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Stray
Werewolves just became dangerous again. 'Stray' is a story that goes against the grain of conventional urban fantasy. There are no love triangles, cringeworthy descriptions of sparkly vampires, or sappy endings here. Prepare for violence, cursing, and often inappropriate humor. Zachary Archer has accidentally become a werewolf. Now he must learn to control the monster he is becoming, while navigating the daily pitfalls of life as a 16-year old smart-ass and poster-child for teen apathy. As the next full moon approaches, the struggle is real.“Stray is the dark tale of a teen violently thrown into a world he is ill-equipped to handle. It explores themes like choice, consequence, and survival in a relatable way.” – Reader Review
283 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 12, 2019
I picked up "Stray" because I was intrigued by the premise: an anti-Twilight werewolf tale about a boy reluctantly turned into a creature of the night, and the struggles that entail. As promised, I will not include spoilers, but if you're looking for a grittier story that does not romanticize being in the world of the supernatural, look no further. There is, however, frequent profanity that might preclude readers under a certain age to enjoy this book, but the intended audience seems to be teenagers and above anyway. That being said, this is also not just a story for girls, like the general paranormal genre lends itself to be; in fact, guys would likely enjoy this book marginally more for how relatable they would find a male main character.
Zack Archer is unwillingly thrust into being a werewolf at the age of 16 after a camping trip with friends goes horribly wrong, and thereby ensues the conflict: fitting into his new "pack" where his Alpha dislikes him, balancing his school life with being nocturnal, and the struggle of maintaining the line between humanity and other. Zack is a narrator who directly addresses the reader, as if he's an old friend of yours telling you this crazy story about his life, and you can't help but appreciate his genuineness in the moments of weakness of vulnerability he faces. He doesn't shy away from the details, which adds an intimacy between the reader and the text that is often not found in supernatural stories for teenagers. He's honest, endearing, brutally straightforward, and not afraid to speak his mind, but at the same time, he's humorous and sarcastic as true to his character, makes smart decisions in the face of challenge, and adjusts to his surroundings in a way that leaves the reader interested in how he'll get out of his various predicaments.
If you're looking for a werewolf story with a darker undertone and a main character who isn't afraid to tell you to go F yourself, look no further. "Stray" is the book you want.
Zack Archer is unwillingly thrust into being a werewolf at the age of 16 after a camping trip with friends goes horribly wrong, and thereby ensues the conflict: fitting into his new "pack" where his Alpha dislikes him, balancing his school life with being nocturnal, and the struggle of maintaining the line between humanity and other. Zack is a narrator who directly addresses the reader, as if he's an old friend of yours telling you this crazy story about his life, and you can't help but appreciate his genuineness in the moments of weakness of vulnerability he faces. He doesn't shy away from the details, which adds an intimacy between the reader and the text that is often not found in supernatural stories for teenagers. He's honest, endearing, brutally straightforward, and not afraid to speak his mind, but at the same time, he's humorous and sarcastic as true to his character, makes smart decisions in the face of challenge, and adjusts to his surroundings in a way that leaves the reader interested in how he'll get out of his various predicaments.
If you're looking for a werewolf story with a darker undertone and a main character who isn't afraid to tell you to go F yourself, look no further. "Stray" is the book you want.
May 6, 2015
This book is far from the average fantasy creature novel, where the hero gets the girl, saves the world etc.
It is a fresh take on the monster genre. Articulate and well written from the perspective of a cynical, sarcastic and witty outcast. Some of the situations in this story i can relate to real life.
I have read this book multiple times and can't get enough of it. The twists, the turns, the horrific - in depth descriptions of all things gruesome and vile.
If you want a book that makes you root for the anti hero, and strays (Pardon the pun) from the normal monster cliche's. Give this one a read
Judging from my own experience and the reviews i've read on various sites. Sit down, strap in and read this story from start to finish.
It is a fresh take on the monster genre. Articulate and well written from the perspective of a cynical, sarcastic and witty outcast. Some of the situations in this story i can relate to real life.
I have read this book multiple times and can't get enough of it. The twists, the turns, the horrific - in depth descriptions of all things gruesome and vile.
If you want a book that makes you root for the anti hero, and strays (Pardon the pun) from the normal monster cliche's. Give this one a read
Judging from my own experience and the reviews i've read on various sites. Sit down, strap in and read this story from start to finish.
June 21, 2019
I wasn't surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Anti-heroes are one of my favorite tropes in fiction, and I love a good monster story. That said, "Stray" offered a fresh take on a lot of the cliche monster tropes. I tore through it in 3 sittings. Can't wait to read more from this author!
July 25, 2020
This review doesn't contain spoilers.
I went into Stray with cautious optimism. The blurb promised a fresh and gritty take on werewolves, a classic that unfortunately has lost its luster lately. I was hoping for something that treated the topic with respect, something that grabbed me and made me feel uncomfortable. Something that made me go, "Man, that's messed up."
I'm incredibly happy to say Stray managed to pull that off to great effect. This story gets REALLY dark at times, but doesn't use its dark elements as cheap shock value like so many stories of this type try to do. At the center of Stray, there are interesting characters, complex relationships, and touching friendships that ground all the fantastical (and horrifying) elements, making them feel more impactful and believable when they do come.
Something else this story does really well is incorporating humor . . . this thing can be hilarious when it wants to be, and most importantly, IT KNOWS when to be funny and when not to. The author clearly knows when some snark and sarcasm will be welcome, and he knows when to pull back and let the dark moments shine without being undermined by cheap jokes. The result is a story that will make you laugh and will make you sick to your stomach, while never allowing those 2 elements to step over each other. I loved that.
If you like blood and werewolves, read this thing. Unless you get put off by people cursing . . . although let's be real, who likes blood and werewolves and gets put off by cursing?
The only complaint I have about this, is that there's not a sequel.
I went into Stray with cautious optimism. The blurb promised a fresh and gritty take on werewolves, a classic that unfortunately has lost its luster lately. I was hoping for something that treated the topic with respect, something that grabbed me and made me feel uncomfortable. Something that made me go, "Man, that's messed up."
I'm incredibly happy to say Stray managed to pull that off to great effect. This story gets REALLY dark at times, but doesn't use its dark elements as cheap shock value like so many stories of this type try to do. At the center of Stray, there are interesting characters, complex relationships, and touching friendships that ground all the fantastical (and horrifying) elements, making them feel more impactful and believable when they do come.
Something else this story does really well is incorporating humor . . . this thing can be hilarious when it wants to be, and most importantly, IT KNOWS when to be funny and when not to. The author clearly knows when some snark and sarcasm will be welcome, and he knows when to pull back and let the dark moments shine without being undermined by cheap jokes. The result is a story that will make you laugh and will make you sick to your stomach, while never allowing those 2 elements to step over each other. I loved that.
If you like blood and werewolves, read this thing. Unless you get put off by people cursing . . . although let's be real, who likes blood and werewolves and gets put off by cursing?
The only complaint I have about this, is that there's not a sequel.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews