Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
Kate Folan comes from a family of werewolves. She'll only become fully 'wolf herself when she mates with a male werewolf. But she vows that will never happen. The last thing she wants is to give in to her evil heritage.
Then she meets Tom Anderson. Tom is a wereling-a werewolf who retains his humanity even in his wolf form. He was "turned" by Kate's mother, who chose wisely.
Tom and Kate can't help falling for each other. But if they give in to their feelings, Kate will become the thing she hates most. Unless they can find a cure. . . .

272 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2003

About the author

Stephen Cole

213 books140 followers
See also: Steve Cole.

Stephen Cole (born 1971) is an English author of children's books and science fiction. He was also in charge of BBC Worldwide's merchandising of the BBC Television series Doctor Who between 1997 and 1999: this was a role which found him deciding on which stories should be released on video, commissioning and editing a range of fiction and non-fiction titles, producing audiobooks and acting as executive producer on the Big Finish Productions range of Doctor Who audio dramas.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
569 (32%)
4 stars
514 (29%)
3 stars
440 (25%)
2 stars
146 (8%)
1 star
57 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
February 23, 2010
I'd like to start with NOT giving a summary of this book.
What I'd like to start with, however is the intensity level of this book, which is VERY, VERY high (well, for me.) The book starts out with Kate Folan in her bed one full moon night, skin itching, about to burst into what she thinks is her first change into a werewolf. I swear I might have held my breath. And just when you think she's about to go on her first rampage in her new form, IT'S ALL A DREAM.
*Spoiler Time*
I find both Kate and Tom very relateable and intriguing, but at times, I tend to feel for Tom more. Tom is that visibly tortured soul, while Kate's the Diamond in the Rough. The transformations throughout the book never get old, and you can even picture them in your mind. way intense. When Tom was captured by the witchdoctor, I really felt his alarm, dissapointment and panic. Marcie Folan is deliciously evil, yet she still has a three dimensional personality. I felt bad Wesley Folan died. Yeah, he was just as bad as his mother, but he was raised like that and brainwashed. Kate at some glances would seem selfish at times, but you've really got to see the situation through her eyes, and she reacts very realisticly. Tom will do so much for Kate, yet not to the extent of fakeness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1,398 reviews24 followers
December 19, 2014
Tom Anderson's vacation turns into a nightmare when he ends up in the Folan house. He is an invalid, so why lock his door? And every suggestion he makes to leave or contact someone outside gets shot down. The enigmatic Kate may prove his only salvation . . . if both of them can trust each other long enough to get away. And even then, there may be something bigger going on than just the two of them.

What begins as an accident ends up as something far more sinister. Through no fault of his own, Tom finds himself in the middle of a family feud---and as a consequence, wrestling with a new power. But being a werewolf isn't all howling at the moon, even without the rest of the 'wolf community hot on his tail. Oh, and he's falling for Kate, who may be falling for him, even though both of them know that for them to get together will result in both of them losing out.

The prose reads fast and tight, for the most part; the book barrels along with surprises around every corner. I particularly liked the twisting of traditional werewolf mythology: not every aspect of legend was automatically fact, and much of what remained had a more logical feel. Lycanthropy itself appears to be some form of disease, which perfectly explains the "infection" resulting from the bite of a current werewolf.

There were a few things that bugged me, the biggest being the main plot driver: female werewolves (at least, purebloods) can't transform until after they've had sex with a male werewolf. No attempt was made to explain why this is so; men have no similar restrictions, and apart from this the transformation process appears to be identical. There were some hints that other creatures such as vampires existed, but nothing more was ever done with the rest of the supernatural beings; it seemed very odd none of the others would have an opinion about the werewolves rising up to control the earth. Would they join such a movement, resist it, or not care one way or the other? Hopefully the rest of the series will delve into that at least a little bit.

The book wraps up a few things, and leaves a lot on the table. There isn't much depth to the plot, but it was a decent light read. I rate this book Neutral.
Profile Image for Sandie.
534 reviews14 followers
December 26, 2015
I just loved this series. I thought this first book was a little slow in the very beginning but once you get past the turning point its actually quite good.

The book is much like the Twilight series or Harry Potter series, except that this one is a werewolf community. Its a very smooth and easy read like the series I mentioned above. They are quite a bit smaller then those books but very good.

The main characters are around 16-17 and even though there is attraction there, its ill-fated. The mother of the girl is horrific as is her brother. There are a few parts that are kind of disturbing, maybe a bit to graphic for young readers, but they are few and far between and add to the gruesome life being depicted here.

