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An action-packed, extremely inventive and highly amusing exploration of the perils of being a teenage werewolf, Big Bad Me has plenty of bite!
It's narrated from the point of view of Evie who has discovered her family has been hiding the truth about her wolfish side all her life (managing to convince her she has an ultra-rare type of diabetes).
There are lots of reasons to get your claws on the YA debut of IRISH author Aislinn O'Loughlin, but here are our top five...
It's so fresh and funny
Although vampires and werewolves often feature in fiction, this is a unique take on a familiar trope. The dialogue and inner monologues are hilarious, snappy and whip-smart. The humour also helps make the scarier moments more palatable for the more faint-hearted like myself! It has kick-ass characters
All of the characters are delightfully different and complex, with convincing and compelling voices, and if you're looking for strong female protagonists, look no further. Even the villains are intriguing and fully-fleshed out, and absolutely no one feels clichéd or predictable – which adds to the fun and keeps the story full of surprises.
It celebrates families Even though we see supernatural abilities and remarkable strength, the most powerful forces in this story are unconditional love and the unbreakable bonds that exist within families. We see siblings go to incredible lengths to protect one another and we learn how important it is to focus on who someone is rather than what they are. It encourages readers to embrace who they are
We might not be supernatural beings but we often have aspects of ourselves that we wish we could change. Evie learns to love her perfect imperfections and use them to her advantage, demonstrating that all 'flaws' have their uses and that we should all be more appreciative of what makes us who we are.
It fills the Buffy-shaped hole in your life As a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it was wonderful how this reminded me of all the things I loved the most about the TV series, while still remaining entirely original. I was also intrigued to learn that the book was actually inspired by a dream author Aislinn O'Loughlin had after watching an episode of Buffy (you can learn more about this in a guest post by Aislinn). In addition to Buffy, this reminded me a little of The Lost Boys too. So, it can do no wrong really.
Thanks so much to the lovely people in Little Island for sharing this fabulous book with us and to Aislinn for visiting the blog and telling us about the weird ways inspiration can strike. Visit all of the below tour stops to learn more about this sensational new book. Read all about the inspiration behind this terrific debut as part of the blog tour celebrating its release
Big Bad Me released on 3rd October 2022 - see this book on the publisher's website I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.