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The Girl's Guide to Werewolves: All You Need to Know about the Original Untamed Bad Boys
The good news is:
He’s tall, dark, and handsome.
The bad news is: He’s short-tempered, a bit hairy, and has a tendency to howl at the full moon.
...Which makes bringing him home to meet mom and dad a bit difficult. How do you expect him to meet the family when he’s shedding on the furniture and sharpening his nails? Will he have more in common with the family dog than you? Will he leave you for a hairy hottie? No worries—in this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about these wild boys, including:
How to spot a werewolf
What to do when he changes shape
How to avoid his animalistic mood swings
How to destroy the savage beast (before he destroys you!)
The best—and worst—werewolf books and films
With this book, all ladies in love with lycanthropes learn how to tame their creatures of the night!
The bad news is: He’s short-tempered, a bit hairy, and has a tendency to howl at the full moon.
...Which makes bringing him home to meet mom and dad a bit difficult. How do you expect him to meet the family when he’s shedding on the furniture and sharpening his nails? Will he have more in common with the family dog than you? Will he leave you for a hairy hottie? No worries—in this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about these wild boys, including:
How to spot a werewolf
What to do when he changes shape
How to avoid his animalistic mood swings
How to destroy the savage beast (before he destroys you!)
The best—and worst—werewolf books and films
With this book, all ladies in love with lycanthropes learn how to tame their creatures of the night!
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
3 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Barb Karg
33 books2 followersBarb Karg is a twenty-five-year veteran journalist, author, graphic designer, and screenwriter. Karg has written four feature-length films, dozens of books, and designed and laid out hundreds of books, magazines, and catalogs. When not writing, she continues to work as an editor, designer, and layout specialist. Karg lives with her better half, Rick, and their five opinionated four-legged children in the Pacific Northwest.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 13, 2025
THE GIRL’S GUIDE TO WEREWOLVES wasn’t quite what I expected. It was entertaining and filled with humour, but didn’t quite delve into the lore of werewolves the way I’d hoped.
Much of the book was focused on werewolves in film and recommendations for media, along with analyzing some of the popular actors and characters who’ve kept them powerful and relevant.
A quick jaunt for anyone new to werewolves and looking to expand their filmography, but that’s essentially it. So I’ll be checking out some of the recommendations!
Much of the book was focused on werewolves in film and recommendations for media, along with analyzing some of the popular actors and characters who’ve kept them powerful and relevant.
A quick jaunt for anyone new to werewolves and looking to expand their filmography, but that’s essentially it. So I’ll be checking out some of the recommendations!
November 30, 2011
This book is not worth reading. The reason I gave it one star is because I had to, to let it reflect in the average raiting.
Sadly the book is a good example for a mix of true facts and untrue statements that either speak for pure ignorance or simply not knowing. It is also a good example on how you should not write a non-fiction book and how much some people let themselves be influenced by modern cinema.
Neither does the author has any real knowledge about werewolves, nor does she have an actual definition (the one she states she doesn't follow). She simply seems to regard everything as a werewolf that is labelled as such and also things that have never been attributed to them.
She claims that the word "Lycan" is the oldest term for werewolf, the interesting thing is that non of the big authors on the subject actually claim the same. The word is, apart from her book, exclusively used in fiction when you google it at google-books.
She claims Romulus and Remus as Lycans, regards Anubis as a typical werewolf form, despite the fact that the most common folkloric werewolf looks like a wolf and is definied by its shapeshifting ability.
Not to mention that she claims that every culture had stories of people shifting into wolves, despite the fact that in England alone werewolf-trials and stories were quite rare when compared to mainland Europe. Furthermore already Wilhelm Hertz (who wrote the pioneer book on the subject) stated that e.g. there are no werewolf-tales in India or Egypt, despite of the wolf being present there. Others have stated the same. The author provides no proof for her claim and her examples of legends are nearly exclusively from the western culture and even if not it is either not a werewolf or it is from an area where wolves are native or Europeans have introduced the belief. She simply provides no proof for her claims and nearly never states her sources, which is very questionable for a non-fiction book an a topic that already has a fair amount of research literature.
Her book is clearly influenced by modern film and teenage romances, as evident by her questionaire in the book and other topics.
She speaks of the male Alpha that every pack supposedly has although it has long been proven that "Alphas" are often female.
She recognizes that the comic character Wolverine is not a werewolf but claims that wolverines only go out at night and rather kill for fun, although there are films of wolverines hunting during the day (videos you can actually find on youtube).
She claims Brotherhood of the Wolf to bee a werewolf film although there is no werewolf in the movie. And like many laymen it doesn't seem to bothr her to categorize the Beast of Bray Road as a wrewolf, despite the obvious lack of references to shapeshifting in the stories about the Beast. Therefore it lacks the fundamental feature of a werewolf and should rather be classified as a Cynocephalus or Dog-Man.
