Wicked Hungry

by Teddy Jacobs

Everyone knows it's hard to be a freshman. But no one knows better than Stanley Hoff. It doesn't help that at night he wants to howl up at the moon.


In his vegetarian household, Stanley has a horrible secret that makes it hard to sit down at the dinner table and bless the veggie burgers prepared by his Wiccan mother.


As they say in New England, Stanley Hoff is WICKED HUNGRY.


In fact, he's filled with forbidden cravings. And not for tofu pups. For meat. How much beef jerky, how many Slim Jims can Stanley hide in his room, in his locker at high school?


When a very hairy showdown with a school bully sets in motion a great chain of events that include an invitation to cheerleader Meredith's Halloween party, Stanley has to ask himself some important questions. Can he overcome his shyness and get the girl? Save his family, his community and his friends from the growing supernatural threat? All while figuring out how to control the beast within?

Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult, Fantasy, Vampires, Ebooks, Werewolves, Shapeshifters

281 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an utterly intriguing YA novel! Riveting-layer upon layer of secrets and unspooling revelations-characters with depth-paranormal auras and overtones throughout-the author teasing the reader gently with one secret after another, like being tickled with a feather. You know you love it, you know you’ve gotta read more:).

Protagonist Stanley at fourteen suffers with the knee damage caused during a night-time run on the beach. He is strongly affected by the phases of the Moon-especially waxing and full-and when he starts developing chest and back hair, achy joints, and feeling like his teeth will drop out, he’s get really anxious. More so because his is a vegan household-yet Stanley is developing a craving for meat. His friend Karen is acting wacky-she broke off with their mutual friend Zach, a full-fledged vegetarian, when he called her a carnivore and she nearly broke his arm. Now she can’t abide sunlight and discovers the value of the taste of blood. Zach keeps pushing all-natural supplements, to be taken three times a day, and Stanley gives them a try, while Karen warns that they are addictive and dangerous. All Stanley knows is that for the first time since his fall, the pain in his knee is gone.

I totally enjoyed this story; it was so fast-paced, and I empathized with the characters, the young people as well as the adults. Author Jacobs draws on a wide variety of religion, mysticism, and paranormal elements to weave the tapestry of this story, which will be appealing to YA and adult readers alike.

[Ajoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

where is the sequel to this book?

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is meant for clueless fantasy readers.

This book is meant for clueless fantasy readers.

the premise of the story was decent but e very main character was completely clueless about everything. Stanley lives in a Wicca family meaning he already knows witches exist. but he can't figure out what he is or who at any of his friends are becoming. the target audience for this book has to be for 8-12 yr olds. I don't think that vampires zombies were-wolf/cat witches face or any other being in this book was appropriate for the target audience. there is no romance. just a 13yr olds wet dreams for a few girls.

I think the author wanted to bring the fantasy world to a younger audience but in doing so made the story flat boring characters clueless to the Obvious, made the scary creatures in the night turn into purple dinosaurs that needed hugs.

the author must have repeated him/herself countless times....just for filler. you get to the point of asking the book questions like "why do you keep telling me the same thing?, when will there be an action scene?, how much longer are you going to ramble about all this that doesn't matter? why do u keep saying the cat hates you we already know why....?"

there's all this unecessary Tween drama. if you take out all the crappy filler and leave only the interesting parts you prob only get 15pages worth.

"The story doesn't end here....blah blah"...when does this story end? I was begging for a decent ending...no you can't just keep the undead dead Karen has to haunt Stanley now as an undead zombie-vampire...why?!? I admit I fell asleep reading this book. I had to have kindle read it to me...I still fell asleep going 2x the speed. and I woke up to hear the ending. I must have missed probably 10 or more chapters and I felt like I knew exactly what had happened.

this was a freebie thank god. I would not recommend this to be bought still needs an editor to read the context of this book and to rip out more than 50% of this books crappy filler and replace it with something interesting.

yes this means I'm not going to buy the next book. (for all the clueless reviewers that didn't understand my review.)

