The Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block

Summary from Goodreads- 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.

^this summary makes the book sound way more exciting than it actually is

I was so looking forward to reading this book. I consider the Weetzie Bat books to be among my favorites, and have enjoyed everything Francesca Lia Block has put out since that time that I've been able to get my hands on,

until now.

In her most recent works (Blood Roses, Pretty Dead, etc.), the flowing, graceful, magical quality of Block's writing has all but disappeared. I was a bit concerned when Block decided to tackle the highly mainstream topics of vampires (Pretty Dead) and werewolves (The Frenzy) and it appears I was right to feel that way. I expected that her unique voice would make her stories about commonplace fantasy creatures interesting, but I did not discover anything new in either of these books. I also found Liv, the main character of The Frenzy, a bit bland. She did not change throughout the entire novel, something I would expect more from a debut novelist than a seasoned writer. The werewolf part of the story wasn't different enough from everything else on the subject to make me feel anything but disappointment. I'm not sure what the point of having her "family" in there was, because their desires affected none of Liv's decisions. The only thing, really, that I found remotely interesting was Liv's gay friend Pace's relationship with the mysterious Michael. It semi resolves itself at the end, but I would have liked to know much more about it, and would have preferred to read a book about that rather than just another werewolf book.

I miss the old Francesca Lia Block, the one who created quirky, eccentric characters and stories bursting with magic. Where has she gone?