Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent teen-werewolf tale has girl power, iffy messages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
High-school junior Becca wants to join the popular SQUAD when she moves from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay Area. At her old school, Becca was a bit of a misfit and didn't really have any friends. A chance encounter with one of the queen bees on her first day leads to an in with the in crowd, who buy her all new clothes and teach her everything she needs to know about how things are done at Piedmont High School. Becca soon learns that her new friends are in fact a pack of werewolves who feed every full moon by killing and eating high-school boys who are sexually aggressive. And they need another member of the pack to be able to fully cover their, um, activities. At first Becca loves the power, and the sense of empowerment, that comes with her enhanced abilities. But things eventually start to spiral out of control, especially once the FBI joins the search for all the missing teen boys. The price for a place at the top of the social ladder quickly becomes too high. But once you've been turned, is there any turning back?
Is It Any Good?
Horror fans will enjoy this take on teen-werewolf theme for the way it showcases girl power, friendship and loyalty, but some iffy messages are problematic. Squad points out a lot of frustrations, dangers, and problems people deal with every day, and which teens will easily relate to, but it doesn't offer any real-world solutions. Negative examples offer a lot of food for thought, and good conversation starters about microagression, victim blaming, sexual predators, double standards, prejudice, how women are depicted in pop culture, and more. The colorful illustrations effectively show both action and emotion in a classice style with a retro, '80s color scheme. Gory violence, strong language, and excessive drinking make it best for teens and up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Squad. Is it too much? Is it gratuitous, or does it serve a purpose? Does it matter if it's in the fantasy realm?
What about all the teen drinking? Is it realistic? What consequences do we see, and what are some logical consequences we don't learn about in the story?
What are some of your favorite graphic novels? How does this one compare? Do the illustrations help tell the story and make it more interesting or exciting?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Lisa Sterle
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School ) , Fantasy
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Greenwillow Books
- Publication date : October 5, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 224
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate