by Roger L. DiSilvestro ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 30, 1988
The good news is that DiSilvestro's first novel is a rarity--a comic horror novel. The bad news is that this brief tale of a wimp adjusting to life as a werewolf is about as scary as a bad joke and as funny as, well, a werewolf. ""Stanley Merriwether had never wanted to be a werewolf,"" DiSilvestro writes in his opening sentence. No, white-bread businessman Stanley has always wanted to be black: ""Those black people, he thought, they have a kind of style, a grace of movement, like wild animals, like jungle cats. . .I wonder, he thought, if people ever think I'm black?"" Stanley never does find out, since moments later, on a stroll, he's bitten in the shoulder by a whore-cum-werewolf, Ursula, in thanks for trying to save her from a savage pimp. The next night, Stanley changes into a huge, silver-haired wolf--and he loves it. No longer does he pine to be black; not only does he relish the power and grace of wolf-hood, but even as a human he grows muscles and a way with the ladies (of whom he beds several, including Ursula and his bosomy blond secretary). Of course, there are drawbacks--like bloodlust, initial inability to control his changings, and the several people out to kill him, including his rich, gamehunting dad and a vampire/werewolf-hunting shrink. But with help from a secret network of werewolves, zombies, ghouls, and vampires that an old friend of his dad's--a secret werewolf--introduces him to, Stanley gets proper monster training--how to stalk and kill--and even reunites with his long-lost mom, who turns up as a vampire. At novel's end, a spurned love finally shoots Stanley dead with silver bullets; but no matter--his mom's love-bite has turned him into an eternal vampire anyway. A nifty idea (though not original: consider the recent film-hit Teen Wolf) ravaged by silly turns, slack narration, and an offensive (racist, sexist) viewpoint.
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1988
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Donald Fine
Review Posted Online: N/A
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1988
Categories: FICTION
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.