She makes no mention of the different versions of the Lycaon myth or the different descriptions of the Beast of Gevaudan or the Wolf of Ansbach, although information to the latter two cases would not have been hard to find.
She classifies skinwalkers and the Chupacabra as werewolves, although the first has more than just that shape and the latter realy has no connection to werewolves. She also gives no sources for the classification of the Chupacabra as a werewolf.
And this is the biggest flaw of this book:
No sources!!! I can only say that some things are true because independent authors confirmed it and it is at least questionable how much she knows of the topic.
Considered what she has in it, she could at least have written a descent werewolf book, albeit with no new information, but she didn't manage that.
All in all I can only say that no one should waste his/her time with this book. If someone wants to have more reliable werewolf book, try the old classics or some other books like "The Curse of the Werewolf" or Metamorphoses of the Werewolf", but not this one.
Sadly the book is a good example for a mix of true facts and untrue statements that either speak for pure ignorance or simply not knowing. It is also a good example on how you should not write a non-fiction book and how much some people let themselves be influenced by modern cinema.
Neither does the author has any real knowledge about werewolves, nor does she have an actual definition (the one she states she doesn't follow). She simply seems to regard everything as a werewolf that is labelled as such and also things that have never been attributed to them.
She claims that the word "Lycan" is the oldest term for werewolf, the interesting thing is that non of the big authors on the subject actually claim the same. The word is, apart from her book, exclusively used in fiction when you google it at google-books.
She claims Romulus and Remus as Lycans, regards Anubis as a typical werewolf form, despite the fact that the most common folkloric werewolf looks like a wolf and is definied by its shapeshifting ability.
Not to mention that she claims that every culture had stories of people shifting into wolves, despite the fact that in England alone werewolf-trials and stories were quite rare when compared to mainland Europe. Furthermore already Wilhelm Hertz (who wrote the pioneer book on the subject) stated that e.g. there are no werewolf-tales in India or Egypt, despite of the wolf being present there. Others have stated the same. The author provides no proof for her claim and her examples of legends are nearly exclusively from the western culture and even if not it is either not a werewolf or it is from an area where wolves are native or Europeans have introduced the belief. She simply provides no proof for her claims and nearly never states her sources, which is very questionable for a non-fiction book an a topic that already has a fair amount of research literature.
Her book is clearly influenced by modern film and teenage romances, as evident by her questionaire in the book and other topics.
She speaks of the male Alpha that every pack supposedly has although it has long been proven that "Alphas" are often female.
She recognizes that the comic character Wolverine is not a werewolf but claims that wolverines only go out at night and rather kill for fun, although there are films of wolverines hunting during the day (videos you can actually find on youtube).
She claims Brotherhood of the Wolf to bee a werewolf film although there is no werewolf in the movie. And like many laymen it doesn't seem to bothr her to categorize the Beast of Bray Road as a wrewolf, despite the obvious lack of references to shapeshifting in the stories about the Beast. Therefore it lacks the fundamental feature of a werewolf and should rather be classified as a Cynocephalus or Dog-Man.
She makes no mention of the different versions of the Lycaon myth or the different descriptions of the Beast of Gevaudan or the Wolf of Ansbach, although information to the latter two cases would not have been hard to find.
She classifies skinwalkers and the Chupacabra as werewolves, although the first has more than just that shape and the latter realy has no connection to werewolves. She also gives no sources for the classification of the Chupacabra as a werewolf.
And this is the biggest flaw of this book:
No sources!!! I can only say that some things are true because independent authors confirmed it and it is at least questionable how much she knows of the topic.
Considered what she has in it, she could at least have written a descent werewolf book, albeit with no new information, but she didn't manage that.
All in all I can only say that no one should waste his/her time with this book. If someone wants to have more reliable werewolf book, try the old classics or some other books like "The Curse of the Werewolf" or Metamorphoses of the Werewolf", but not this one.
December 7, 2011
See, that blurb is a bit misleading but ultimately in a good way: it's not as cutesy as it's made out to be. Thanks to the likes of certain glittering vampire movies, Karg's book is trying to cater to a particular female pubescent clientele that may or may not have an affinity for a particular shirtless "werewolf," of which she mentions constantly throughout the book. But THE GIRL'S GUIDE is actually a really good cliff notes source for all things werewolf, without pictures. Chagrin, Team Jacob. Chagrin.
From their very beginnings in legends and lore to their current cinematic manifestations, Karg covers them all in quick succession. If you're a writer looking for an easy way out but not willing to go all SMeyer-lazy, THE GIRL'S GUIDE is a great tool to use for those quick and easy look-ups. From how the varieties transform, to what they look like, to how they're killed and the celluloid offspring they spawned, you can find it here. Are there more comprehensive guides out there? Of course. But I'm sure none have the spunk of THE GIRL'S GUIDE.
So don't be fooled by the title, the cover or the book blurb. THE GIRL'S GUIDE is a good book to have when you're just getting into the werewolf lore. Don't be turned off at the notion that it actually plays into the same scheme as the likes of THE VAMPIRE IS JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU does. It doesn't. Like I said, the kitch is a ploy to bring in the Twihards. There's genuine information between these covers that you don't want to miss, especially if werewolves are your thing.
