#55 – Cycle of the Werewolf

Plot

Terror began in January – by the light of the full moon. The first scream came from the snowbound railway man who felt the werewolf’s fangs ripping at his throat. The next month there was a scream of ecstatic agony from the woman attacked in her cozy bedroom.

Now scenes of unbelievable horror unfold each time the full moon shines on the isolated Maine town of Tarker’s Mills. No one knows who will be attacked next. But one thing is sure. When the full moon rises, a paralyzing fear sweeps through Tarker’s Mills.

Review

July 30, 2020, is the one day in my 36+ year history where I finished two Stephen King books. After finishing Pet Sematary on a Thursday night I decided to open up Cycle of the Werewolf. Noticing how thin it was compared to most King novels, I fought off sleep and finished it in one sitting.

Cycle of the Werewolf is just a fun – and light – novel about how a werewolf is terrorizing a small Maine town. King spends each chapter describing a brand-new werewolf killing and how it affects Marty, the 10-year-old protagonist.

There is no deep and thoughtful meaning behind this story. It’s just pure horror and story-telling – two things King does better than anyone. The illustrations provided by Bernie Wrightson are a tremendous value-add.

Details

Pages: 128

Dates Read: July 30, 2020

Quote: “There is nothing of God or Light in that heartless sound – it is all black winter and dark ice.”

Best Part: Endings typically don’t matter in books like this, but King absolutely nails this one.

Hint for #54: Lots of people name their cars – but if you name your car this title, I’m not getting in.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.