Harper Collins (Paperback), ISBN 0380806460
A new werewolf story, you might ask? What can be new about a werewolf story? Simple, go ask Alice -- Alice White -- the heroine of Dennis Danvers' newest paperback novel, Wilderness.  

Imagine if you would, a reluctant Canadian female who sees a shrink regularly, works at a quiet, unassuming job and, oh, by the way, transforms into a werewolf every full moon. The only problem in her life: no one believes her. Not her psychiatrist, Dr. Adams, who treats Alice's little problem with his own vision of reality, nor Alice's new neighbor, Erik Summers. 

Deeply attracted to Alice, Erik seems to awaken desires and passions that she tries to deny. Her past history of sexual relationships consists of a series of one-night stands, satisfying Alice's base physical needs, but doing nothing to fulfill her true soul. As their mutual fascination with each other grows stronger and deepens to love, Erik and Alice both find themselves confronting the reality of Alice's alter ego -- whether it qualifies as a delusion (as Erik thinks) or an unbelievable truth. 

Dennis Danvers creates two strong, sympathetic characters with great charm and appeal, drawing a reader immediately into his spellbinding story. Danvers manages to show us a charming romance, a nightmarish alternate world and a complete, well-written plot line that attracts readers from several genres.  

You can't classify Wilderness as a simple love story, or strictly a fantasy or horror tale. Drawing on nightmares and our deepest fears, Danvers simultaneously weaves a beautiful tale of hope tinged with despair. The first paragraph hooked me and I read through until the last page. Do NOT miss this book if you like multi-faceted characters, tales of werewolves or even a good love story. Although difficult to classify, Wilderness definitely falls into one specific category -- a must-read! 

Maria Y. Lima

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