I thought it was great to read a series for young teens/adults revolving around werewolves instead of the ever popular vampires! I love the vampire stories but this was a great change and I thoroughly enjoyed it!!
Profile Image for Roberta Dellabora.
Author 1 book118 followers
November 8, 2016
Ve ne parlo nella mia prossima recensione sul blog Dolci&Parole!
I licantropi non sono come avevamo immaginato. Per niente attraenti e amichevoli, ma molto più spietati e assetati di sangue. Sangue umano. Un horror YA con piccole venature romantiche e tanta avventura, per una storia leggera, non troppo pretenziosa, e una bella scrittura che tiene ancorati alle pagine.

Stay Tuned!
Profile Image for Heather.
798 reviews26 followers
May 23, 2014
Mini-Review

Wounded, Prey, and Resurrection are the books that made me start reading for fun. I remember going through the aisle's of my local book fair and seeing Wounded on the shelf. After reading the synopsis, I decided to buy it. It was also one of the first bargain priced books I ever bought (with my parent's money since I was still a kid). When I started reading, I fell in love with the story. It was interesting and kept my attention throughout (This was a big thing for me since I seem to have the attention span of a squirrel). Once I finished, I begged my mother to take me back so I could get the other two books. I really believe that this trilogy could get boys and girls into reading. It sure helped blossom my love for books.

For more reviews, check out my blog at Cook's Reviews
Profile Image for Kate.
Author 15 books874 followers
July 8, 2008
I was really hoping to like this series... I like werewolf stories, but I didn't like how the characters were never what they seemed. Nice old lady on the bus who offers a place to stay? Werewolf! Witch doctor who will help stop the werewolf transformation? Evil doctor! Long lost lover? Bitter ex-boyfriend who thinks you killed his father! Really, every character except the two main characters, Kate and Tom, were not what they first appeared to be. I just kept waiting for Kate and Tom to be different than what they seemed too. The characters were shallow enough that anything is possible. I know there are two other books in this series but I doubt I will read them... too bad, since the cover art is pretty cool!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Marco.
103 reviews2 followers
May 7, 2008
I was looking for filler before the next Stephenie Meyer and Melissa de la Cruz books. This didn't do it for me. It tried too hard to be a horror/monster movie. It had moments of suspense, but the characters were too stereotypical (the bumbling British geek-turned-hero, the runaway who gets into trouble, the overbearing mother, the washed-out villain attempting a comeback, etc.). There was too much gore for my taste, also.
Profile Image for Two Odd Socks.
60 reviews3 followers
February 23, 2023
Title: "The Wereling: Wounded" by Stephen Cole

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Summary:

Tom Anderson, a sixteen year old teenager, tired of his boring family vacation goes off into the woods. While by the river, he is attacked by a bear and ends up washed up somewhere. He wakes up in bed, badly injured but being cared for by the Folans. But not all is what it seems.

                 ⚠️POTENTIAL SPOILERS⚠️

Review:

Read this in a day. It was a re-read and I remembered very little so it felt like reading it all over again.
It was a fast read and not a bad one either. Very simple premise; a bit like "Misery" meets werewolves.

Tom was an okay character to follow as well as Kate Folan. Both are trying to escape the Folan family after they changed Tom into a wereling. The book's plot revolves around them escaping and Tom dealing with the wolf blood in his body.

I noticed a trend however; Tom and Kate would trust someone, they turned out to be "bad" in some way, they barely escape and run off. This would repeat but with different characters, which, for me, took away any surprise or tension.

I did enjoy the action scenes, when Tom shifts for the first time is described well, and explaining the moon is like a drug to wolves was interesting.

It was okay, but surprised I was allowed to read it when I was at school.
Profile Image for Yasmin Foster.
57 reviews17 followers
May 23, 2017
This is a review of the trilogy as a whole, for these are short books and what I say can apply to all of them.

I remember reading these books when I was in school, more than ten years ago, and it’s a testament that I remember them, and certain scenes, characters and quotes, vividly. I enjoyed them then and I enjoy them now as an adult.

These are fast-paced, smooth reads and the writing is economical. The only time it does seem to stumble in its pacing in when it has to give an ‘info-dump’, but they’re only a paragraph or so long and they serve to remind you what has happened in the previous books or to give you information on important and relevant parts of the werewolf mythology (which is interestingly crafted) so you don’t have to waste time trying to stitch the pieces together throughout the book. Granted the transitions into the ‘info-dumps’ are a little clumsy at times, but they’re quick and few.

