Kornwolf

October 17, 2005
Depending on the phases of the moon, Ephraim, antihero of this caustic, exuberant novel, changes from a meek Amish lad into a hideous, foul-smelling werewolf with a taste for Satanic thrash-metal and an uncanny resemblance to Richard Nixon. Pursued by a cynical reporter, a sympathetic boxing coach with a mysterious past and a horde of vigilantes, Ephraim rampages through the barns and cornfields of the Pennsylvania Dutch countryside, as well as the exurban subdivisions and Sprawl-Marts that are gnawing away at it. As he lopes toward a prophesied Halloween bloodbath, his howl gives voice to the hidden violence and sexual transgressions of the orderly, pacifist Amish, the "hedonic enchantments" with which consumer culture seduces the young and deranges settled communities, or perhaps an anarchic devilry that neither traditional religion nor modern capitalism can tame. This is familiar teen-werewolf territory, but Egolf, who committed suicide earlier this year, infuses it with deadpan wit and sardonic social satire, both sympathizing with and lampooning the Amish resistance—and occasional surrender—to the corruption of "English" society. Like Stephen King, Egolf (Lord of the Barnyard
) pokes the dark, squalid underbelly of smalltown life, but adds an edge of punk derision. Although Egolf's climax plunges into lurid melodrama, he delivers a smart, stylish supernatural fable with an infectious bite.

January 1, 2006
Egolf's recent suicide robbed us of a most gifted contemporary satirist. In his third and final novel, he impressively demonstrates why his witty voice will be missed. It is a boldly original modern fantasy that follows the tracks of a rampaging Amish werewolf--you read that correctly--through the backwoods of the Pennsylvania Dutch countryside. When he isn't plowing his family's meager fields, teenage Ephraim finds himself waking up naked in the middle of cornfields, wondering where and how he has spent the night. Meanwhile, in nearby Blue Ball, a chilling photo of something hairy and vaguely resembling Richard Nixon is creating a buzz to the effect that the legendary Kornwolf of local renown has finally returned. Ephraim's bestial trail will eventually cross those of two returning prodigal sons of Blue Ball--a young reporter and a boxing manager, who team to avert the Kornwolf's prophesied final rampage on Halloween. Egolf's potent mixture of ribald supernaturalism and dark satire of modern culture should attract Stephen King fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)