The beasts inside of us take many forms in the pages of Werewolf at Dusk: And Other Stories. Sometimes these beats are real and sometimes they are in our dreams. The three characters of these stories take journeys we might relate too, but also we will find something, too. David Small’s signature style artwork are characters themselves and support the stories. As I had a reader copy, I am assuming the illustrations will be black and white, but I think they were complete with the details and presentation.
This is a very emotional book. The first story is of an old man, who tells of his wild days of his youth. How he would stalk the night in his beastly form, but now he is old, gray and unable to scare a squirrel. His fear of the moon now replaces the once glory he took in the night. Now, the reader must decide, was he/is he an aging creature of the night or a metaphor of growing older and dying. Or is it both? The second and third stories continue this theme of the beasts we see. A psychiatrist that analyzes his dream. Or is it really his? And the final one is equally intense and heart wrenching. We see a “sad little man” but really which one is the true monster? The one that orders evil to be done, or the one that sees it and walks away from it.
Each one should be thoughtful and while not making you change your mind, you can add to your knowledge of people. The introduction did color how I was going to see things, and I leave it up to you to decide how “fresh” you want to go into things. You have until March 2024 to decide.