The characters are very likeable and their humour takes the edge off some of the dark, grizzly horror. And these books are HORROR. Publish two years before Twilight castrated werewolves, these books keep the rabid animal violence and in no way romanticises them. At the same time, it doesn’t go too overboard with the gore, only at important times where you need that stab of dread.

All in all, I’d recommend these. They’re short books and you could probably read the whole trilogy in a week, at most.
Profile Image for Mickey.
600 reviews39 followers
May 23, 2019
Outstanding!

I love the feeling that comes with finishing a good book, the satisfaction of having done something worthwhile. The same can be said of finding a new author, or a new series and The Wereling by Stephen Cole has been added to my TBR list. I enjoyed reading about the trials and troubles of Tom, a teenager separated from his family and "turned" by Kate's parents in their attempt to mate her with another lycanthrope. It tracks their race across country dodging villains bent on their capture, trying to reach someone in the hope there is a cure for Tom that will make him human again. While I am not normally a fan of horror, I found Wounded to be so much more complex than that. There was a depth to the characters that surprised and encouraged me, Tom in particular was endearing in how hard he strived to maintain his humanity in the face of the brutality being proffered against him.
Profile Image for Tianna Le’Ray.
Author 1 book1 follower
December 15, 2021
I did touch on this book in the past but I really feel that I've grown as a reader and writer and wanted to give it another go. I got to read the awesome book The Wereling by Stephen Cole. I had been putting off reading this book due to my busy schedule but I finally found down time. I'd give this book 4.5 out of 5. The story kept my attention and was gripping. I especially loved the character Tom and the fight scenes. The only problem I had with the book was that Takapa didn't really bring fear in me as a villain. He had moments where I feared for Kate but overall he just fell flat. Now Marcie on the other hand I felt more fear towards her and I can't wait to see how she is further polished in this world. Overall, the book was a great interesting read with hints at romance and good action.
Profile Image for Yue.
2,344 reviews30 followers
June 20, 2024
For a YA, it was pretty good. Even horror-ish. Tom being locked in the room of a house of a strange family that seemed from a cult. The transformations to wolf. The albino villain, Tapaka. The old lady that seemed nice in the bus but was actually a total psycho, as much as the female lead's mother. It was mostly a "the leads against the world" book, making it even scarier. Every new person introduced had a killing intent.

I don't think I will read the sequel but who knows. I don't read sequels nowadays, but it is hard to find good paranormal YA that isn't too much focused on romance (this one has like, 10% tones of romance).
Profile Image for Sarah Gries.
173 reviews
January 14, 2018
I really liked this book. It’s short and full of suspense. The characters could be more developed in my opinion, and the length of the book should be longer because he needs to expand on some things.

It’s very fast paced which i don’t mind after reading all of Dan Brown’s books. I only wish there was more content in the book. There are some crazy ass people in this book and it kinda scared me, Im not gonna lie.

I would give this book 3 1/2 stars, but me being an optimist and all happy i decided to stay with 4 stars rather than 3. Goodreads really needs to put half stars in rating a book. It makes life so much easier if we just had the half stars.

Cheers lovelies.
Profile Image for Tianna Smith.
1 review
February 9, 2021
I’d give this book 4.5 out of 5. The story kept my attention and was gripping. I especially love the character Tom and the fight scenes. The only problem I had with the book was that Takapa didn’t really bring fear in me as a villain. He had moments where I feared for Kate but overall he fell flat. Now Marcie on the other hand I felt more fear towards her and I can’t wait to see how she is further polished in this world. Overall, the book was a great interesting read with hints at romance and good action.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ashley.
84 reviews
June 15, 2017
Ugh. If I have to read "'wolf " stylized like that again I'm going to freak. That was so, so annoying. Writing was subpar, but the story was somewhat interesting. I finished in a day. Won't be reading the next two in the series.
Profile Image for Solveig.
73 reviews
March 24, 2021
I read this book three times throughout high school and early college. I re-read this book this year (2021) and it is garbage lol it is YA trash but not even that good of YA trash. The nostalgia of rereading it got me though.
Profile Image for Samantha Brown.
23 reviews2 followers
May 18, 2017
Nothing wrong with this book, I just found the story line to be average. I'm not really feeling compelled to finish the last 2 books.
Profile Image for Amanda Gonzalez.
74 reviews1 follower
April 19, 2020
This was a re-read from when I was in high school. It was one of the first books i'd read with a supernatural setting and I loved it then and still love it now.
Profile Image for Cri.
14 reviews
March 28, 2022
Molto scorrevole e devo dire che lho trovato una lettura scorrevole, ma manca un finale purtroppo i libri successivi non sono mai stati pubblicati in Italia per quanto sappia
Profile Image for Emily Anthony.
50 reviews
August 19, 2022
Everything I wanted out of it. Silly story. Silly characters. Such a fun read, just wish it wasn’t so rushed. Definitely gonna read the series.
Profile Image for Sophie Woodmore.
109 reviews6 followers
June 25, 2023
I wasn't expecting this charity shop find to turn out to be rather enjoyable! I absolutely loved this, quick and easy read, can't wait to read the next book.
13 reviews2 followers
January 4, 2012
A Book Review of Wereling: Wounded
By Yup Myu, Grade 7, Yangon International School
“A new creature that wore his skin had crept in to replace him: something from the dark pits of a nightmare, a bestial force of hideous strength.” Stephan Cole uses these words to describe the way Kate thought when Tom turned into a werewolf for the first time in Cole’s novel Wereling: Wounded. How does Kate feel when her friend is a hideous beast? In this novel, Cole develops distractions Tom and Kate must face with while trying to find the mysterious man, Jicaque, who might have a cure for werewolves. Are Tom and Kate strong enough to face all the troubles and dangers awaiting them or will Tom always be a werewolf?
Tom Anderson’s relaxing vacation turns into a terrifying nightmare after he is rescued by the Folan family. Initially, no problems for Tom existed even though each member of the Folan family was crazy; Kate with all the dark candles and books on dark magic, and Marcie locking Tom’s room every night. After being with the Folan family for a month, Tom’s life transforms into a terrifying nightmare. Marcie kept Tom because she wanted Kate to have a mate so that she would have grandsons and granddaughters. While trying to escape, Tom accidently killed Kate Folan’s younger brother. As a result, Kate and Tom both flee and try to escape the dangers in the city following one rule “Don’t trust anyone!” Trusting even an old woman can be a precarious situation. Eventually, Tom and Kate discover the old woman was a werewolf who was actually trapping them. Soon, they discover something they should have known a long time ago. . . Safety is not possible. Will they ever find Jicaque while facing all the other werewolves tracking them down?
Cole developed two protagonists with many differences. Kate is willing to do anything to depart from her parents’ pressure while helping Tom to remain safe. At first, Tom only cares about him being human again, so he cares less about others until he started to have feelings for Kate. Kate is an active character who wants to help people while Tom is a quiet character that would do anything as long as it doesn’t harm Kate and it helps him get to Jicaque fast. While Kate’s character looks like she was trying to trap Tom, I still like the way Cole made Kate’s personality. Because Cole made Kate look evil, many readers’ attention will be more into the book. All the actions and emotions Cole made Kate do during the novel cause the book to be more attention-grabbing.
During the climax, Cole develops the struggles of Kate and Tom. When Marcie caught up with Tom and Kate and gave them each two decisions. Tom had a decision if he would be Kate’s mate or go to a battle while Kate had to make a decision to be confined to a cell or accept the fact that Tom would be her mate. Anyone who has had to make hard decisions that they don’t like would appreciate reading Wereling: Wounded, because you’ll find if you’re same as Tom or Kate. Anyone who also enjoys romance novels would appreciate reading this book. On a scale of one to five, I give this book a four, because it’s a very attention-grabbing book which would be liked by many teenagers. Wereling: Wounded is the first book from the series The Wereling. It was published in 2003 and it was printed in USA.
Profile Image for Ginna Marciel.
6 reviews
December 14, 2008
I liked the book Wereling because it has to do with a regular seventeen year old boy, and he is normal like everyone else but then something happens to where he goes on a trip with his family and while he was by himself, playing in the river. He got swept away by the current and well, more like everything start going downhill from that. What I didn’t like was the fact that everyone that they met were werewolves, and they couldn’t find a few nice people that were not connected to that wolves. I also didn’t like the fact that Papa Takapa was using Kate’s best friend email just to fool Kate and Tom and almost cut Tom open to see what actually makes him the wereling. But I did like how when he was being dragged away by these two thugs when Kate went to go visit her old friend Tyler (I am pretty sure that was his name) and when they were trying to make Kate admit if she killed her dad or not, when Tom was being dragged away and getting beat up, he stopped feeling pain, and then started laughing while hair started coming out of his skin while he was transforming. That was so cool cause I think it’s awesome how he starts laughing as he is ready to beat them up.]

