The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group

Gr 8 Up—Life for 13-year-old Toby Vandevelde has been pretty normal until he awakens in the hospital and discovers that he was found naked and unconscious in the local wildlife park's dingo pen. If that isn't disturbing enough, Toby gets the shock of his life when he is visited by Father Ramon Alvarez and his freaky-looking friend, Rueben. They reveal that he is, in fact, a werewolf. What follows is a whirlwind of events that involves Toby's prankster friends, his overworked mother, an underground werewolf fight ring, kidnappers, abused werewolves, and members of the Reformed Vampire Support Group. As with The Reformed Vampire Support Group (Harcourt, 2009), these supernatural creatures are not romanticized or portrayed as gorgeous, strong, and sexy. Instead Jinks shows them as mistreated, weak, uncontrollable, and in need of therapy. She weaves an action-packed story that has a tempo all its own. The constant plot twists and turns thrust the characters into bizarre situations that are at times as humorous as they are scary. The ending leaves room for another installment. The story can stand on its own, but it will be enjoyed most by those familiar with the characters from the previous book.—Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY