Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King

A werewolf plagues the small town of Tarker Mills. Every month during the full moon, someone is attacked and killed. Marty Coslaw, a disabled little boy, encounters the creature and escapes unscathed after he throws some fireworks in its face. He alone knows the werewolf is out there while others dismiss it as a child's fantasy and he vows to kill the creature.

Cycle of the Werewolf is a short, illustrated horror novel. The illustrations have equal weight as the prose. The story takes place over a whole year and each month takes a chapter. Each chapter starts with the same three pages: one with the twelve months in a list and the current month darkened and two more combining to make sweeping landscape. These are pages are always in black and white and incredibly detailed. The cemetery in November is my favorite. Each chapter also has one full color illustration of the most important or dynamic scene, most often a werewolf attack. These drawings are so varied even within the same subject matter. The first woman killed is shown in extreme closeup with the werewolf, reflecting her feelings at the time. A drifter killed is shown after the event, frozen in the snow with no werewolf in sight. My favorite of them is the priest's dream that his congregation all transform into wolves. The juxtaposition between the snarling wolves and the setting of a church seems wrong and the wolves in the background are bathed in red light, almost like flames are in front of them. These illustrations add tremendously to such a short novel and capture the atmosphere of the small town.

Most chapters focus on a different character, giving the reader a peek into their life and thoughts. These characters usually die right after seeing into them, but it provides a piece by piece view of the inhabitants of the town. King is skilled at creating memorable characters that feel real in only a page or two. The only character that survives an encounter with the werewolf is Marty Coslaw, a child who wants his celebrations and fun. So many treat him differently because of his wheelchair, but he is the same as any kid. Except after his attack, he turns into a stern vigilante, driven by the need to protect his town. The reveal of the werewolf and the ending are rather predictable, but it's still enjoyable. The events surrounding the fate of the werewolf stretch reason and seem unbelievable. For such a short story, Cycle of the Werewolf packs a punch and says so much with few words. The wonderful illustrations support and add to the story. The only tiny flaw with the illustrations is that the book clearly says the boy has a motorized wheelchair and the illustration doesn't reflect that. Other than that, this is a very short but memorable read. I hope it comes back into print eventually.

My rating: 4/5 fishmuffins