It's been about a year since I read Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison and I still find myself thinking about it from time to time. Especially now that Halloween is coming up.
(Okay, sure, I read it in December, but winter is as good a time for werewolf stories as fall. Better, even, since it's too cold to go out and frolic in the woods in search of real ones.)
The story follows Rory (Aurora) Morris, a young woman who begrudgingly moves back to her hometown to help her twin sister, Scarlett, who is expecting a baby. While she is there, she is attacked by a creature in the night - as she recovers, she finds herself slowly changing - she's growing stronger (supernaturally so), developing a strong craving for meat, and developing an aversion to silver.
Savvy readers will recognize these as hallmark traits of a werewolf. This will likely not be much of a surprise to those who read the first part of this post where I mentioned werewolf stories, but I'm not going for shock value, here.
The story doesn't treat this like some huge surprise twist, either. If I remember correctly, Rory knows werewolf stories and is able to piece together what's happening to her (though the reality of the situation is naturally unsettling). Rather, the story follows her emotional transformation as well, as she navigates not only her physical transformation and everything that comes with it, but also her duties as a sister and soon-to-be aunt, and deals with the more metaphorical monsters that haunt her memories of her hometown.
I really liked this book. It provided a fresh take on the classic story of a werewolf without changing too many of the traditional details (nobody in this one sparkles or becomes supernaturally attractive, for example), while weaving it together with the story of a woman who, despite her fantastical circumstances, is down-to-earth and relatable.
Her story is not unfamiliar to many women, and I'm sure nearly everyone has things in their past they have trouble grappling with. Just as Rory is able to transform her werewolf curse into a source of emotional strength, we have the ability to grow from our own circumstances and become strong in our own way.
It's also just a really well-written book.
I highly recommend this title, during the Halloween season or any other. I first read it back in December, and I'll likely end up rereading it within the next year (definitely not this month because I already have a stack of unread library books at home... oops).
We do have a copy available at the library, so if you'd like to read it, come on in!
What do you think? Is this a book you'd like to pick up? Let me know in the comments.
If you've read it and feel like I missed or misconstrued something, let me know that, too! Did you love it? Did you hate it? Did it put you to sleep?
Tell me, please!
