Book Review: Wolfsong

• Book Blurb

  Wolfsong is a heartfelt story of queer love, loyalty, and found family from TJ Klune, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean Sea.

  
  Ox Matheson was twelve when his father taught him a lesson: Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.
  
  Ox was sixteen when the energetic Bennett family moved in next door, harbouring a secret that would change him forever. For the family are shape-shifters, who can transform into wolves at will. Drawn to their magic, loyalty and enduring friendships, Ox feels a gulf between this extraordinary new world and the quiet life he’s known. He also finds an ally in Joe, the youngest Bennett boy. Joe is charming and handsome, but haunted by scars he cannot heal.
  
  Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town, and tore a hole in his heart. Violence flared, tragedy split the pack and Joe left town, leaving Ox behind. Three years later, the boy is back. Except now he’s a man – and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.
  
  Wolfsong is the first book in the beloved Green Creek series by bestselling author TJ Klune. Continue the journey with Ravensong.
  
  Praise for TJ Klune:
  
  ‘Like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket’ – V. E. Schwab, author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
  
  ‘A whimsical, warm-hearted fantasy’ – The Guardian
  
  ‘A radiant treat’ – Locus Magazine

  Wolfsong is a heartfelt story of queer love, loyalty, and found family from TJ Klune, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean Sea.

  Ox Matheson was twelve when his father taught him a lesson: Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.

  Ox was sixteen when the energetic Bennett family moved in next door, harbouring a secret that would change him forever. For the family are shape-shifters, who can transform into wolves at will. Drawn to their magic, loyalty and enduring friendships, Ox feels a gulf between this extraordinary new world and the quiet life he’s known. He also finds an ally in Joe, the youngest Bennett boy. Joe is charming and handsome, but haunted by scars he cannot heal.

  Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town, and tore a hole in his heart. Violence flared, tragedy split the pack and Joe left town, leaving Ox behind. Three years later, the boy is back. Except now he’s a man – and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

  Wolfsong is the first book in the beloved Green Creek series by bestselling author TJ Klune. Continue the journey with Ravensong.

  Praise for TJ Klune:

  ‘Like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket’ – V. E. Schwab, author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

  ‘A whimsical, warm-hearted fantasy’ – The Guardian

  ‘A radiant treat’ – Locus Magazine

• My review

  CAREFUL: the official blurb for this book is basically one giant spoiler. I hate when a blurb summarizes half the plot, and Wolfsong’s blurb does exactly that. So if you’re new to the book, skip it. Just read the story.

  Now—onto the review.

  There are books that are so beautiful they almost hurt, not because they’re sad but because they’re that emotionally rich. Wolfsong is exactly that kind of book.

  This is essentially Ox’s life story, from early adolescence into adulthood. The MM romance with Joe is a subplot—an important one, but still secondary to Ox’s journey and the themes of love, loyalty, grief, family, and belonging.

  I first read this in 2022. I re-read it in 2025 and it remains one of the best-written stories I’ve ever picked up. For a book with almost no spice, it has to be exceptional for me to give it five stars—and it absolutely is. 

  Ox and the Narrative Style

  Ox is “simple” in the way he thinks—not stupid, not incapable, just wired differently. He’s slow to process things, he’s literal, and people bully him because of it.

  “My daddy thought I was slow. My mom said it wasn’t a race.”

  That line sets the tone for the entire book. The whole story is written from Ox’s POV, with a clarity and simplicity that becomes the book’s emotional backbone. Reading the book feels like seeing the world through Ox’s lens—direct, literal, simple—as he grows up.

  Worldbuilding

  Packs have one Alpha and several Betas. Omegas aren’t part of packs—they’re basically wolves who’ve gone rogue and lost their human side. All wolves need a connection to something in order to hold on to their humanity; for an Alpha that could be their land, their pack, or anything that grounds them.

  There can only be one Alpha per pack. Alphas have red eyes and that “alpha spirit” is inherited in a way. Betas have orange eyes, and Omegas have purple ones. Wolves shift every full moon but can also shift whenever they want. They have soulmates they recognize by scent.

  Humans don’t know about the supernatural world. Witches exist, and humans can be turned into werewolves. Ox, the protagonist, is human—and his love interest is a werewolf.

  Characters

  Ox (Oxnard): Loyal to his core. Gentle. Misunderstood. Someone people underestimate because of his simplicity. His arc revolves around what it means to become “the man,” to protect, to choose family.

  Honestly, Ox is the only character that matters for this review—even more than Joe. Joe is important, but he’s still a secondary presence compared to Ox’s coming-of-age.

  CAREFUL: the official blurb for this book is basically one giant spoiler. I hate when a blurb summarizes half the plot, and Wolfsong’s blurb does exactly that. So if you’re new to the book, skip it. Just read the story.

  Now—onto the review.

  There are books that are so beautiful they almost hurt, not because they’re sad but because they’re that emotionally rich. Wolfsong is exactly that kind of book.

  This is essentially Ox’s life story, from early adolescence into adulthood. The MM romance with Joe is a subplot—an important one, but still secondary to Ox’s journey and the themes of love, loyalty, grief, family, and belonging.

  I first read this in 2022. I re-read it in 2025 and it remains one of the best-written stories I’ve ever picked up. For a book with almost no spice, it has to be exceptional for me to give it five stars—and it absolutely is. 

  Ox and the Narrative Style

  Ox is “simple” in the way he thinks—not stupid, not incapable, just wired differently. He’s slow to process things, he’s literal, and people bully him because of it.

  “My daddy thought I was slow. My mom said it wasn’t a race.”

  That line sets the tone for the entire book. The whole story is written from Ox’s POV, with a clarity and simplicity that becomes the book’s emotional backbone. Reading the book feels like seeing the world through Ox’s lens—direct, literal, simple—as he grows up.

  Worldbuilding

  Packs have one Alpha and several Betas. Omegas aren’t part of packs—they’re basically wolves who’ve gone rogue and lost their human side. All wolves need a connection to something in order to hold on to their humanity; for an Alpha that could be their land, their pack, or anything that grounds them.

  There can only be one Alpha per pack. Alphas have red eyes and that “alpha spirit” is inherited in a way. Betas have orange eyes, and Omegas have purple ones. Wolves shift every full moon but can also shift whenever they want. They have soulmates they recognize by scent.

  Humans don’t know about the supernatural world. Witches exist, and humans can be turned into werewolves. Ox, the protagonist, is human—and his love interest is a werewolf.

  Characters

  Ox (Oxnard): Loyal to his core. Gentle. Misunderstood. Someone people underestimate because of his simplicity. His arc revolves around what it means to become “the man,” to protect, to choose family.

  Honestly, Ox is the only character that matters for this review—even more than Joe. Joe is important, but he’s still a secondary presence compared to Ox’s coming-of-age.

Character & romance details

Who will love this book

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