at all... yes, he's different, but also kind and hard working... he's precious and I wanted to hug him all the time... he lives in a small town, Green Creek, and around his sixteenth birthday the Bennett family moves in next door... :) and then everything changes... that's all I really want to say to you about the plot... I feel like the less details you actualy know, the better your reading experience will be... so instead let me just jump into all the reasons why I loved this book...

First of all, I have to say that I am a huge fan of shifter stories... they are my absolute favourite group of paranormal creatures to read about... and don't tell me that saying this is a spoiler about this book... because it's obvious from reading the synopsis :) because I love those stories, it's hard for me to find really good ones, since my expectations are always higher... but this... this book was like no other shifter story I read before... I loved how complex it was... how long it took to form all sort of relationships in it... the more I read this book, the more I got to know all of these people... Ox, the Bennett family, Gordo... the more I fell in love with them... with each additional chapter we got to see how complex and diverse those people are... we got to experience how the events that happened changed them... with each page I fell more and more in love with characters I did not expect to care so much about... I don't want to say any names, because some of them were definitely a surprise... but to see how much the pack has grown and changed over the course of this whole book... how the bonds of friendship and love formed and grew stronger... sighs to witness all the ups and downs... the happy moments and the heartbreaking ones... to feel everything sooo deeply because of the absolutely stunning writing style... I still can't get over how deeply I was affected by this book... I listened to the audiobook... which by the way I highly recommend because the narrator was amazing... it was almost 19 hours long and I listened to it within a week... with a full time job and other commitments, that was quite an accomplishment for me... I was unable to read anything else while I was listening to this story... nothing else interested me... this book had my total and undivided attention... I laughed, I cried, I sighed, I gasped in surprise and cried out in outrage... if you are looking for an emotional and beautiful story with complex characters that will give you all the feels, then definitely pick this gem up as soon as possible... and then try to be prepared for anything... because this book will surprise you and blew your mind... to this day when I think about it, I have troubles gathering my thoughts... so I hope that even though this is not my longest review, I managed to convince you to give this amazing story a try... and while you will be reading it, just remember that Gordo's book is next... coming this july, just around my birthday... the best present ever :) I'm hoping for many more books after that one as well... because this world and these characters that T. J. Klune created have so much potential and possibilities... I can't wait to see what he will write for us next... even though I'm thinking he will break my heart all over again, the happy ending is all worth it... :)

What an incredible rollercoaster ride! This story has humor that made me laugh out loud (and receiving looks from bystanders), highs that made me beam in happiness, and depths that brought tears.

Reading a story this in-depth, this detailed, and this intense is so rare. Ox and Joe lead an incredible cast of characters, and some of the most evil villains who’ve ever created havoc in a novel.

The heart of the story is definitely Ox; so sweet, so open, so courageous, so open, and a bit damaged. Joe’s confidence and enthusiasm for Ox is also endearing to read. They have such a struggle ahead of them! All the secondary characters also contribute greatly to the story. None of them feel unnecessary to the telling of the story.

I also appreciated how Ox struggled with forgiving Joe for his absence. So many times when the two main characters have a disagreement, it seems to be settled in a single chapter. Not here. This author shows us how Ox really struggles to let go of his anger, and I just found the whole process to be very realistic.

And the writing style the author chose was very unusual, in my opinion, but felt so right as the way Ox would communicate with us.

My only complaint, and it’s a slight one, is the point-of-view. Maybe I’ve just gotten used to hearing each main character’s POV, but I really would have loved to have heard Joe’s POV. For example, after Joe first met Ox, I would have really loved to hear Joe’s POV after Ox left the Bennett’s house. We do sort of hear about it later through Joe’s family later in the story. Or, I would have loved to see Joe’s POV after he figured out Ox was having “those” thoughts about him. Again, this is just a minor criticism and again, probably just because it veers off from what I usually read.

All in all, I can’t recommend this story enough. I’m also a huge fan of human/shifter fated mates, and this story ticked that box for me as well. I am absolutely off and running to read Book 2, and I will reread this story again and again.

To TJ Klune, thanks so much for sharing your talent and giving me a great universe to step into.

I'm not an avid reader - I'm barely a "reader" at all - but when I tell you I finished this book in a single day because I couldn't put it down..... high praise from me!!

I fell in love with the characters, I worried for what would happen to them next, I actually laughed out loud for entire chapters at a time. I love that it was a compelling story with tension and grief and love and steamy bits (the steamy bits are few, but my goodness are they GOOD).

I particularly love the gay/bi representation in the book - a world where people simply ARE gay/bi, and it's not the most important thing about them and it's not a struggle or problem to "deal with" or "learn from"... I experience enough homophobia in my everyday life, I don't want it in my fantasy worlds too.

