The Last Werewolf by Glen DuncanMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 2 days
Publisher - Canongate books Ltd
Pages - 346
Source - NetGalley
Blurb from Goodreads
"Then she opened her mouth to scream--and recognised me. It was what I'd been waiting for. She froze. She looked into my eyes. She said, "It's you."
"
Meet Jake. A bit on the elderly side (he turns 201 in March), but you'd never suspect it. Nonstop sex and exercise will do that for you--and a diet with lots of animal protein. Jake is a werewolf, and after the unfortunate and violent death of his one contemporary, he is now the last of his species. Although he is physically healthy, Jake is deeply distraught and lonely.
Jake's depression has carried him to the point where he is actually contemplating suicide--even if it means terminating a legend thousands of years old. It would seem to be easy enough for him to end everything. But for very different reasons there are two dangerous groups pursuing him who will stop at nothing to keep him alive.
Here is a powerful, definitive new version of the werewolf legend--mesmerising and incredibly sexy. In Jake, Glen Duncan has given us a werewolf for the twenty-first century--a man whose deeds can only be described as monstrous but who is in some magical way deeply human.
One of the most original, audacious, and terrifying novels in years.
My Review
Jake Marlowe is the last werewolf alive however not for long. Desperately lonely, pursued by different groups who have their own agendas for him he is willing to die. When events come to pass that shake Jake back to caring about life he has some hard choices to make. All the while he is pursued by humans and other mythical beings, some want him dead, some want something much more important than his life.
I didn't know what to make of this tale, from the beginning you know what Jake is, we then get a lot of time spent on how unhappy he is and then a look back on how we got here. He is over 200 years old and is fed up, he moans a lot and even a shocking death doesn't seem to have any affect on him. Suddenly something does happen and Jake is forced into action, he wants to live and will do anything he needs to to stay that way and protect that which is his.
I can't go into too much detail without giving spoilers which I never do so forgive me for the vagueness in some of my review. There is a lot of bad, crude and often shocking language used, some of which I felt there was no requirement for as it was overdone. Sex is also strongly featured, in graphic detail which I felt detracted from the story. When there wasn't masses of swear words, including the C word, or non stop sex or sexual references which some people will find offensive, the story itself was readable. To read about the werewolves perspective and how they cope with things from turning, the deaths of their victims and what they experience during the time of change was interesting. I haven't read a lot of books about werewolves so found this take on it interesting, especially the reasons werewolves and the other type of creature listed don't get on. Had the author focused more on the story rather than the cruder aspects, I think this may have been a wider and well received story.
I found some of it predictable whilst at other parts I was confused and left with more questions, this is the first of a trilogy so maybe more answers will be forthcoming in the next book(s). I wouldn't be rushing out to get the next book however I would read it if I came across it, I have never read this author before and would try them again, at a later date. 2/5 for me this time, whilst I did like aspects of the story, the parts I disliked overshadowed those that I did. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
