Book Review - Wolfsong by T.J. Klune

Title: Wolfsong (Green Creek # 1)
Author: T.J. Klune
Genre: Fantasy/ LGBTQ/ Romance
Published: 2016
 
Description: Ox was twelve when his daddy taught him a very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.
 
Ox was sixteen when he met the boy on the road. The little boy who talked and talked and talks. Ox found out later the little noy hadn’t spken in almost two years before that day, and that he belonged to a family who had moved into the house at the end of the lane.
Ox was seventeen when he found out the little boy’s secret and it painted the world around him in colors of red and orange and violet, of Alpha and Beta and Omega.
 
Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his bloodred eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces.
 
It’s been three years since that fateful day, and the boy is back. Except now he’s a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.
 
Review: I’m not much of a fantasy reader, but when I picked up T.J. Klune’s “The House in the Cerulean Sea” two years ago, I fell in love with his writing and it ended up being my favorite book I read that year. I loved his characters, the found family trope, everything really. Because it’s set in a realistic world, but has fantasy elements, it was a lighter type of fantasy book.
 
“Wolfsong” is the first book in the Green Creek series. Also a fantasy book set in our world, this time with people who can turn into wolves. It’s an LGBTQ book, “The House in the Cerulean Sea” also had this theme, but in “Wolfsong” is much more present. And because the romance is so overpowering, I didn’t quite like it that much. Aside from the romance, it’s a really good book, I very much enjoyed it. With romance in fantasy books, I often feel like it gets cringy. Which I felt here too.
 
I often feels like a YA novel, but it is clearly an adult novel. Because there are some really graphic love scenes in “Wolfsong”. And I’m not a very big fan of that. I prefer fade-to-black love scenes more, I really don’t need all the details.
 
One thing T.J. Klune did, was create great characters. I really loved reading about Ox and his new found family, the Bennetts. And his love for Joe was beautiful, but as stated before, the romance is a bit cringy at times. It sometimes felt a bit like the “Twilight” books, but with more wolves instead and likeable characters. I’m not really doing “Wolfsong” any justice here, because it is much better. But the romance gave me “Twilight” vibes.
 
The Green Creek series has three more books. And even though I did not love this book as much as I hoped I would, I’m still interested in the rest of the series eventually.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea
Series: -
Author: TJ Klune
 
Description: A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.
An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.
 
Review: Linus Baker leads a quiet, scheduled life and is a social worker with the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He is given the special assignment of investigating whether six magically gifted at-risk youngsters living in an orphanage on a small island may pose too great a danger to society.
 
The orphanage is home to six youngster: a curious motley crew that includes Talia (a girl gnome), Theodore (a winged dragon), Phee (a forest Sprite), Chauncey (a green, jellyfish-like creature), Sal (a boy who undergoes a miraculous transformation when frightened) and Lucy (a six-year-old Antichrist).
 
Arthur Parnassus us the man in charge of the orphanage, and he wants to prevent closure, even if it means giving away his own secret. Linus goes to live on the island for a month. As he gradually abandons his prejudice and builds a bond not only with the children, but also with Athur, he faces a dilemma: should he follow the official rules or his heart.
 
How I enjoyed this book. It stole my heart from the first sentence. It touched me and I was completely overwhelmed by it. This book is a warm hug and a perfect comfort read.
 
Linus Baker is a character you come to love, as are all the children and Arthur, who you all get to know really well. It tells a story about the outsiders and how they are judge, without people even knowing them or their stories. I felt so much sympathy for all these characters.
Even though I don’t think this is a book for everyone, I would still recommend it to anyone who is looking to read something completely different. I was recommended this and I would have never picked it up otherwise. And I am so glad I did, because “The House in the Cerulean Sea” is a new favorite, and probably the best book I read this year.  
 
Rating: 5/ 5