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A review by lilyrooke
Wolfsong by TJ Klune
2.0
I enjoyed the second half of Wolfsong much more than the first. What began as a squick-inducing concept turned into a very moving study of grief. Personally, I think Wolfsong would have been a much better book had it begun as Joe returning as an adult, with the childhood storyline punctuated as flashbacks. For me, I could never get over the idea that a traumatised 10-year-old formed a mating bond with a 16-year-old, and it took until Joe returned after the three year gap for me to get on board with their relationship.
The way the relationship between Joe and Ox is portrayed is, in my opinion, a huge problem. Joe is possessive and incredibly jealous, from a child all the way through to the end of the book. I *get* that this is a mating bonds type story, but I dispute that it should be presented as a healthy relationship. Ox is highly vulnerable, and I had a real problem with the fact that Joe, his parents, his whole family, kept secrets from Ox for years.
Occasionally I got the clear sense that the narrative was suggesting that victims of childhood abuse were inherently damaged to the point that they would be unable to avoid hurting their loved ones. I re-read those passages carefully, to be sure I was not getting the wrong impression, and yeah. If you're going to write about the legacy of abuse, please consider the implications of what you're writing.
I loved the casual LGBTQ+ representation, and I added an extra star for the way Ox's grief is handled in the second half of the novel. Ultimately, I've read plenty of paranormal romance novels that present mating bonds in a genuinely healthy way, so I know it can be done. Equally, I've read novels that put a spin on the mating bond trope and show just how unhealthy it can be. Wolfsong just left me feeling kind of weird and unpleasant.
The way the relationship between Joe and Ox is portrayed is, in my opinion, a huge problem. Joe is possessive and incredibly jealous, from a child all the way through to the end of the book. I *get* that this is a mating bonds type story, but I dispute that it should be presented as a healthy relationship. Ox is highly vulnerable, and I had a real problem with the fact that Joe, his parents, his whole family, kept secrets from Ox for years.
Occasionally I got the clear sense that the narrative was suggesting that victims of childhood abuse were inherently damaged to the point that they would be unable to avoid hurting their loved ones. I re-read those passages carefully, to be sure I was not getting the wrong impression, and yeah. If you're going to write about the legacy of abuse, please consider the implications of what you're writing.
I loved the casual LGBTQ+ representation, and I added an extra star for the way Ox's grief is handled in the second half of the novel. Ultimately, I've read plenty of paranormal romance novels that present mating bonds in a genuinely healthy way, so I know it can be done. Equally, I've read novels that put a spin on the mating bond trope and show just how unhealthy it can be. Wolfsong just left me feeling kind of weird and unpleasant.