The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“I don’t know how one should live — but I know that one should live, if one can possibly bear it.”
The Last Werewolf, by Glen Duncan, is the diary of Jacob Marlowe. At the beginning of the tale, Jake learns that he is the last werewolf on earth. The setting is in modern times, the world as described by Duncan could easily be our own. In this world, a secret organization known as the ”World Organization for the Control of Occult Phenomena (WOCOP),” has been hunting werewolves (as well as vampires and demons) for many years. They began as the Catholic Church then became a smaller sect with government funding. Jacob’s current diary begins in London, while he is visiting a long time friend and double-agent Harley. Harley works for the WOCOP and has been keeping Jake safe for as long as he could. Jake saved Harley’s life 50 years ago.
Jacob himself, is 200 years old. He has been journaling throughout his life. Those journals are kept in a safe deposit box. We, the reader, do not receive the full story. My only complaint regarding the writing is that at several points Duncan breaks down the 3rd wall and speaks directly to the reader. This is a bit jarring. I imagine someone saying, “hey, you, yes I’m talking to you.”
The WOCOP, also referred to as the Hunt, plan to kill Jake upon his next transformation. Jake is ready for this to happen. He complains that he has simply “had enough of life.”
This is not simply a fantasy story, this is a look into what keeps us going. What is it that makes us push forward in life when we feel there is no point? We watch Jake transform not only in a physical way but also in an emotional way.
I do not want to give any more away. I do not want this to be ruined for anyone. The story is dark, there is gore, and sex (vivid, descriptive sex). There are times when you hate Jake. Then there are times when you completely understand him and question yourself.
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