I cannot say this loudly enough: RUN, don't walk, to get this book.

Do I want to be writing this review right now? Quite frankly no. No, I don’t. I want to be reading Ravensong, but sometimes life throws you lemons and you write reviews. So, Wolfsong – I love books about family, especially when it’s the family you make along the way, so this book was destined to be a winner for me. There are so many things about this book that I loved, but I know I won’t remember them all. So I’m going to share some of the highlights:

The entire Bennett pack. This is a family that, yes, has their issues, but they love each other. And I know – wolves and instincts, but still. The camaraderie between them was so precious. I loved their time together.

The way this book highlights how important a positive male presence is in a young man’s life. Ox’s first experience with a male figure was his father, and let’s face it. The man was a wreck, and he had nothing nice to say about his son. But once Gordo became the main male figure in Ox’s life, he wouldn’t let Ox forget how special and important he was. And then, even with Mark Bennett, some of the first things out of his mouth were to tell Ox how amazing he was. And then Joe, doling out compliments (even if it was just about how good Ox smelled,) and then finally, Thomas Bennett. So warm and welcoming; this man had a capacity to love that was unparalleled. It was clear that just knowing how special Thomas was and that a man that special was able to love him was enough to shape Ox. In so many good ways. That he took the time to spend with Ox, that he made the effort to spend one on one time with him – it changed the entire course of Ox’s life. And I feel, in some ways, gave Ox life.

The world building. I feel like the world building in this book was done so uniquely. A large portion of it was shown in how the Bennett’s interacted with each other vs. their physical surroundings, and I loved that. It was like you could feel the pulse of this world while you were reading the book. I loved every facet of it.

Team Human and the way all the men at Gordo’s shop acted like brothers. They weren’t an actual pack, but their affection for each other was evident and adorable. They’d taken each other in and created their own family, and they dynamic was just amazing.

The writing style and the way the foreshadowing slapped you in the face. I didn’t think this was my thing. I like subtle and hinty things that creep up on you. This author gives you the bones and then the meat, and it worked so well here; I loved the way it was done.

The way things stick with us was illustrated in this book. There were things that were said to Ox, good and bad, that have stuck with him, and no matter how much good we do, no matter how much good we hear, the bad things still haunt us. It’s what we do with them and whether or not we accept them that can change us for better or worse. And in all of this, there was one simple scene with Ox’s mother that she probably never gave a second thought to, but he remembered the special moment over and over again, and it just emphasized how important the little things matter. Gordo and Mark. OK. Can we talk tension here? Gordo and Mark struck my fancy the moment Ox spied them walking into a theater together, and it only heightened as the book went on. I was hooked on them from moment one, and I couldn’t be more thrilled that they have their own story. And what a doozy it is so far!

The slow burn between Ox and Joe. Holy smokes. It could not be any slower or burn any brighter. They have such chemistry, in every single interaction whether they’re being friends or more. I loved all their interactions, and I could never wait to read more of them.

Could I find reasons to bring this book down to four stars? Sure. But I don’t think that would be an authentic rating. Anything that might not have worked for me in this book (and trust me – it was minimal) was outshone by how much I loved this story. This is, at its core, about family and loving someone as they are, and it touched me so much. And the funny thing is, despite this story being sweet for the most part, I found it to be such a page turner. My emotions ran high throughout the whole book; I couldn’t wait to see what next good thing awaited Ox, and I loved that he was able to find and receive such goodness. I could go on and on about what I loved about this book, but this review is so long you’ve probably already stopped reading. All I can say is read Wolfsong. And if you don’t love it – well, then. Our friendship is probably on the rocks.

This review was originally posted on Books & Beauty Are My Bag.

Wolfsong by TJ Klune 4.5 stars!!!

“Your first mistake was underestimating me. My pack. I may be human, but I run with wolves.”

This is my first book by TJ Klune and it certainly won’t be my last. This is a MM paranormal shifter romance, not my usual genre by any stretch of the imagination but there was something that called out to me to read, it actually screamed “read this book,” and I am so glad that I listened.

Wolfsong is a fairly long book, however it didn’t read that way. Once I began this journey with Ox and Joe there was no going back. TJ Klune, with his atmospheric and evocative writing totally consumed my every thought as he transported me with words to a small town, these two houses and the woods that surrounded them. Woods that harboured a lot of secrets, none more so than about the family that lived next door, just down the lane.

“It should have been obvious what they were, but then I wasn’t looking for the incredible buried in the ordinary.”