[Bobby newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reader follows Stanley as he comes about discovering his gift by taking supplements. His friends are also were folk of different kinds. He a young teenager who lives in a town that is paranormal in essence. The book is fast paced not giving readers a chance to rest. The only reason I give it four stars is due to some minor editing problems. Other than that I want to read the next book to happen next.

[Kristy Dean-Veen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story. This is a good story for teens. The story is about three teen boys that are friends. All are not popular kids. The kids in the town start taking a vitamin supplement to help them and recover that they are all turning into were people, zombies, or vampires. The boys have to figure out how to solve the issues and end all the problems. Has a sad ending but allows for the the next events to happen. KKD

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this book (Wattpad) in return for a honest review.

I loved Stanley first and foremost and enjoyed the story line between him and Karen. The friendship between Stanley, Enrique and Jonathan shows that true friends do exist and if you stick together you defy all odds. This is the first book that I read by this author, but it won't be my last. :)

[KelticKat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not the story for me

Have to say that I’m left a bit confused by this one. Not because it was YA - I’ve read and loved quite a few YA books - for some reason this one never really grabbed me and it’s because of that that I say this wasn’t the story for me.

[Maia Lucia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book for free on Amazon and read it ages ago. I loved the plot and the story but sometimes the grammar got on my nerves.
I still recommend this book because for some reason I couldn’t stop reading.

[Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed it

I enjoyed this story. It has interesting characters and good dialogue that kept it fun to follow along. Two words.

[Scribblegirl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Updated to add:
I have now finished this book. It did not get better.

I wrote a review of this on my Nook, and when I hit send, the app force crashed and I lost the whole thing. I can't seem to order my thoughts again, so here's what it basically boiled down to, with spoilers.

I'm halfway finished with Wicked Hungry, and Jacobs is an unbelievably annoying writer, for the following reasons:
1. All the cryptic bs. It's obvious Stanley isn't normal, and by page 10, it's obvious why. I do not then need to be constantly barraged with cryptic comments about the moon and how Stanley has a reaction to it. For the love of God, ENOUGH ALREADY. WE GET IT. Stanley is a frigging werewolf, and his mother is worried he's going to wolf-out. Can you please stop nagging us about this? It is insanely repetitious.
2. Stanley's family and his frenemy Zach are vegetarian, as is Stanley - for all of about 4 pages of the book. So we are treated to constant nagging "reminders" that "Meat is murder," and how we should choose to eat ethically, blah blah blah. I suppose this was set up to create conflict for Stanley, but since the person most often cracking us over the head with the Big Bat of Ethical Eating is also the person who tricked and forced Stanley into a condition where he is forced to eat meat, it is unbelievably irritating - and not believable at all.
3. Stanley's family and friends are all Unitarian. While I realize that church marches to a drumbeat all its own, and some Unitarian Universalist churches do embrace pagan worship, it's really a confusing mix of mumbo-jumbo Jacobs has created in his story, where Stanley's devoutly religious mother is a pagan witch with a coven and a member of three different pagan groups who are also part of her church. I don't know why Jacobs felt the need to bring Christian religion into it at all (albeit indirectly), when his focus is clearly on Diana, Wicca, and other pagan religions, deities and practices.

