The Transition

Hunter has never felt comfortable inside his female body and when his parents fund the first stage of his transition surgery he is looking forward to settling into a new physical identity. His progress towards this much longed-for goal is, however, violently disrupted when he is attacked by a wolf as he tries to save his dog from its clutches. He is badly bitten, but, far more profoundly, he is permanently altered and, as his body changes yet again, he realises he is becoming a werewolf, a transition which, understandably, horrifies him.

His parents are divorced and his father, with whom he lives, is almost permanently away on business. His gender realignment has caused tensions in some of his friendships and he now relies solely on the support of Marcy(Mars) and Gabe. Their relationship is close, but not without its problems for Hunter. Marcy is gay and Gabe seems unsure of his sexuality, although Hunter fears that the two of them may get together and he will be excluded.

These layers of complications tend to add swirls of complexity to the narrative, with Hunter questioning his feelings and theirs instead of simply accepting the selflessness of their friendship. His concerns become repetitive, as does his complete self-absorption. One the one hand, Kisner is exploring the topic of gender in order to allay fears and prejudices but on the other he is, at times, swamping the narrative which can create irritation, the opposite effect to the one he is trying to achieve. The school-based bullying is effectively dealt with, however, and the characters of Ethan and Damien ring horribly true.

As Hunter’s transformation into a werewolf gathers speed the changes are very graphically described: not for the faint-hearted. Kisner describes far more than physical changes as an emotional connection develops between Hunter and the werewolf, whose name, he learns, is Lawrence. This connection-when it becomes physical, soothes Hunter in a way in which his transition surgery has yet to do. One might say that Hunter has found his tribe, yet it is not the one which he was originally seeking.

There are more changes: Gabe accepts his awareness that he, too, is trans, confirming it with a change in personal pronoun, but the friendship between the three of them continues as strongly as ever. Hunter finds a generous measure of peace-listening to the coyotes howl in the woods, signalling to find their pack, Hunter finally realises that he has found his.