"The Wolf Gift"

Book Title: The Wolf Gift
Author: Anne Rice
Version: Advanced ebook
ISBN for ebook: 9780307700476
Voice: Omniscient
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
First Published: February 14th
Number of ebook pages: 400


SYNOPSIS: I am priviledged to be working at a book store, which means that I can usually get advanced reader copies of some books. Anne Rice's "The Wolf Gift" was one of these. Now I haven't read a whole lot of Anne Rice. In fact the only two books I have read by her wer singular books, not part of any of her series. I was interested in this book however because I knew that Anne Rice was going to be in my store to sign the book so I was thinking about reading it. Then a manager at work told me he was in the middle of reading the advanced ebook and 'suggested' that I download it and read it. So that is what I did. 

The story starts with Reuben Golding walking through a forrest with Marchant Nideck looking at the magnificent house that Reuben is writing an article on for the San Francisco Observer. For the first time since the house was built hundreds of years ago it is going up for sale. Marchant's Uncle Felix has been missing for long enough that he has been declared dead and Marchant has taken on the duty of packing up and selling the house. Because the house is so far away from the city Reuben is invited to stay the night. Marchant and Reuben spend a passionate night of talk and love making one that leaves a deep impression on Reuben's life. He is lost in dreams of what life with Marchant could be like when he is awoken by the sounds of glass breaking and a scream coming from the kitchen. Reuben rushes downstairs and sees two men breaking in to the silver cabinet and Marchant lying dead on the floor. Reuben, enraged, tries to stop the men but they attack him. As Reuben lies bleeding and broken on the floor he hears a crash and some great beast comes flying through the kitchen door and with a swipe of it's paws and the snap of it's jaws it kills the two attackers and almost kills Reuben but leaves him his life.

While recuperating in the hospital Reuben begins to notice some changes occuring within himself. His doctor, who is also his mother, notices it as well. His wounds start to heal very quickly his body is burning up, but he has no infection. Everytime he gets his blood drawn it disappears before it gets to the lab. He begins to hear voices from the other floors of the hospital. These changes come to a head one night when all of a sudden an orgasmic change ripples through him and the wolf that was inside finally comes out. He relishes the feeling that his new shape gives him one of power and deep satisfcation. When he hears screaming coming out of the nighttime he has an instictual response and jumping through the window he goes in search of the evil he feels. What follows is a night full of pleasure and gore and an addiction that begins to attract the attention of not just the police but the media, scientists and a mysterious group of men that seem to hold some of the answers that haunt Reuben.

REVIEW: As I said before I have not read a lot of Anne Rice books, in fact I think after this book I will have only read three. However I have read a lot of books about werewolves and a lot of books in general. I was not impressed with the book, it was over done and I honestly felt as if she tried to hard. Everyone had iPhones and was on Facebook. The writing while not necessarily bad wasn't anything that blew me away. I felt as if she used too many words and took too long to describe certain scenes. It was as if she was really trying to make the story modern and accesible to a younger crowd but she missed the mark.

The writing seemed forced and strained, almost as if she had to make herself continue writing. The story seemed like it was floating in too many different directions. Anne Rice tried to add in a sense of forbiding and mystery but I ended up just not caring about what happened to any of the characters. It just didn't matter to me. When that happens I know that the book is going to let me down. I finished it only because I was sure that I was going to be quized on it by the manager that suggested it to me. But if I had just picked it up to read I probably would have put it down. I gave it 2 stars on goodreads.com which means I think that it was "ok" because I didn't hate it and there were parts that had me wanting to know 'what's going to happen next?' But those parts were few and far between. I honestly don't think that I can recommend the book. But I am not giving up on Anne Rice, I am interested in her vampire books and the other books I read by her which were "Cry to Heaven" and "Servant of the Bones" I really enjoyed. I was just disappointed with "The Wolf Gift," and it was a shame to because I think that Anne Rice is really talented. Unfortunately this was not her best work so if you were thinking of picking up the newest Anne Rice skip it. I don't think that it is worth the money or the time, it's a sad thing but there it is.