The Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block

Love is a werewolf, influenced by the moon and terror, and always about to change. Liv has a secret. Something happened to her when she was thirteen. Something that changed everything. Liv knows she doesn't belong anymore-not in her own skin, not in her family . . . not anywhere. The only time she truly feels like herself is when she's with her boyfriend, Corey, and in the woods that surround her town. But in the woods, a mysterious woman watches Liv. In the woods, a pack of wild boys lurks. In the woods, Liv learns about the curse that will haunt her forever. The curse that caused the frenzy four years ago. And that may cause it again, all too soon.While Corey and Liv's love binds them together, Liv's dark secret threatens to tear them apart as she struggles to understand who-or what-she really is. And by the light of the full moon, the most dangerous secrets bare their claws. . . . (from Goodreads)

I know when I read books by Francesca Lia Block, I'm never sure exactly what I am going to get. She has a unique writing style that is sparse and sometimes random, constructing stories while leaving out so much. As a reader, it forces me to create my own scenarios and imagine what may have happened. Usually, this frustrates me as a reader, but with Block, I do expect it and somewhat enjoy it.


Typically, I don't read too much paranormal fantasy, but I was drawn in by the idea of a female werewolf and wanted to know Liv's story. At the age of thirteen, Liv experiences a terrifying awakening in her body that she can't describe and barely remembers. All that she knows is that she is frightened of what she may become or what she may already be. Seen as an outcast in her town, she seeks solace in her friendship with Pace and her relationship with Corey. They all have secrets to hide. Secrets that bring them closer together but also pushes them apart.

Under the veil of the typical story of a werewolf cursed by the moon, Block addresses issues of bigotry, homosexuality, self-awareness and self-acceptance. The Frenzy deserves a closer look and shouldn't be dismissed easily.