Booklist and the Blogosphere agree. Lonely Werewolf Girl? It pretty much rocks ;-)
More specifically, Diana Tixier Herald sez:
"The MacRinnalch clan of Scottish werewolves is at war with itself. Attacked by his 17-year-old daughter
Kalix, the thane has succumbed, leaving the succession in question. Neither eldest son Sarapen nor
younger, cross-dressing scion Markus have enough votes in the werewolves’ Great Council to become
thane, and the late thane’s mother offers her vote to whomever brings her Kalix’s heart. Kalix, despondent
over losing her lover to exile, is on the verge of suicide before either bounty hunters or the secret society
that hunts werewolves finds her. After she’s rescued by college students Moonglow and Daniel, things
take a curious turn, to, among other things, her sister Thrix, a werewolf enchantress and couturier for
fashion-obsessed fire-elemental warrior queen Malveria. This complex romp features scores of characters,
multiple races, enchanting fashion trappings, business, family dynamics, music, sex, enduring love,
romance, business, eating disorders, drug addiction, back-alley fights, epic battles, politics, and, most
prominently, the contrary nature of werewolves, not to mention 236 (!) chapters. And it’s so compelling
you don’t want to it end. The grungy, gory, glorious world that World Fantasy Award–winner Millar has
created is unforgettable."
Then Colleen Mondor sez: http://www.chasingray.com/archives/2008/04/recent_reads_2.html
"I read a lot of books for my column [the Bookslut YA column] that I think will likely appeal to teenage boys or girls (or even younger) and sometimes I read a book that I think will probably crossover equally to each gender but it is rare that I read a book that I am convinced is perfect for teen readers.
I mean they are going to love this.
I just finished Lonely Werewolf Girl by Martin Millar and the best way I can describe it is as a werewolf soap opera with subplots involving fashion, music and bloody death of many werewolves. You have moments where the big discussion is how to find more episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch on cable followed by a fight that results in multiple bad guys getting pulverized. It's blood and taffeta; frank discussion of Joan Jett followed by the importance of literacy.
How in the hell Millar pulls off this off so well is totally beyond me but man, I'd love to be his student.
The lynchpin is Kalix, the werewolf girl of the title who had a seriously bad upbringing (we're talking a mother that has no problem pitting one child against another in some epically serious conflict) and tried to kill her father. Everyone is after her and they are going to get her until a couple of humans happen upon her, save her life, and then slowly but surely become her best friends forever. And then a whole bunch of other awesome stuff happens that is funny, scary and poignant and all the people you care about live happily ever after.
I completely see why I am not the only one who loved this book. It will be reviewed in my July column - expect a serious rave. (And yes, I still have a duplicate copy if you want to read it - email colleenatchasingraydotcom.)"
Millar, Martin (Author)
Apr 2008. 560 p. Soft Skull, paperback, $15.95. (9780979663666).
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