Review: Howl
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 26, 2012
Werewolves, mystery and love are combined in Howl to make a fascinating and original tale.I think lovers of werewolf books are use to seeing a normal girl fall for a werewolf boy. In Howl, you will discover that the story is just as good with the roles reversed, it creates a refreshing take on a favorite genre of many. Annalise Grey also has an eye for the intricate details that added immensely to the overall story. The over-bearing, protective nature of the Alpha, the submissive ticks of the pack, the multiple births of the werewolf females, how the wolves act in wolf form. Those are just few. They added an authenticity to the story that is sometimes overlooked by authors.Sophie was the perfect voice for Howl, in my opinion. The struggles she had to deal with made her an accessible character that was easy to like and relate to. The gradual growth was realistic, adding an even flow to the story. In fact, each character was strong in their own ways,  they each had their own personalities that never once blended into the background. Annalise was successful in evoking emotions from each character as the story unfolded. The sense of family shone through with a brilliance that pertained to the 'pack' loyalty that was needed. My absolute favorite character was Tristain, Sophie's twin brother, I loved the emotions he brought forth, the loyalty and love that radiated off of his character.The plot line was original, throwing me through a loop that was highly unexpected. The mystery was succinctly solved, but giving way to the bigger mystery that successfully set up future books in this series. The sub-plots add to the intrigue as the reader will sense that not all is revealed when it comes to the Mathew's family. There was, however, something that was preventing me from being fully swept away. There were parts that fell flat, for me, things that were unnecessarily over detailed, like a trip to the grocery store. And although the romance between Sophie and Jaime is extremely sweet, I was still left wanting. It never evoked a heart-fluttering response from me. The romance wasn't delved into deep enough, it almost felt that the majority of it was skimmed over, lending a sub-plot feel to the romance. Maybe that was Annalise Grey's intention, I have no idea, because I can also say that there is more between Daniel and Sophie than just simple attraction, something deeper that will remain a mystery until it is revealed. I did really enjoy the story and look forward to seeing how the future books in this series will pan out.There is no doubt that Annalise Grey knows how to weave an original, interesting tale that will reel readers in. If you are looking for a new, refreshing werewolf story, then I highly recommend Howl to you!