Wolfsong is a story of family, the strength of a family unit, the camaraderie between siblings, the battles, the fight through adversity but most of all, love. That all-encompassing love that no matter the circumstances we feed off it, we thrive on it, but most of all we need it. Where no matter your sexual orientation, whether you’re man or beast, the heart knows who the heart wants and who the hell are we to tell it it’s wrong. This is not a book inundated with sex scenes, there are a few that were written extremely well but this book centres on the characters, their emotions, their feelings and their well-being and for me, this was extremely refreshing.

“There was never anyone else for me. Because even if you couldn’t hear me when I called for you, the howl in my heart was always meant for you.”

Ox was a boy that had little to no self-worth, his father had really done a doozy on him as a child and his father’s parting pearls of wisdom had laid heavy in his heart and mind. He was twelve when his father walked away and never looked and since then it was just Ox and his mum. His mum worked hard to keep a roof over their head but Ox was now the man of the house and he took his responsibilities seriously. There were only two houses in his little lane and the house at the end had been vacant for a very long time, though one day, there was movement, there was a family but most importantly there was a little boy, a little boy called Joe.

Joe Bennett was a young boy that had been through a lot in his little short life, a boy that never spoke until he met Ox. Once Joe and Ox’s paths cross, Joe makes up for his time being mute with never ending dialogue that at times leaves Ox begging for mercy but brings nothing but smiles and joy to his family. Joe’s family takes Ox and his mother under their wings but it soon becomes apparent that not all is at it seems in Joe’s household.

“It was candy canes and pinecones. It was epic and awesome. And it was home.”

The Bennett’s were shifters and their absence was enforced to protect those around them. Now evil forces are destined to rip this family apart and Ox soon finds himself in the mix. That is what happens when a shifter gives you his wolf.

“The bonds were there. Between us. The bond to my Alpha. The bond to my Joe.”

This was a beautiful story that contained a lot of a characters, none superfluous to the story but some that gave this a little fantasy feel too. Where witches/wizards and shifters unite to protect and fight for good versus evil. Where two boys become friends and eventually become each other’s lives, literally. When connections are made for life and love is forever. This is a book about bonds, bonds that are unbreakable, this is a book about love, loss and tragedy, where the hugest hearts make the hugest sacrifices but the underlying message remains the same, love conquers all. A fantastic story and one that will take a piece of my heart with it.

“I told you guys, I’m a witch. I’m not a Jedi.”

This book is okay. I got through it, although it took months. I finished it mostly out of obligation. The story meanders quite a bit through the middle and end and is weighed down by overdramatic wording and introspection. Building lore is so important to a fantasy story and I feel like I read 500 pages to understand basically nothing about the way the werewolves or any of the magic works in this universe. But I got to hear over and over and over again about Ox's introspection about his parents and his self worth issues.

The thing that sticks in my craw the most about this book is the extremely questionable choice to make Ox and Joe meet while underage and with such an age difference. It's gross and weird for what you know is going to be a couple to start out as a teenager and a little boy, especially when the little boy immediately "falls in love" with essentially his soulmate, who happens to be a teenager (as if a child is capable of that). I guess the author figured Twilight did the weird thing with imprinting on babies and just went with it, figuring creepy grooming storyline are acceptable as long as it's werewolves? I'm shocked I didn't read any reviews that go into this. How is it appropriate for a teen and a little boy to meet and be destined soulmates and cuddle together and for the little boy to be possessive over the romantic life of the teen? And then when they're a bit older, adult Ox lusts after a still underage Joe? And nobody in this universe, including Joe's parents, think any of this is inappropriate? I don't get why the author chose this. He's the architect of the story, he can do whatever he wants, and while I get that literature can and should depict dark and depraved things when it is done right and has a purpose, this book presents all of this as totally normal and unproblematic. The author could have chosen to not have the characters have an age gap, if he wanted to depict a non creepy way for kids to grow up together and eventually become a couple, and if he really wanted the age gap, he could have made the characters meet when both are adults. It just doesn't make sense to me as a choice, because I don't think the age gap was significant to the story in any way. The author's bio says he wants to write books for positive representation of gay characters. I don't see how a storyline like that is in any way a positive portrayal of same sex relationships. In fact it's very negative especially in today's political climate.

I also am not a fan of the found family stuff. But that's more personal preference. Especially the mixing of biological family and found family - doesn't it cheapen a mother's love when she accepts all of her son's friends as equally her children? Same goes for the father. Elizabeth was like an embodiment of manic pixie dream girl, irresponsible mom edition, and I cringed any time she was highlighted.

The overall writing itself was okay. It was overly dramatic and the overuse of one liners that I'm sure were supposed to come across as badass and profound were grating. I'm going to read the second book because I foolishly bought both at the same time, and it's likely too late for me to return it given how long it took me to read this first one, but unless the rest of the books are astronomically better, I won't be reading any more of the series.