All Charlotte Deerborn wanted was a nice Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. Too bad for her no one else wanted to be there. By the time the turkey is carved, old grievances, bad behavior and crass remarks have transformed her dinner party into a disaster. And then a werewolf shows up to do some carving of its own.
Wolf at the Door, winner of the 2022 Global Book Award gold medal for horror, is a fast-paced, absurdist take on modern creature horror, levering humor and action to highlight how one family comes to grips with what really matters in life.
Wolf at the Door by Joel McKay
REVIEWED BY TIFFANY PETRA MURPHYEntertaining Story!
Wolf at the Door is not one of my typical reads, but I enjoyed it a great deal. There was definitely a horror aspect to the story, but it was also hilarious in places.
I could relate to the hostess in many ways. All Char wanted was to have an enjoyable Thanksgiving with her family and friends. Hosting a large dinner, especially one with the expectations set upon it like Thanksgiving, is always stressful, but when you add in a werewolf attack, that takes things to a whole other level.
There were some deeply dysfunctional characters who I had a hard time liking. That makes the story more realistic because every family or gathering has people who are just unlikeable. There were even a few characters who I hoped would get eaten by the werewolf and found it deeply satisfying when they did get eaten! I really enjoyed how the family could set aside petty squabbles and work together in the face of trauma.
I think I would have enjoyed the book a bit more if it had been scary. It was definitely tense, at times, but it never really achieved the fright I’d anticipated from its “horror” label. Still, the book was solidly entertaining and there were a few scenes that really made me laugh.
I could relate to the hostess in many ways. All Char wanted was to have an enjoyable Thanksgiving with her family and friends. Hosting a large dinner, especially one with the expectations set upon it like Thanksgiving, is always stressful, but when you add in a werewolf attack, that takes things to a whole other level.
There were some deeply dysfunctional characters who I had a hard time liking. That makes the story more realistic because every family or gathering has people who are just unlikeable. There were even a few characters who I hoped would get eaten by the werewolf and found it deeply satisfying when they did get eaten! I really enjoyed how the family could set aside petty squabbles and work together in the face of trauma.
I think I would have enjoyed the book a bit more if it had been scary. It was definitely tense, at times, but it never really achieved the fright I’d anticipated from its “horror” label. Still, the book was solidly entertaining and there were a few scenes that really made me laugh.