Werewolves, Vampires, and Zombies, Oh My!

The Abused Werewolf Support Group by Catherine Jinks
(Young Adult and Up)

I am always up for a new supernatural book adventure and just as frequently disappointed by the results.  Many of the newer ones seem just lazy attempts by authors and book publishers to plug into this hot-selling genre with no real attempt to make a meaningful experience for the reader.

Not so with this novel by Catherine Jinks!  From the very first chapter, the action and adventure started zipping right along, pulling me with it.  The main character Toby wakes one morning to find himself in a dingo pen at a local zoo.  Toby has no idea how he got there and is disturbed to discover he doesn’t really remember much from the night before.  He also can’t explain weird scratches and marks on his body.  His mother is frantic and starts taking him to doctors who eventually diagnose some type of epilepsy.  The local police aren’t buying it and are sure Toby was up to mischief and probably criminal proceedings.  As it that wasn’t enough to worry your average 13-year old, a priest shows up telling Toby he has a rare and dangerous disease.

Toby doesn’t know what to do but is intrigued enough to investigate further.  What he finds in an abused werewolf support group-werewolves, like himself, who just want to be treated equally and fairly, without the prejudice and abuse that has so haunted their kind.  And, oh yeah, there is the matter of the kidnapping and werewolf-fighting that Toby is being forced into!

What I absolutely loved about this book was how different it is from all the other paranormal books out there.  First, what an absolutely incredible concept!  To see werewolves as creatures needing understanding rather than how they are usually portrayed was a stroke of genius.  How refreshing to see a new idea.  And it was hilarious!  There was as much humor in the book as terror and adventure.  The authors first book was The Reformed Vampire Support Group and there were a few of these pathetic creatures mixed in.  Just enough to force me to go out and buy that one as well.

I admit it.  This one hooked me!  It has everything a paranormal junkie would love plus a good dose of originality and creativity.  I guarantee you won’t have read anything like this.  Wickedly funny, nail-biting adventure and a politically correct satire of paranormality.  What’s not to love?

My only complaint?  Now I have to wait for the next installment (which I’m just guessing might be about the perspective of zombies).