It just kind of saddens me that publishers think they need to strum the heartstrings of Twihards everywhere in order to get this to sell. Marketing it for the information bloom it is should have been enough, in my opinion. Sure it's snazzy and quirky and plays pretend really well. But it would be a shame for THE GIRL'S GUIDE to get thrown aside by the same market that actually wants to know how to bag a werewolf. Because girlies, this one doesn't actually do that.
So when you pick up THE GIRL'S GUIDE, just remember you'll get a fill of werewolf information when you read and you'll be fine. Then, if this has piqued your interest enough, move on to the meatier stuff. Just remember where you started.
From their very beginnings in legends and lore to their current cinematic manifestations, Karg covers them all in quick succession. If you're a writer looking for an easy way out but not willing to go all SMeyer-lazy, THE GIRL'S GUIDE is a great tool to use for those quick and easy look-ups. From how the varieties transform, to what they look like, to how they're killed and the celluloid offspring they spawned, you can find it here. Are there more comprehensive guides out there? Of course. But I'm sure none have the spunk of THE GIRL'S GUIDE.
So don't be fooled by the title, the cover or the book blurb. THE GIRL'S GUIDE is a good book to have when you're just getting into the werewolf lore. Don't be turned off at the notion that it actually plays into the same scheme as the likes of THE VAMPIRE IS JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU does. It doesn't. Like I said, the kitch is a ploy to bring in the Twihards. There's genuine information between these covers that you don't want to miss, especially if werewolves are your thing.
It just kind of saddens me that publishers think they need to strum the heartstrings of Twihards everywhere in order to get this to sell. Marketing it for the information bloom it is should have been enough, in my opinion. Sure it's snazzy and quirky and plays pretend really well. But it would be a shame for THE GIRL'S GUIDE to get thrown aside by the same market that actually wants to know how to bag a werewolf. Because girlies, this one doesn't actually do that.
So when you pick up THE GIRL'S GUIDE, just remember you'll get a fill of werewolf information when you read and you'll be fine. Then, if this has piqued your interest enough, move on to the meatier stuff. Just remember where you started.
September 12, 2011
My brother rolled his eyes when he saw I was buying this.
What, you into Twilight now, or something?
Or something
Actually, I'm writing a werewolf story and I needed research. And I'm rather surprised at the amount of research I'm getting from relatively thin tome. Barb Karg tackles this pop culture phenomenon in a twilight-directed approach (meaning, there are a lot of Twilight references), but I don't mind that. The amount of werewolf legends and stories, from how they are created (in both films and books) to how they're killed is both helpful and entertaining. Makes me want to watch some of the films she mentioned. Karg does as much as could to dissect and understand the werewolf legend, how it began and why it remains so popular, and if they're even real. But, like I said, this is a "Twilight" infused book and she DOES talk about Twilight a LOT, so if you can't handle even the slightest reference to Stephanie Meyers' work, then skip this.
What, you into Twilight now, or something?
Or something
Actually, I'm writing a werewolf story and I needed research. And I'm rather surprised at the amount of research I'm getting from relatively thin tome. Barb Karg tackles this pop culture phenomenon in a twilight-directed approach (meaning, there are a lot of Twilight references), but I don't mind that. The amount of werewolf legends and stories, from how they are created (in both films and books) to how they're killed is both helpful and entertaining. Makes me want to watch some of the films she mentioned. Karg does as much as could to dissect and understand the werewolf legend, how it began and why it remains so popular, and if they're even real. But, like I said, this is a "Twilight" infused book and she DOES talk about Twilight a LOT, so if you can't handle even the slightest reference to Stephanie Meyers' work, then skip this.
September 8, 2012
Barb Karg certainly did her research on werewolves, but most of the book was plot summaries of other books and movies about werewolves. The first part of the book was fascinating; I just wish the list of movies and books, etc. would have been left out and she had focused on the more informative aspects.
June 24, 2014
Le loup garou and el hombre lobo! Yay for lycantrophy! This is as informative as Barb Karg's Vampire guide. Quick summary:
The first ever werewolf in history is Anubis. The word lycantrophy came from King Lycaon. The top grossing lupine film of all time is Wolf. Etc etc.
I lurve it. So many infos!
The first ever werewolf in history is Anubis. The word lycantrophy came from King Lycaon. The top grossing lupine film of all time is Wolf. Etc etc.
I lurve it. So many infos!
May 2, 2014
Worth a try. Very informative and Barb Karg did her research very well on lupines/lycans. But it may confuse you at some point, especially since it contains various references and sources. If you want to find a good background for your werewolf based novel, might as well use this as one of your references.
June 6, 2014
More solid information than one might expect given the lightweight presentation.
April 1, 2010
Ok if ur on team Jacob like I am then u will want to real this
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews