Wolfsong

Throughout the novel, Ox struggles with his father’s definition of what it means to “be a man.” How does Klune use Ox, Thomas, Joe, and Gordo to redefine masculinity? Choose three characteristics to compare and contrast.

Ox and Joe’s relationship evolves from devoted friendship to romantic partnership. In what ways does their love function a form of survival? How is Klune resisting common “tragic queer love” tropes? Use examples from the text in your response?

The novel contrasts Ox’s biological family (chiefly his father) with the one he builds through Gordo and the Bennetts. What does the novel suggest about the freedom to choose one’s family? How does this choice shape identity, loyalty, and healing?

When Ox becomes Alpha, he grapples with the moral weight of leadership. What does the novel seem to suggest about the difference between protection and control? How does love complicate or shape the ethics of power?

Joe’s kidnapping and Ox’s losses are sources of deep trauma. How does Klune depict healing—both emotional and physical—as a collective process rather than an individual one?

What does singing symbolize in the novel? How does Klune use it to explore emotion beyond words? Choose three characters and analyze their use of or relationship to song and what it represents for them emotionally.

Werewolf transformation in the novel is both literal and metaphorical. What might the shifting between human and wolf forms symbolize about identity, instinct, and belonging? How do these transformations parallel coming-of-age or coming-out narratives?

Forgiveness-of self, of others, of absence—runs throughout Wolfsong. Which acts of forgiveness feel most transformative? Which seem impossible? What might Klune be saying about the limits and necessity of forgiveness in love?