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Crying Wolf
This pacy urban thriller is the US debut for an award-winning Irish author.
Joey’s stepdad, Vinnie, ran away from Dublin over a year ago. Now he’s back, and everyone wants to know if he’s still a wolf.
Joey wants to believe Vinnie has given up his dodgy ways and returned to be near his family. But he’s in no hurry to meet him. With his girlfriend going to Trinity College and his new start living with his aunt, Joey is trying to move on.
But fate doesn’t sit on a fence and Joey will have to confront his own painful past and the role his stepdad played in it.
Joey’s stepdad, Vinnie, ran away from Dublin over a year ago. Now he’s back, and everyone wants to know if he’s still a wolf.
Joey wants to believe Vinnie has given up his dodgy ways and returned to be near his family. But he’s in no hurry to meet him. With his girlfriend going to Trinity College and his new start living with his aunt, Joey is trying to move on.
But fate doesn’t sit on a fence and Joey will have to confront his own painful past and the role his stepdad played in it.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 25, 2025
2 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 12, 2025
Ginsey joey and sharon sounds like something I’ve read before….
this book was ass I don’t recommend like the end was so rushed bro
this book was ass I don’t recommend like the end was so rushed bro
November 13, 2025
read this book if you have insomnia it might help
January 27, 2026
the synopsis really intrigued me but unfortunately this was not it. the plot was simultaneously dull yet hard to keep up somehow, especially since the first chapter already has dozens of names being thrown in.
i guess i expected higher stakes but there wasn’t any insane action until maybe the last 5% of the book, which itself was overly dramatic to get through. the ending was extremely abrupt, with no definitive conclusion to wrap everything up.
you would think that the plot would heavily centre around joey and vinnie’s relationship, but in actuality vinnie himself barely appeared and there was more telling than showing. furthermore, the plot twist— while i didn’t exactly predict it— it didn’t really ‘wow’ me either?
it’s hard in general to connect with the characters, who were neither unlikable nor pleasant with zero character development. the romance (if you can even call it that) was just there without any much substance, and i found the dialogue to be a lil off putting sometimes. overall, it was just kinda a whole lot of nothing.
big thanks to James Butler, Little Island Books, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
i guess i expected higher stakes but there wasn’t any insane action until maybe the last 5% of the book, which itself was overly dramatic to get through. the ending was extremely abrupt, with no definitive conclusion to wrap everything up.
you would think that the plot would heavily centre around joey and vinnie’s relationship, but in actuality vinnie himself barely appeared and there was more telling than showing. furthermore, the plot twist— while i didn’t exactly predict it— it didn’t really ‘wow’ me either?
it’s hard in general to connect with the characters, who were neither unlikable nor pleasant with zero character development. the romance (if you can even call it that) was just there without any much substance, and i found the dialogue to be a lil off putting sometimes. overall, it was just kinda a whole lot of nothing.
big thanks to James Butler, Little Island Books, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
March 4, 2025
An emotional and gritty urban thriller based in Dublin for young adults. Joey is trying to overcome the shadows of his past after getting caught up in the antics of his step dad, who fled the city and its underbelly to start elsewhere. Joey is trying to claw himself away from the crime gangs through hard work. Now that his girlfriend is at Trinity College, it is even more important to keep up appearances. However, it isn't that easy when the past rears its ugly head bringing a trail of destruction in its wake. There is such depth of characterisationn.and I felt every up and down with Joey. Such an emotional read. #cryingwolf #Jamesbutler #littleislandbooks slandbooks #urbanthriller #Ireland #irishwriitng #YAnovel
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book was good! Very little descriptive writing which I lowk would’ve liked because I couldn’t imagine any of the characters or their surroundings . Just imagined joey super hot hehe. Mega plot twist at the end, kind of confused about it but anyways. Found it hard to follow at times but with more concentration/ thought when reading and it would definitely be better. The idea was there!
Review of advance copy
Rushed, characters had no development
January 15, 2026
Thank you to School Library Journal for letting me read this ARC copy!
Butler writes a novel about an eighteen-year-old who is essentially "lost" in this world and gets into an unhealthy and toxic situation similar to a mob or mafia style dynamic. This story takes place in Dublin, Ireland and does not contain much or any diversity in terms of outside backgrounds; every character was born and raised in Ireland and are presumed white. Our main character, Joey, decides not to go to college and to pick up jobs as he goes. His old step-dad, Vinnie, wants to recruit him to do dirty work for him and essentially "trap" him into this lifestyle. Joey wants to move on with his life, but Vinnie comes to haunt his every move to get him to come back, but Joey must make a decision as to how he wants to live out his life along with his girlfriend, Sharon.
This is a good book for those who want a good palette cleanser, but it was not for me. I was not as interested and involved with the story as I wanted to be merely because the overall premise was something I was not deeply invested in. It was very appropriate for high school grades, but because there are references to substance abuse without the overall morality of getting sober, this wouldn't be my first recommendation for a middle grade student.
Butler writes a novel about an eighteen-year-old who is essentially "lost" in this world and gets into an unhealthy and toxic situation similar to a mob or mafia style dynamic. This story takes place in Dublin, Ireland and does not contain much or any diversity in terms of outside backgrounds; every character was born and raised in Ireland and are presumed white. Our main character, Joey, decides not to go to college and to pick up jobs as he goes. His old step-dad, Vinnie, wants to recruit him to do dirty work for him and essentially "trap" him into this lifestyle. Joey wants to move on with his life, but Vinnie comes to haunt his every move to get him to come back, but Joey must make a decision as to how he wants to live out his life along with his girlfriend, Sharon.
This is a good book for those who want a good palette cleanser, but it was not for me. I was not as interested and involved with the story as I wanted to be merely because the overall premise was something I was not deeply invested in. It was very appropriate for high school grades, but because there are references to substance abuse without the overall morality of getting sober, this wouldn't be my first recommendation for a middle grade student.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews