Overall 4.25/5 Fear 5/5 Wolf 4/5 Gore 4.5/5

I read this book as Splatter Squad's July BOTM. Wow. What a recommendation!

The summary gives you a tiny peek into the actual story. Little boy in the bushes, a washed up actress working in a diner, and a Wolf. What it doesn't tell you is the adventure of a lifetime Jess and kiddo will have.

There was blood. There was gore. Shapeshifting. Fears. Needles. And road trips. Also Arizona? And the realization that fear itself is scarier than things that actually scare us.

I also felt like the story brought up ideas I hadn't thought of before that resonated with me. For example the following quote: "The truth is, nowadays, mass shootings are so common they’re more useful to bury attention than gain it... It’s like money laundering but for slaughter."

Followed by this quote a few chapters before: "Conspiracy theories are basically just fairy tales for adults, aren’t they?"

I appreciate this book for its unique story and compelling ideas that do make you stop and think. Also the opening being "Fuckin’ dads ruin everything," is brilliant. The ending was also a bit of a surprise for me, which makes me appreciate this book more.