When Rusty turns 13, he is told the family secret. All males are werewolves. He is given the explanation about the Y chromosome but he is not buying into it. He does not want to be a werewolf. Could it have possibly missed him? When he discovers it has not, he decides to find a cure. But is there a cure? Can he bring one to his family? Do they want one?
I loved this book! I loved Rusty. He is so uncertain and he goes against everything for which his grandfather stands. It is a battle of David and Goliath. I loved Rusty's underdog position and watching him overcome it. When the climax of the story happens I could not put the book down. I wanted to know who would win. I can see it as a movie.
The secondary characters are eclectic. They include his cousins and uncles. Most of them I booed. His parents were interesting. In one way his father supported him but in another his father seemed to be afraid of Rusty's grandfather. His mother, while not a big part of the story, seemed less than supportive of Rusty. I enjoyed Rusty's scenes with Jade, a girl he meets on the ski lift. She is a very interesting character. The interactions between them make the story. They complement each other very well.
Leader of the Pack brings in a new element to the series. It is not about a myth where the hero helps or protects it but it is about being the myth. This is not a scary story but a story where the hero has to decide to follow the crowd or choose a different path. It is about doing the easy thing or the right thing. This is my favorite book of the series (so far.) I eagerly await more.
I was given this book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.