Wayne Smith’s Thor isn’t the type of book I’d typically choose for myself; it wouldn’t even cross my mind to read it unless someone I trust recommended it.
Thor is about a German Shepherd, a proud member of his small pack. Right from the beginning, the story grabbed my attention; however, a few chapters in, it dawned on me: This is Bad Moon! As a fan of the 90s warewolf horror movie Bad Moon, I was thrilled to discover that Thor was the source material. This revelation added an extra layer of enjoyment to my reading experience.
What makes Thor stand out is its unique perspective, told from the eyes of the canine hero. Thor’s thoughts and reactions felt remarkably authentic. This is my favorite aspect of the book. Thor is a dog, pure and simple. Exhibiting no human-like thinking, acting, or feeling. It’s refreshing and adds to the book’s overall appeal. This refusal to personify him is refreshing and adds to the book’s overall charm.
Thor remains true to his canine nature throughout the story, which surprisingly makes the human characters in his pack more relatable as well. They start off as a charming and lovable family, but when the plot thickens, their actions and decisions remain understandable. Seeing the events unfold through Thor’s perspective gives readers insight into both the dog’s world and the complexities of his human pack. It’s a captivating read, to say the least.
Now let’s talk about the not-so-great parts (though there aren’t many). Despite being a relatively short read at 235 pages, it can get a tad repetitive. There isn’t much werewolf action, and reaching to that point takes a bit of time. So towards the end, I found myself itching for the plot to kick into high gear and progress further.
And then there is a decision by Wayne Smith that left me scratching my head. It felt like a forced and rushed attempt to escalate things towards the end, a move I couldn’t quite get on board with. Because of this hiccup, I gave Thor a 4.5/5. Not solely for the pacing issue but because that part of the story annoyed the shit out of me.
In the grand scheme of things, Thor is a solid tale, even if it’s not flawless. It is a cheesy plot executed with finesse. After letting it simmer, I bumped up my rating to a solid 5 stars because Thor is truly one heck of a good boy who managed to tug at my heartstrings.
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