In the world of advertising, most would say that tact and social norms must exist to be successful, yet others say that “anything goes.” Damon Cudmore is highly successful in the field of New York advertising, and he follows the advice of the latter – the more crude, insulting, and subjectively honest the slogan can be, the more successful it proves for the overall sales of the product. In walks Jeff Foxlove, a newbie to the field, but full of energy, ideas, and dreams of changing the world. Jeff gets brought under Cudmore’s wings, exposed to the darker side of advertising that he soon adapts to, albeit reluctantly. Jeff notices something isn’t right in his life and takes a vacation down south for refreshment, relaxation, and to become recharged. To a young, successful New Yorker, the thought of anything going wrong or the truth behind cultural stories, aka superstitions, is not on his radar. One decision made there shows him returning home as a werewolf and having to abide by its curse- unfortunately for others, fresh meat and blood are part of the werewolf package. Is it possible to tame his animal instincts? How can Jeff reverse this curse, if it’s even possible?! One last trip down south to search for the fabled cure is the ending to Jeff’s exciting and unpredictable life.
When it comes to werewolf stories, this reviewer identifies as a “newbie;” accepting that title, reading Werewolf on Madison Avenue was an enjoyable and thrilling introduction to the fantasy genre, reading of creatures who put your hair on end. This debut novel by Edward R. Lipinski reads as the work of a seasoned author yet contains his artistic writing style within and throughout each page. Written in the third-person style, the story gives an overall feel of a narrator relaying the happenings and events, allowing the reader to view them externally and at a safe distance, versus the opposing first-person, with the reader likely to feel and read the characters differently through their internal dialogue. Rest assured horror fans, there is still blood and guts and savagery. The characters in the story are likable and relatable; while being largely about Jeff, other characters have their moments to shine and learn about, with many of them experiencing a coming-of-age moment by the end. The text is comprehensive, yet understandable to the lay reader. The chapters are written in similarly-lengthed bite-sized portions for the capability of gearing through the book at a speedy pace. Werewolf on Madison Avenue is recommended to literally anyone – it will appease the horror junkie given its theme and well-written descriptions of events, yet contains a solid storyline to appease all other readers through the characters and lessons learned.