Not anything wildly different from other books I’ve read, but not the alpha and pack sort of thing either. Lost and isolated, he is found by another werewolf, who wants to show him the ropes, help him master his beast, as it were. Admittedly, I like to think I hold life to a higher standard than Brian's fairly flippant "oopsie-daisies", but than again, I'm not a werewolf. While reading the book, I was struck by how it evoked memories of two popular television shows: "Bitten," which first aired in 2014, and "Teen Wolf," which aired in 2011.

it was exactly what i wanted it to be and it was fun to turn off my brain and go along for the ride. The portrayal of Grindr hookups, navigating tokenization in a group of girlfriends, and the complex self-loathing associated with seeking approval from DL guys paints a vivid picture that resonates with those familiar with such experiences. I also never thought I'd relate so much to this character but as someone who worked as a waiter and lost their direction in my twenties? The reveal about Darby’s boyfriend, Abe, was also fun, though I did kinda have a suspicion it was something like that. A novel about themes toxic masculinity and capitalism, expressed with charm, humour, and a few splatters of blood.Tyler has got a plan, and weirdly his brand of self-help punditry actually encourages Brian to shape up and to stop accidently marking out guys who ghosted him on Grindr as potential monthly victims. I had the pleasure of reading this captivating book in May 2023, spending almost an entire day engrossed in its pages.

As soon as it was available, I dove right into the story for the second time, relishing every moment of the experience while reading along. More than that, though, and like Scooby Doo with Grindr or Stranger Things with sex and ennui, it's a buddy novel about finding your pack, the power of friendship, and learning how to be comfortable in your own, shaggy werewolf pelt. Darby is your classic ethereal and quirky enby, and they have more emotional maturity in their little finger than Brian does in his entire werewolf body. But as Brian gets closer to Tyler's pack and drifts further away from Nik and Darby, he realises that Tyler's expansion plans are much more nefarious than a little lupine enlightenment.I picked Bored Gay Werewolf off the library's June pride display, because who could resist a title like that? Not only is Brian a bored gay werewolf, but he's a college dropout stuck in a dead-end job, that desperately craves a sense of belonging while simultaneously fearing the vulnerability that comes with being known. The protagonist isn’t the most self-confident lycanthrope in Oregon, but he is a sweetheart and very relatable and his friends are just lovely. I found Bored Gay Werewolf a fun read, like a much lighter version of Woman, Eating which also uses supernatural creatures to comment on the absurdity of 21st century life. The narrative transitions from a contemporary adult novel to a fantasy young adult one in the blink of an eye.