Don't make the mistake of thinking this is about monsters – it's about "finding yourself" and "being true to you" and all that philosophy. It concerns a lad going to a support group for monsters, who tells his backstory about how he doesn't want to be a werewolf (a state he at first mistook for puberty), only to then realise there might be benefits in being one after all. It's done well enough, although sometimes the text and picture captions have to be crammed in around the boldly designed images.

This the first of a series of books based around a group of monsters supporting each other in their time of need. Lowell is finding things hard. He is struggling to fit in at school and with embracing his unusual heritage. The book is filled with gorgeous illustrations aimed at a young audience and short amounts of text which are perfect for those developing their reading stamina.
The book conveys an important message for everyone: it's okay to be exactly who we are.
I'm looking forward to reading about the mummy next.

The first book in the Monster Support Group series by Laura Suárez, The Werewolf’s Tale, is a charming read. The sentences are sparse and not dense, the linguistic complexity simple (albeit in a page or two where it adopts a faux Old English style), making it perfect for young readers taking their initial steps in reading. The story follows Lowell, a 12-year-old boy who is struggling to fit in at his new school, where he is bullied by his classmates. In addition, he also has to adjust to bodily changes of the monstrous kind once a hereditary curse turns him into a werewolf. Lowell wants is to be normal, seeking a cure to his furry problem. He is introduced to a support group made up of various familiar monsters such as a vampire, mummy and medusa, to whom he tells his story and learns in the process to embrace his uniqueness.

While the use of a werewolf as a metaphor for undergoing puberty is not a new concept, I found that the choice corresponded well with the message of self-acceptance and provided an apt character with whom to begin a series dedicated to misfits. The illustrations are vibrant and captivating. In particular, I loved the cutaway of Lowell’s house, showing the interior of the rooms, as well as the opening spread with the members of the support group looking as if to the readers and drawing them into their world. Also worth to mention are little easter-eggs to be found within the art such as Georges Méliès’ famous moon from his 1902 film ‘A Trip to the moon’ which appears on a poster in Lowell’s bedroom. Another positive aspect is the incorporation of supernatural lore through tidbits of Greek mythology and Marie le France’s story ‘Bisclavret’, which show that while Suárez is delivering her own interpretation of these monstrous figures in the series, they are nevertheless planted within a long cultural tradition.

However, the characters could have been better fleshed out. For one, the support group functions as a collective and are not even introduced as individuated identities, which I found an odd choice. Their remarks within Lowell’s diegesis hindered the reading flow. Further, Lowell’s acceptance of himself as a werewolf felt under-developed and too sudden; there was no actual depiction of conflict to make his proclamation more satisfying and inspiring. In a book that promotes self-acceptance, I was irked that the protagonist was reluctant to see others for who they are beyond their own weirdness (e.g., calling his classmate Marie weird like his bullies labeled him). Lastly, unless I’ve missed it somewhere, only on the back cover is Lowell’s age mentioned. In the illustrations he looks far younger, closer to the target audience of the book, than the adolescent on the cusp of manhood he is supposed to be. This creates a somewhat jarring disparity. Nonetheless, this book is an enjoyable read with an important message.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange of an honest review.