2 out of 5 stars
There may be some meaning to this story but it’s as hard to find as a needle in a haystack. It is well written but the prose is attempting to hide the lack of actual depth. It appears to be character-driven with plot playing second fiddle, but the characters are as lackluster as the plot. I’m not even entirely sure why I read it all the way until the end. Perhaps there was a little flicker of hope of something beautiful blooming from this dusty story. Nope. Just crab grass.
This is a coming of age tale involving a werewolf family. A will he, or won’t he, turn into a teenage werewolf like he so desperately wants? A family consistently on the run to hide themselves. Running from anything and everything like a bunch of sheep.
Wait? What? I thought you said this was about werewolves?!
Oh it is, I guess. The most unimpressive werewolves I’ve read about in a long time.
If you can imagine a trashy family, that happen to be werewolves, that break the law, live like scum and travel back and forth across the southern United States, well then you’ve just imagined this entire book. The end. Move along. Your imagination probably did it better anyway.
cupcakesandmachetes 
Kudos to you for finishing. I give stories like 50 pages to thrill me then I’m out. What a shame though since the prose was really good. That’s my issue with Patricia McKillip novels. She writes like a dream, but the webs unravel just as easily.
Usually I’m out after 50 pages or so too. I don’t know why I held on this time. Certainly taught me a lesson!
I think it’s when you expect the book to get better and it doesn’t and then you’re pissed you wasted your time. Grrr, I feel your pain. I have too many damn books to read to waste it on something that doesn’t entirely engage me.
True that!