And finally, the thing most annoying of all, the thing most causing me to have to fight not to fling my Nook across the room, is this: I will put up with a lot of crap from writers, if their story is compelling. But the thing that pisses me off and makes me hate a writer and his novel most of all is characters doing things which no reasonably rational, semi-intelligent person would do, no matter what the circumstances. So when Stanley and his buddies finally figure out that they're in over their heads, things are headed toward some serious danger, and that they had really better consult someone for information PDQ, then they opt for a ouija board and the possible ghost of a dead great-grandmother over a person standing right in front of them and begging to help them, my head just about exploded with ire. Let's see...you just found out you're a werewolf and that you've been tricked into taking some sort of drug which is causing you to lose control of that ability/curse by a person who is shady at best, there may or may not be a cure for the pills - which, by the way, you also can't stop taking and which are making things worse, you might kill your friends and family without being able to control yourself, your friends might kill you for the same reason, someone seems out to get you and you are in some sort of mysterious danger you can't identify and have no clue as to what it is or where it will come from, and ohai, that bully you scared to death when you changed without meaning to right in front of him is not only unhinged and into some powerful magic but also out to kill you, OF COURSE your reaction to the person begging to help and give you information would be, "You know what, dude, it's cool; imma go check out this ouija board and see what I can find on the web. I realize that almost all of what I find on the web will be totally incorrect bs, but whatevs, dude, it's all good. Cya!"

I'd like to crack Jacobs over the head with the Big Bat of Storytelling and Characterization.

[Noor Jahangir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wicked Hungry is about a boy (Stanley) coming to terms with a sport's injury that has taken away his ability to compete as a runner. The need to run gets worse as full moon draws near and a terrible gnawing hunger that his vegan diet can never satiate has him salivating over forbidden BK Whoppers. Then a former best-friend offers him a wonder cure made from completely natural sources that promises to fix his knee and allow him to run again. The pill works as promised, but the craving for meat and the need to run, grows ever more stronger. Then there is all the coarse hair growing all over his body. But that isn't the worst of his problems. His girlfriend is turning into a vampire, his best friend into a jaguar and he himself is getting the urge to throw his head back and howl like a wolf!
The cover is a rather obvious choice for a book about a teenage werewolf but I suppose it does what it says on the tin.
The writing is good to start off with but as the plot becomes more convoluted and unwieldy, the dialogue becomes awkward and unnatural, for example, an ancient fairy knight speaks colloquial American English rather than archaic English.
There's a lot of good ideas here, but the problem is that they don't all mesh well. The first quarter of the book deals with the main character trying to cope with the changes his body is going through, kind of harking back to werewolf stories of the late 80s and early 90s, such as Teenwolf, An American Werewolf in London and Wolf. Then Jacobs throws in the vampire girlfriend, which also creates an interesting dynamic (but not fully developed or fleshed out), before muddying the waters with another potential girlfriend. Quite frankly, it isn't the most original plot element now that we are in the post-Twilight period. But then Jacobs introduces Stanley's friends, Enrique and Johnson, supporting their own variety of mutation. Enrique is a were-jaguar(?), inspired by the Incas (I'm guessing) and Jonathon who has become a Manga version of a were-fox(?), which is strange considering he is black, despite his fascination with Manga and Japanese culture. This part of the book kind of resonates with the cult movie, Monster Squad, which again would have been an interesting story on its own if the relationships had been fully fleshed out, but the plot moves on quickly at this point to introduce a coven of witches, vampires, a pack of werewolves, teenagers turning into zombies and ghouls, and if that wasn't enough, an extra layering of demons and the Seelie and Unseelie courts. The only writer I've encountered who has successfully incorporated all these elements is Tim Waggoner with his Nekroplis books. In Wicked Hungry, it just makes everything seem that much more ridiculous and comedic.
This is an ambitious work by a talented author with some good ideas, but too many extras bolted on. What this book needed was to be paired back a little and paced better. Its a good effort and perhaps future titles by Jacobs will improve with maturity, but for now Wicked Hungry merits just 2 stars.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*s
I liked this book in the beginning, it was a little quirky and I was unsure of where it was going to go but once It got started it got really good and I really liked it so I gave it 3.5*s to even it out. Obviously it’s the first book and there is a lot to get into it with the introductions of all the characters, plotline, cliques and relationships etc. so that always bogs it down a bit but once that was out of the way we were flying. Unfortunately a downfall of a short novel is that we can’t really delve into characters and really get a feel for them because there is so much to cram into a short space and this book is definitely all about the plot. Don’t get me wrong, I did like the characters and they were all likable but I didn’t ‘feel’ them and I like to get into their emotions when I read a novel. Stanley I could speak the most about – I got regret, guilt, sorrow, a little self- pity from him in the beginning which changed along with the things that were happening to him and I think that I would grow to really like his character as I got to know him better. I liked the way he thought and I liked the way he was with his friends and the banter and loyalty they had for each other. I didn’t feel his relationship with his girlfriend so I couldn’t really get caught up in the whole rescue drama that went on, however I was feeling his ‘friendship’ with Karen and if she was in danger I would have been feeling that a lot more because she was a stand-out character for me and I would have liked more from her. His friends Enrique and Jonathan were awesome too and I liked that they were all different but united, each bringing a little piece to the puzzle.
As I said before the plot is where it’s at and it’s a little slow to start but builds and builds to a really good outcome. By reading the blurb about the book I thought I had this all worked out – A werewolf story about a young boy coming into his powers, right? Wrong!!! While it’s quite obvious what Stanley will become it is just the tip of the iceberg. I can’t really describe it without giving too much away, I’ve seen movies like this where a town is over-run by super-naturals or the towns folk have been changed in some way and it’s up to a bunch of teens to save the day, We get a little family and high school issues thrown in too and I think there isn’t a supernatural that we don’t touch upon in some way in this book and it doesn’t just stick to one belief or genre but many and shows they can be used together. There is a lot packed into this book so pacing is never an issue, it’s a getting to know you book and we get to know a lot which leaves you in no doubt that there will be sequels and which way it’s going to go is any ones guess but I’m down for whatever may come and I look forward to getting to know Stanley and the gang a lot better. A good start to what could be a great series.

