"a poetic werewolf novel"

…from today's San Francisco Chronicle:

A poetic werewolf novel 'Sharp Teeth'
by Michael Berry

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Sharp Teeth
By Toby Barlow
Harper; 320 pages; $22.95

Lycanthropy comes to Los Angeles in Toby Barlow's "Sharp Teeth," a werewolf novel in verse.

Across the city, humans who can turn at will into dogs form rival packs, commit crimes, vie for dominance and exact revenge on bettors who fight canines for sport. When one pack dissolves through the treachery of its subordinate members, the former leader, Lark, hides out as the semi-docile pet of a lonely, neurotic suburbanite. Meanwhile, laid-back animal control officer Anthony begins to notice that his less-reputable colleagues are disappearing under strange circumstance and that a mysterious woman is suddenly giving him the romantic attention he longs for.

At first, "Sharp Teeth" feels as if it's trying a little too hard to be hip, its jangly poetry a bit precious and self-conscious. Gradually, though, the rhythm of the story becomes more natural as the opposing characters are delineated and the stakes explained.

By the harrowing, bloody end, Barlow will have convinced most readers that his strategies work. Lycanthropy turns out to be a rich metaphor for a certain brand of masculinity, and Barlow cleverly orchestrates his shape-shifting characters through a dance of dominance and submission that cuts across all social strata. More than a literary party trick, "Sharp Teeth" brings a fresh approach and sly wit to the "man-into-beast" subgenre.