Title: Howl
Author: Shaun David Hutchinson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: April 19, 2022
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Summary
Virgil never wanted to move to Merritt. Away from his boyfriend, friends, and everything he knows, after his parents divorce. And now, Virgil has been attacked by a monster. Of course, no one in Merritt believes that’s what actually happened. It must have been some kind of animal. Not a monster. Monsters don’t exist in Merritt, or anywhere.
However, Virgil knows the truth. It was a monster who attacked him. A monster that’s still out there. And in order for him to have peace of mind, he has to find it. But it just adds to Virgil’s status as the new kid, an outsider. If he doesn’t find the monster soon, he might just become one himself.
Review: Howl
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! Shaun David Hutchinson is a favorite YA author of mine, and I think he’s getting back to what everyone likes hime for! That kind of weird, surreal, is this really happening kind of fiction. The kind of book you can’t always put into a genre.
What this book has going for it is it’s strong analogy throughout. While it is a bit on the nose at times, using Virgil’s monster attack as a symbol of sexual assault works really well. Specifically, interweaving Virigil’s memories from the attack throughout, in bold print. These mimic intrusive thoughts, and flashbacks one might have if they have PTSD. The overall structure of the story, the attack, and the way people around him react is just spot on for the main comparison in the story. There also isn’t a lot of YA that focuses on the sexual assault issue for boys, or in a queer context, and that definitely needs discussion, too.
Like in other Hutchinson books, there is also positive discussion about mental health. Including a positive representation of therapy. I always appreciate the way that Hutchinson approaches these topics, and it’s important for teens to see this kind of representation in books. In a way, the werewolf/monster comparison works for this, too. It just works well on so many levels, especially for this story.
My only complaint is at times, the plot itself is slightly repetitive and maybe the book didn’t have to be quite this long. However, this doesn’t completely take away from the strong writing and characters.
All in all, I’m glad Hutchinson has gone back in this kind of direction. If the We Are the Ants era is a favorite of yours, you’ll most likely love this, too!
4.5 stars