[Abria Mattina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a letdown for me because it started out so strong but got wildly out of hand by the halfway mark. Wicked Hungry is the story of Stanley, the fifteen-year-old son of Unitarian vegetarian parents. When Alex and his friends begin to take "vitamins" given to them by a friend at school, their inner supernatural beings emerge. Alex becomes a werewolf--not an easy thing for a kid who was raised vegetarian.

Initially I liked Wicked Hungry for its snappy dialogue and believable characters. The teens in Wicked Hungry sound like teenagers, not like what an adult thinks teenagers should sound like. It was pleasantly refreshing and I laughed out loud a few times.

Where the plot spiralled out of control was when all the supernatural species are introduced. All the vitamin-popping teens develop into something different, depending on the nature of their inner selves. There are vampires, shape-shifting jaguars, a spirit fox, zombies, werewolves, fairies, etc. It gets really confusing very quickly with all these creatures running around. The book might have been better served had Jacobs stuck to just one or two supernatural species.

The presence of a love triangle was also a little disappointing. The beginning of Wicked Hungry was so fresh and snappy that I was sure it was going to be above such a YA cliche, but alas, Stanley finds himself torn between classmates Karen and Meredith. Love triangles rarely feel natural, especially now that they're such an overdone trope, but the Stanley/Karen/Meredith triangle seemed tacked on and distracts from the already complicated plot re: supernatural teenagers on "vitamins."

I have to commend Jacobs for writing teenagers that sound like teenagers, but characters belonging to other age groups felt flat or inconsistent. Stanley has a six-year-old brother, but sometimes he talks like he's twelve or three. The adults that Stanley & Co. interact with never fully develop, and therefore move through their scenes like caricatures.

Though Wicked Hungry was disappointing, I would definitely keep an eye on Teddy Jacobs for future books. He's one of the rare few who can write in a believable teenage voice, and I don't doubt that he'll produce more memorable characters in the future.

[Jessirae]

The blurb is quite interesting and immediately catches your attention. The storyline is intriguing and quite unique in of itself. The paranormal aspects of this book are different and unlike any paranormal book I've read to date.

Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. As much as I wanted to love this book, I couldn't seem to connect with the characters, nor could I related to them. Not to say they were not well developed, because they were. The characters are distinct and each have a wonderful personality. I liked Stanley. He has a strong voice that rings true. And I especially loved Karen's spunk and Stanley's mother's witchy ways and overprotectiveness. There was just something about the characters where I had trouble getting to know them well enough to connect to them in a deep way. For me, a book is a make or break whether or not I can relate to a character instantly. There needs to be that connection and no matter how hard I tried, it wasn't there.

I also had trouble getting into the book overall. Some books suck you in, while others take awhile. For some reason, this book couldn't hold my attention. I've never read urban fantasy, so this may be my fault as I've strayed from the genre I'm used to. I like what Teddy Jacobs was going for though. The mystery and suspense to this book is quite appealing. I just wish I could force myself to get sucked into the world. I wanted to know more, but couldn't bring myself to do so.

I do have to commend on the writing. It's not as fluid as I'd like it to be, but it was easy to read and I didn't have trouble understanding the story. The writing is realistic and clean.

Needless to say, this type of book is not for me. I'm not really big on much high fantasy to begin with, but I do give it a try once in awhile. Hopefully I can come back to this book in the future and try again when I've finally got a handle on reading urban books, such as this one.

Despite my predicament, I still recommend this for paranormal and urban high fantasy lovers. I'm sure this story will entice and engross many.

[Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a mystery at it's heart. What is going on in this town?
There were several different beings from faeries, werewolves, witches, zombies, ghouls ect. There are a lot of teenagers in this town starting to turn recently and as each human is different, they all turn into different things. I felt that too much focus was put on aspect of the story that normally authors would gloss over, like in the beginning chapters and his focus on the hamburger, his desire to eat meat. Instead of just being mentioned, it went on for a couple of pages. But not quiet enough time spent on getting the reader to attach emotionally to the character and rooting for him. Which is why I would categorize this more into a light fun read category. Even though there is the formation of a love triangle, all the emotions we would get from a female main character in this same position are completely different than what we get here with a more straight forward mans approach to liking 2 girls at once, more confusion that angst.
I liked that there were a lot of creatures in the town, it gives the story a lot of directions that it can go. There is humor and good dialogue. I would say that I lean more towards 3 stars than 4, it has a unique storyline and open enough in the end to go into another book. Now that we are introduced to the characters and the world a book 2 could really good.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

The book started out OK, with an interesting take on the werewolf/vampire mythology. It becomes a bit confused later on when they introduce every kind of paranormal creature under the sun (and moon), when I think that they should have been introduced more slowly over the course of several books (or just not included in this world at all). Many monsters weren't really given much explanation (e.g. I don't really know the difference between zombies and ghouls here, except that ghouls seem to be actually dead).

The relationships were also a bit questionable. The friendships between the boys were well done, but the love interests weren't terribly believable, and I didn't really see why it needed to be a triangle.

The dialogue got worse and worse as the book went on, and I think there are upwards of 15 incidences of "wicked [adjective]" used. I mean, I get it, it's the title, but even teenagers can be a bit more creative with their speech.

It's definitely not the worse paranormal YA book I've read, but I won't be hurrying to get the next one.

[Tabitha Ormiston-Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has everything. Teenage werewolves. Vampires. Ghouls. Zombies. Fairies (both seelie and un). Demons. Elder Gods. Communicating with the dead. A kitsune. A gateway to another world that can be opened by a dire sacrifice. Rescuing a Kitten. Even my personal favourite, an ancient evil stirring beneath a mountain. And - just for a surprise at the end - a fateful choice implemented by a blue pill and a red pill!

I wish the author in future books would lose his pretentious use of the present tense though. Not that he doesn't do it well. But it is just a small irritant coming between the writer and the reader. I think the book would be better without it, the lack of that irritant allowing the perfect suspension of disbelief that's necessary for the reader to be fully caught up in the story.

