I confess to being an ardent fan of the genre of fiction in which female werewolves figure prominently. Whether she be a young adolescent or very much an adult woman who suddenly finds her life turned upside-down one moonlit night with the sudden growth of fur, claws, and fangs --- all the while her body transforming into that of a powerful, quadriped beast --- she has to learn to adjust to living what has become, in effect, a "double life." Or else succumb to any of the new hazards common to any werewolf.
This particular novel came in the mail for me today. It's summarized as follows:
"Eighteen-year-old rock star Sam Lee isn't like other girls. She's the super-talented bass player and songwriter for an all-girl indie band and an incurable loner. Then one night after a concert in Central Park, she's attacked by a wild dog.
"Suddenly, this long-time vegetarian is craving meat--the bloodier, the better. Sam finds herself with an unbelievable secret and no one she trusts to share it. And so begin the endless lies to cover up the hairy truth...
"When a new girl gang appears in the city--with claws and paws--Sam suspects there's a connection to her own inner beast. Trapped in a tug-of-war between her animal and human selves, forced to choose between the guy who sparked her carnal appetite and the one who makes her feel like a normal teenage girl, Sam has to unravel the mysteries of the werewolf world before her bandmates, her mother, and the media catch up to her."
I was pleasantly surprised while reading Nor Your Ordinary Wolf Girl by Emily Pohl-Weary. What I was expecting was just another werewolf story but with an older female lead. Yes, it is another werewolf story, but it was better than what I had hoped for! The voice that was given to main character, Sam Lee, is one that keeps the reader’s attention.
Not your Ordinary Wolf Girl by Emily Pohl-Weary is a story about rising rock star Sam Lee who unfortunately gets bitten by a werewolf. She in turn begins to turn into a werewolf, herself. Not only does she have to start getting used to these changes happening to her, but she must also deal with a crazy werewolf, Owen, who has decided to stake his claim on her. Thank goodness for his totally sexy brother, Marlon. Marlon has taken it upon himself to watch out for Sam as she goes through her transformation, and to protect her from his crazed bro.
But Sam’s transformation is doing a huge number on her career, as well as to her friendship and potential relationship. The hunger for food is overwhelming, and the thought of taking a bite out of those closest to her scares the crap out of her. Who could have bitten her and why? Does the appearance of an insane all girl gang have anything to do with this? And what part does Sam have to play in all this craziness…
What I really loved about this book was how Sam’s transformation is described. Her thoughts and feelings come to life as she tries to deal with her new reality. We see her anger and pain, and we witness how she deals with everything.
And I was torn between which boy I wanted to see Sam with. Of course, Marlon is bad boy sexy. But I loved that deep down he is sweet and romantic and thoughtful. And I loved the protectiveness he had with Sam. Harris, at times, would be sweet as well, but with a few drinks he turns into something that I really didn’t care for. And I felt that Mr. Obvious was so quick to want to jump into bed with Sam, mere moments after a break up with his long time girlfriend.
I loved Sam’s friends/band mates, Jules and Malika, although Jules was questionable at times. But Malika was a friend through and through, one that I would proud to have. In fact, I loved the way in which all the characters were introduced and written. Everything flowed so well together, that this ended up being a really quick read. The pages flew by quickly and the end came fast.
Fans of reads involving werewolves will fall in love with Not Your Ordinary Wolf Girl by Emily Pohl-Weary. A little bit of rock, and whole lotta fur.