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Friday, August 2, 2013

I Am Wolf


I Am Wolf by Joann H. Buchanan

(Summary taken from an email from the publishing company) " “You can’t fight who you really are, Jonah . . .you are wolf.” When Jonah unknowingly creates an unnatural creature, he is thrust upon a path of unremitting shadows and unrelenting torment from the creature he becomes connected to in Joann Buchanan's novel I am Wolf: Children of Nox.

Seven teens, the youngling pack from the tribe of Tibolt, join forces with Jonah, their newest member. Together, they must stop the “unnatural,” who brings horror wherever he travels. As the murderous creature makes his way east to Tennessee, it becomes a race against time to save a small child of destiny known as the Dream Maker.

'I wanted to write a different kind of paranormal series that was not your typical werewolf novel," Joann Buchanan says. "I felt this was a story that needed to be told.'"

I have mixed emotions about this book. On the one hand, I loved Jonah and his friends. I thought they were very likable and the budding teenage romances were cute. I also liked the adults in Jonah's life and thought the Native American aspect was very interesting. Ms. Buchanan's character development was really good with these characters. I especially liked Jonah, Bobby Joe, Big Sal, Daniel, Alaynee, Cara, and Jeanne. Although some of it was bordering on corny, I enjoyed it. They just seemed like normal teenagers, with a twist. I liked the way they interacted and had fun, but yet they could be serious when they needed to be. I liked that they put an emphasis on the importance of family and how loyal they were to each other. On the other hand, I detested Ralph. I know that Ms. Buchanan did that on purpose. This guy is creepy, a pervert, a drunk, a jerk, and has some very serious mental illnesses that need to be treated. I know you are meant to think of Ralph as despicable, and it worked. Definitely worked. It worked so well that I seriously hated reading his sections. I cringed and got angry, and it was awful. I think Ms. Buchanan went too far with him. I felt yucky when I read about him, and I could just feel evilness radiating from him. He is pure evil. I did not want to read anymore about him. It was such a contrast to the cuteness (and sometimes cheesiness) of the other characters, that it made him stand out even more as evil. Ugh. His character is what dropped my rating to a 3 star. I hated it. I think she could have portrayed him as evil without going that far. I (an adult) had nightmares about Ralph. I would wake up trembling because he would tear my friends' heads off in my dreams. It was awful.

This book had quite a bit of language in it. However, that was the least of my worries. Ralph rapes at least two girls, he kills many people in extremely violent ways (and enjoys doing it), he kidnaps a child, he plots to kill another child, he "pleasures" himself (yuck!), and it all just makes you feel gross and violated. It's too bad, because I really liked the other part of the book with Jonah and his friends. 

Rating: R (This does not follow movie ratings exactly, it is just my way of saying it is VERY inappropriate for younger readers.) Rape, murder, violence, "pleasuring himself," kidnapping, and pure evil.

Recommendation: At least 18 and up. I might even say older, but it depends on the reader. Definitely not anyone younger. 




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