If the book was made into a movie it would be action of course, I am not sure about romance though because Tom and Kate look like they have something going on but at the same time it doesn’t. And I am not sure if it would be horror because usually movie with vampires and werewolves, and anything that could kill and is not real at the same time is known as horror. The setting would probably be in a area that has a lot of woods nearby, for the scenes when they are getting away from Kate’s home. Than a little small neighborhood for the part when they meet Patience. And then a abandoned looking area with one house for when they went to see Tyler. And maybe like a alley way area when Blood saved Kate, along with a warehouse for when Kate had to watch Tom being tortured and when Kate was handcuffed to the chair being held hostage by Papa Takapa. The casting would be really hard to pick from (you don’t so really many seventeen year old stars, and none of the Disney channel stars work). I would make all of the stuff the same but I most likely would take out a lot of the train action. Cause Tom waits in the train for Kate to come back from her shower. She takes too long, he gets worried, this guy disguised as a train attendant calls him saying that Kate is waiting for him, when she is not, ect. It’s just way to much. I would probably take out some parts like how all of the people in the dining room were wolves too and they all started trying to attack him. And maybe the whole part where Blood was giving the certain pair of shoes and also probably the part when the old man scared Tom in the movie theatre. I would actually rate this movie PG-13 cause nothing bad happens in it. And it seems suitable for many ages except some blood might get to people so I guess it would be PG-16…There is lots of blood going on in this book so most likely the movie too. But I think this would be a good movie to all ages in fact. Only if they can handle bloody movies though.
Profile Image for Rachel Patrick.
295 reviews238 followers
August 13, 2014
This review (and others) can be seen in all its proper formatting glory on my blog Beauty and the Bookshelf.

I love this book (and, of course, series). I believe I first discovered Wounded my freshman year of high school, when I asked the school librarian for some recommendations of books I might like since I was on a Twilight high. She steered me toward Stephen Cole's Wereling series, and THANK GOSH she did--otherwise, I don't know that I would've ever known about these books, and that would be a gosh darn shame.

Wounded beings the stories of Tom Anderson and Kate Folan, two teens (him sixteen, her seventeen) who find themselves thrown together as they try to survive. When Tom winds up going downriver on a family camping trip, he finds himself in the Folan household with parents Marcie and Hal and their children Kate and Wesley. At first, it seems like the family--well, everyone but Kate--is really trying to help Tom get better so he can return to his presumably worried parents and little brother. But then Tom finds out the Folans are werewolves--and they made him one, too. Because doesn't-want-to-be-a-werewolf Kate has to mate with a 'wolf in order to become one, and her evil mother decided Tom could do it. Then things happen, and Kate and Tom are on the run--from Kate's family, and to find a cure for Tom.

Tom and Kate go through several escapades on their journey, and even though they're never really safe, I love it. I've read this book at least three times, and it's still good. The writing isn't fancy or anything, but it's still pretty good and totally readable. It's a shorter read and a quick page-turner, and thank goodness I have three books to read. I think I'd still love this book even if it didn't have werewolves. (But I LOVE werewolves, so.) There's something about this story and the way it's written that just works for me, and I love it. I care about Tom and Kate's story and what happens to them--and duh, I ship them. And what's great is that there isn't even much romance in here, but it still works. (Because I love me some romance.) Sure, Tom and Kate have the occasional thought about each other, but their focus remains on what's important: staying alive. (And that whole mating-turns-me-'wolf thing with Kate makes it easier for the two to stay apart, since neither of them want Kate to be a 'wolf.)

In the end, this is just a fun, great book that is soo underrated. Tom and Kate are two great characters and POVs who are living a story that I love to read about. And there are memorable secondary characters: Kate's evil bitch of a mother Marcie; the nasty albino 'wolf Papa Takapa; and Adam Blood--how did I forget about you?!--with his British accents (yes, plural) and funny lines. So, to recap: Wounded has likable characters, good writing, and a compelling story. Oh, and there are WEREWOLVES. Is this book perfect? No. But I enjoy reading it too much to even really see what's wrong with it; I just don't care. I was waaay overdue for a reread on this book, and now I can finally review it for the blog! You? Go read this book! Me? I'm on to book two, Prey!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.