Title: The Wolf Gift
Author: Anne Rice
Publication Date: 2012
Book Description (from Amazon.com):
The time is the present.
The place, the rugged coast of Northern California. A bluff high above the Pacific. A grand mansion full of beauty and tantalizing history set against a towering redwood forest.
A young reporter on assignment from the San Francisco Observer . . . An older woman welcoming him into her magnificent family home that he has been sent to write about and that she must sell with some urgency . . . A chance encounter between two unlikely people . . . An idyllic night—shattered by horrific unimaginable violence, the young man inexplicably attacked—bitten—by a beast he cannot see in the rural darkness . . . A violent episode that sets in motion a terrifying yet seductive transformation, as the young man, caught between ecstasy and horror, between embracing who he is evolving into and fearing what he will become, soon experiences the thrill of the wolf gift.
As he resists the paradoxical pleasure and enthrallment of his wolfen savagery and delights in the power and (surprising) capacity for good, he is caught up in a strange and dangerous rescue and is desperately hunted as “the Man Wolf” by authorities, the media, and scientists (evidence of DNA threatens to reveal his dual existence) . . . As a new and profound love enfolds him, questions emerge that propel him deeper into his mysterious new world: questions of why and how he has been given this gift; of its true nature and the curious but satisfying pull towards goodness; of the profound realization that there may be others like him who are watching—guardian creatures who have existed throughout time who possess ancient secrets and alchemical knowledge. And throughout it all, the search for salvation for a soul tormented by a new realm of temptations, and the fraught, exhilarating journey, still to come, of being and becoming, fully, both wolf and man.
I hadn’t read an Anne Rice book in years, so when a friend posted on Facebook about her having a new book out I decided to give it a try. I immediately put the book on hold at the library and waited weeks for it to be available. It is still a “new release” so I was only able to keep the book for two weeks. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue for me, but life got in the way and I had to return the book before I got a chance to read it. I added it to my hold list again and when it became available last week I knew I had to make time to read it. This past Sunday I did my weekly chores and then took the book to the pool for a couple hours. A couple hours at the pool turned into a couple hours at home. And next thing I know its 1 am and I’m finishing up the book. Dang it – I had work the next day! Oh well, it was totally worth the lack of sleep.
I know what you are thinking, “ANOTHER werewolf book?!” Yes, another werewolf book. But I like this one a lot better than most. It had such a good story line and wasn’t the normal “turn into a werewolf when there is a full moon and attack everyone” kind of book. Anne Rice’s descriptions are AMAZING. The whole book you felt like you were right there with the characters. By the end I was certain that I could pick out the house from the book if I was driving on the west coast. The book sucks you in at the very beginning and doesn’t let go (does that sound wrong with this being a werewolf book? tee hee).
I will tell you that a couple of the werewolf attack scenes are a bit… graphic. But this is Anne Rice we are talking about here! I wouldn’t expect anything less. When I was talking to my dad yesterday about the book I told him that mom would love it, except for those parts. I’d have to put sticky notes on the pages that my mom would need to skip so that she could get through the book. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a completely gory book that you should avoid if you are squeamish. For the most part I think even the squeamish could stomach this book. The gross parts are minimal and they don’t take up pages and pages. You could probably skip that page or two and be well on your way for a couple more chapters. Just keep it in mind if you decide to read this, that’s all.
