In Depth Discussion (Slight Spoilers)

I stumbled across this book while scrolling through the Queer Liberation Library on Libby (anyone with a U.S. physical address can get a free library card for it by the way). I must confess, the only reasons I borrowed it was because I thought the title was funny and it was immediately available. Funny how some of my favorite books were random ones that I picked up on a whim, but boy am I glad I did.

Reading a book about werewolves as an analogue for the wellness movement to manosphere pipeline was not on my 2025 bingo card. As someone who actively avoids such movements BECAUSE of the potential for such pipelines (yes I am an easy target for cults), I found Brian’s story both intriguing and enlightening. With the ever increasing publicity surrounding the “male loneliness epidemic” and right wing ideology in the United States, analyzing how such pipelines come to be is incredibly important for unraveling them. Bored Gay Werewolf put into perspective how a man might fall into those pipelines. Immediately, we see just how rough Brian’s life is and how isolated he feels. Even though he does have friends, he chooses to push them away and continue the rhetoric that he is lonely and no one would love the real him (in this case symbolized by him being a werewolf). Once Tyler pops in talking about giving Brian personalized guidance and stating he understands exactly what Brian is going through and wants to help, it is quite easy to see how Brian would fall for his charms. To be honest, young college me would have too.

This is where Santorella’s writing style and voice comes into play. Through Brian’s internal dialogue, we can see the exactly where he is in the pipeline and how he justifies not only his, but even Tyler’s actions. It is almost scary to see how rational it all seems when put in Brian’s perspective. He found someone who knows who he is and cares for him regardless. He found someone that is willing to push him to be a better person. He found someone that chases away the loneliness. The way Santorella frames the manipulation is genius. It is never too overt nor too subtle. It hits that middle path where from the outside people like Nik can see what Tyler’s influence is doing to Brian, but Brian himself doesn’t understand just how his time with Tyler was impacting both him and his relationships. Santorella also does an amazing job depicting how Nik helps Brian see the flaws in Tyler’s thinking and showing Brian’s thought process change.

I also appreciated that Brian took accountability for how terribly he treated his friends while under Tyler’s influence. Many times in story lines that include similar redemption plots, we rarely see the characters who did the harm take accountability or recognize the severity of their actions. Darby and Nik didn’t immediately forgive Brian (rightfully so) and Brian took active steps to mend the broken bonds.

Overall, I say read this book. Even if werewolves aren’t your thing, the characters and social commentary make it a worth while read.