Customer Reviews

Lonely Werewolf Girl

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of the best books I've read this year. It's also the book with the worst editing I have ever seen.

The plot is wild and funny. The daughter of a werewolf Thane is being hunted by both her family (she tried to kill her father and quite nearly succeeded) and a guild of werewolf hunters. Worse, she battles her anxiety. Lonely Werewolf Girl has many, many characters. Sometimes it's difficult to keep track of them all. I enjoyed this book on many levels. I didn't finish this book quickly, not because it wasn't good, but the short chapters which jumped from character and place and did all sorts of funny acrobats which taxed my poor concentration. This was a good thing. I dragged the pleasure on for three days as opposed to finishing it in one swallow.

Millar, being at least as talented as Gaiman and Pratchett, would do himself well to find another editor. Or maybe the editor would do him or herself well by hiring a high school student to proof read the final draft before sending it to print. Obviously no human read the final draft, and any reasonably literary high schooler could do better than Microsoft Word at spelling and grammar. The sloppy editing did this writing wrong.

Regardless, I give this book a five. Reviews are generally seen as a reflection of the writer and not the editor. The writing was excellent.

This is such a bizarre book. I kind of expected to hate it for all its silly quirkiness. After a few chapters, though, I was completely drawn in. The characterization is great, and there are so many oddball players in this supernatural drama. I made a family tree on my bookmark as a cheat sheet for all the crazy pack politics. Every hero and villain is equally screwed up and flawed, which made some of them more lovable. If you enjoyed Kelly Armstrong's Broken or Annette Curtis Klause's Blood and Chocolate, or even the movie American Werewolf in Paris, this crazy, goofy, drugged out, and comically violent book is for you.

The plot basically follows the various factions of this completely dysfunctional werewolf clan as they bandy for power, prestige, or the right to just be left alone by the other members of their family. The werewolf king is dead, the brothers fight to succeed. Everyone in the 'royal' family gets a vote, and one of the brothers is making certain they make the right choice...or die. The 'lonely werewolf girl', Kalix, is an exile from her family (and on its hit list) who wanders the streets of London until she hooks up with some dippy hippies with their own group dynamic and soap opera politics. Kalix is a misanthropic, strung-out, semi-literate, petulant, and perpetually angry werewolf...who happens to look like a waif-y, blow-your-mind, hobo-core, indie-model type. Her constant displays of attitude are more endearing than obnoxious, but occasionally you wish the constant battles she gets into would knock a little sense into her.

The books meanders from subplot to subplot with no real urgency, but the fun is in the journey, not the destination...which is a good thing, because not all of the plots are actually tied up by the end. But by the time you get there, you'll have had such a good time, I doubt you'll care. When I finished, I was tempted to flip right back to the beginning and chase the enjoyment of reading it again.

Earlier this year, someone gave me Martin Millar's "Curse of the Wolf Girl" to read. I must admit that I had never heard of Martin Millar and that I was not particularly intrigued. When I found out that it was a sequel, that further complicated matters. As a completist, I felt compelled to check out the first volume before getting into "Curse." That book is "Lonely Werewolf Girl" and, in truth, it did seem a bit removed from something I might choose for myself. But what a surprise! "Lonely Werewolf Girl" is one of the most compulsively readable books I've encountered in quite some time. Chronicling a royal Scottish werewolf clan, Millar's massive entertainment is utterly delightful.

From the Scottish Highlands, to the taverns of modern London, to excursions into alternate realms--"Lonely Werewolf Girl" is an epic story of one family in crisis. When the head of the MacRinnalch clan dies, it is assumed that his oldest male heir will ascend to the throne. But with the Queen backing the second son, the family and their subjects are ripped apart in a blood-soaked battle for power. While Kalix, the ostensible lead and a family outcast, wanders the streets of London in drug induced oblivion--the rest of the family is gearing for War. Set as a comic and supernatural "The Lion in Winter," "Lonely Werewolf Girl" does an impressive job juggling an enormous, but distinctive, cast of characters. Millar's riff on werewolves living among us is sublime with surprising subplots involving cross-dressing, rock bands, fashion design and enough bungled romantic and sexual dalliances to fuel several novels! Oh, yeah, and there are plenty of attacks as well.

Millar's novel is an irresistible comic masterpiece. It is so absurdly funny, but not "jokey" or condescending, and that is why it is so special. With terrific character development and dialogue, "Lonely Werewolf Girl" succeeds beyond expectations due to Millar's respect for the story. Each and every character is drawn in full brush strokes. I enjoyed the satiric edge and, at the same time, was thoroughly engrossed in the happenings of the MacRinnalch clan. There, I said it! I actually cared about what happened to these wolves, humans and other supernatural beings. As the disparate members of the family come together for the ultimate showdown, it is as riveting and exciting as anything you might encounter. The fact that a comic novel manages to capture this tension without losing its slyness is very impressive. Now I can't wait to take on "Curse of the Werewolf Girl!" A surprisingly enthusiastic recommendation.

Despite not being totally absorbed by the book, its simple sentences, and lack of momentum, which whenever could be gained was killed by the horrible editing and abysmal proofreading, I did finish reading the book in a couple of days. Hence the three stars.
However I was left with a sour feeling that I had been cheated out of something. Too many objectives and ploys were set up but never returned to, unless the author hoped to return to them in a sequel to this read and forget book. Said plots could have been explored further, greatly improving the story, instead of the countless, and almost verbatim, descriptions of the agony of this emo teen werewolf.

Being a fan of fiction, vampires, werewolves and zombies, I'd recommend sticking with something else.
As a side note, my wonder as to why I had never heard of Marin Millar if Neil Gaiman has been his fan for 20 years has been answered...