[K.M. Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book. I've seen it on Amazon and Smashwords top seller lists, so when I found it on Wattpad, I gave it a shot.

While I'm not a fan of first person present tense, the story sucked me in anyway. Stanley's family are hippie vegan Wiccans, and eating meat is a sin...so why is he craving Burger King? Soon he's dropping some hard Slim Jims.

But things really go nuts when he and his friends start taking 'vitamins' that turn them into werebeasts. Then things really start getting out of control, and by the end there's fey, zombies and demons running around.

I enjoyed the book beginning to end. The ending's a bit of a downer, but it leaves it open for book 2.

If occult stuff bothers you, be warned that this book has plenty of it.

[Maria D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this might make a good junior high school level read. I found the beginning slow and awkward. I did not like the typoes nor the grammatical speech errors in the story. However, I think the author does a good job with the juvenile-level suspense. I also liked that the author uses the Unitarian Church as a thread in this story to explain how different people come together (in real life, I found the weave of different faiths interesting in this church, and found the need for sub-groups curious). Overall, it was a really good story, and it seems worthy of a sequel.

[Emaleth Morrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was fun! Except for the ending.lol I'm giving this four stars because it started out slow and I wasn't really impressed with the beginning dialogue. I couldn't care less what vegans think, all trivial to me but it did pick up once they all started taking the pill, and I haven't let it down since. I loved the camaraderie among the three boys and Jonathan is a hoot! I knew Ylvis was on to something when they made that "What Does the Fox Say?" music video.haha Looking forward to the next book!

[Steen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started out with so much promise...and then got to be too much in the middle. I liked Stanley well enough, but the rest of the characters were kind of just ... Blips. If it had been slowed down, maybe? I feel like including the fae at all was too much to be honest.
I wish it had been more about him learning to cope with being a werewolf, or more about the pain he felt on the full moon. As it was, it seems...like...he got a hang of being a werewolf too fast.
I wanted it to be more like teen wolf, I guess

[Carol Bosselman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off great, very engaging and amusing, knowing what they were all turning into before they did, but as it picked up speed, it got muddied and confused. Too much was thrown in, and the effort to throw too much knowledge at once turned it into a puzzle that I stopped caring about. And as one other reviewer mentioned, with a witch for a mother, the main character really should have had more of a clue... but again, early on, that's what made it so entertaining.

[Heidi Karriker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hard to rate. I wanted to like it more but I found myself skimming to try and get to better parts, and there were times I wanted to stop reading all together. I just couldn't connect with the characters in the story until it was almost over. It was more of a 2.5 then a 3 since it was a little better then ok but I did not full on like it.

[Meryst · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too contrived. It was one giant cliche, and other than the pill concept it felt like the author was trying too hard. I think every gentre was hit: Vampires, ghouls, zombies, and the seelie courts! Oh and the demons came along as well. I think there was an appearance of the Ghostbusters too.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book by this author I've read and I was impressed, I'm hoping he does a sequel. Unexpected action with some "wicked twists". Not what I expected and I got a lot more then I had hoped for. Good reading.

[Robin Franks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read

Well written and very engaging. Well constructed characters and the plot was riveting. This is a story I would recommend to anyone. This is not just a book for teenagers. This is for any age group that enjoys the fantasy genre.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 3 out of 5]

WHile this book was entirely readable, there was nothing about that really called out to me or made me get truly invested in the characters, world or story.

But, to be fair, this genre has fairly well been beaten to death over the last 5 years or so....

[Sarika Fils-Aime · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really don't know why this book was published. It is truly terrible. I should have listened to all the people warning me not to read this book. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT read this book!

[Elizabeth]

Too weird for my taste.....

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It's an incredible story. I highly recommend it for teenagers. I would love to read a sequel to it.