I really enjoyed this book. There is something refreshing about how seamlessly the mundane, the fantastical, and the absurd all blend together. There were a lot of characters to juggle, but with deft skill on the part if the author, I found that I could keep up (Except tracing back the family tree of the werewolves etc.)
The character of Malveria in particular was a lot of fun. So overall well written, fun, and I will definitely look into more by this author.

Certainly not great literature (and not great editing), but this hilarious and fast-moving urban fantasy had me laughing out loud and wanting more. The excellent character and plot development makes the wonderfully absurd storyline almost credible and totally engaging. The chapters are short, making it light on the attention span, but it is so suspenseful that I was reading large chunks at a time and came to the end too soon. Fortunately, while most the loose ends are tied up, enough is left unresolved for a sequel. All in all, a lot of fun!

The first thing that hit me about this book was the richness of backstory and the sheer size of the cast of characters.

Although the plot centers around the titular lonely teen werewolf, Kalix MacRinnalch, she lives in a rich world populated with numerous other characters whose actions interfere with or drive important developments in the story. Fifteen-year-old Kalix is the youngest daughter of the Thane of the MacRinnalch Clan of werewolves. She's strong and she knows it, and she doesn't get along well with others--she escapes from the clan stronghold in Scotland and makes her way to London after almost killing her father in a fight. Addicted to laudanum and in poor shape, she is set upon by members of her own Clan who think she should pay for what she did to her father. Her older sister and London-based fashion designer, Thrix, helps her as best she can, but when Kalix sells the protective amulet Thrix gave her, she's easily discovered by other werewolves trying to hunt her down.

Kalix's attempts to escape the members of her clan who are trying to kill her lands her squarely in the path of Daniel, a normal university student in London who's never thought about anything like werewolves before. He and his roommate, Moonglow, do their best to protect Kalix and convince her that there are things worth living for, but outside forces intervene and place Kalix directly in the middle of MacRinnalch Clan politics.

This sprawling narrative can be unwieldy at times, and the large numbers of characters and situations initially may seem disjointed, but when the plots begin to intertwine and work together, the many different storylines coalesce into a whole that is better than the sum of its parts.

The beginning of the novel works to set up all of the information necessary for the reader to understand the world that Kalix and her friends and enemies move in, preparing the reader for the meatier middle scenes. The occasional rapid-fire scene shifts and point of view shifts were initially difficult, but these problems ironed themselves out as the ook progressed.

I was really impressed by the different characters portrayed throughout. Kalix is by no means the only one with depth; some of the other werewolves, paranormal creatures, and humans that she runs into are equally well-drawn, with their little quirks and amusing habits. Thrix, Kalix's older sister, is the werewolf enchantress, and yet she enjoys designing clothing, some of which appeals to buyers from alternate dimensions. Malveria, one of these customers, begins as what appears to be a comic character but ends up having a real impact on the plot later on. The politics of the MacRinnalch Clan are carried out by a large array of characters, each with their own distinct motivations and machinations.

LONELY WEREWOLF GIRL is not a simple read, but the complexity is part of the pleasure of reading this book.

Reviewed by: Candace Cunard

"Lonely Werewolf Girl" is a modern-day fairytale, destined to become a twenty-first century classic. Like the fables from the Brothers Grimm, Martin's story is a mixture of mysterious characters, improbable situations...laced with underlying social issues prevalent to current times. Unlike previous enchanted myths and legends, Martin interlaces his tale with his signature abundance of tongue-in-cheek humor.

Set in present day Great Britain, the story revolves around an angst ridden teenage werewolf, her werewolf family, two misfit humans, a large supporting cast of mythological beings, oh and a bevy of the inevitable evil bad-guys. There is murder, espionage, mayhem and bedlam, slapstick absurdity, and of course the expected guest appearance of Martin's fairies (after all, it wouldn't be a Martin Millar classic without the inclusion of the mischievous winged creatures).

Under all the fun and frivolity, Martin touches upon serious psychological and emotional issues that plague contemporary teens. Issues such as eating disorders, addiction, peer pressure, abuse, abandonment, heartache, and self-mutilation. Martin handles the inclusion of these serious issues with a nonchalant, non-preachy manner.

As with all of Martin's novels, "Lonely Werewolf Girl" features a cast of hundreds (ok, I am not sure of the exact character count, it could possibly be closer to thousands). Along with a robust cast of characters, the main storyline mingles with a plethora of subplots. This is the true genius behind all of Martin's works, his ability to effectively weave a multitude of characters and subplots into a coherent and plausible story. As always, he makes the reader believe in the unbelievable.

At 560 pages, "Lonely Werewolf Girl" is the most prolific of Martin's novels. Despite its length, the novel is a quick read, and evokes the "can't put it down" syndrome. The last chapter gives hint of a sequel...I know that I will be the first in line to read the further adventures of the "Lonely Werewolf Girl."

Dee Marie

Lovely Werewolf Girl is tremendously entertaining. I started the novel before bed last night, intending to read for about twenty minutes. Three hours later, I could hardly put the book down. Millar has penned a fun, fast read that you might want to begin on an evening when you don't have to work the next morning. Thanks to Neil Gaiman for the recommendation.

I really wanted to like this book when I found it at my local library. I'm a big fan of the fantasy genre, and the summary on the back of the book made it seem interesting and original. The basic plot has such promise, and could have made an excellent story. However, I was sorely disappointed. The story seems disjointed, with not enough explanation and back story in certain parts, and too much in others. The editing is horrible, with many instances of misused words and misspellings. Quite honestly, it reads like a poorly written fanfiction, authored by an moody middle school aged student. If you're looking for a good read, look elsewhere.