Kazumi Reads

Plot Summary:
The Allies have lost the war and Hitler and Hirohito rules Europe and Asia. When Yael and her mother stepped off that horrid train car, Yael was selected by the Angel of Death to undergo horrible experiments for the Aryan empire. Fast forward to the present, Yael is no longer the scared little girl but a fighter who can not only change her face in the blink of the night, but she is the final hope for the Resistance to bring Hitler down once and for all. The million dollar question is: how will she able to carry out her mission as Hitler is untouchable? The answer: assuming Adele Wolfe's identity and compete in the Axis Motorcycle Tournament where she will ride across the continent to travel to the castle of the Emperor and meet Hitler. The only problem with this plan is not only does Yael have to assume Adele's identity, she has to outwit Adele's twin brother, Felix, and rival, Luka. What Yael doesn't realize is that there is quite a bit of information that are not in Henrikah's files and Yael must improvise or get caught. For Yael, failure is not an option and she will do whatever is necessary to complete her mission. 

Critical Evaluation:
WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! This is such an amazing story that I couldn't put it down! What makes this story unforgettable is that it tackles the question: what if Europe and the US lost WWII. As awful as it sounds, the hope for this world rests on the shoulders of a young woman who suffered so much at the hands of the Nazis. Along with his extreme hatred for the Jews, Hitler was obsessed with the perfection of the Aryan race, which resulted in unethical human experimentation. I thought it was brilliant of the author to use skin shifting as the result of the experimenting because it became an asset that only Yael could possess. In other words, Graudin turned the evil that was Hitler into something strong and brave--Yael. Along with Yael, Luka and Felix have a tremendous effect on her as they reveal intimate details about Adele, which not only reveals Adele's character, but it also forces Yael to re-evaluate who she is and what she wants. The ending will send readers over the edge and craving for the next installment.

Information about the Author:
According to the author's website:

I was born and raised by the sea in Charleston, South Carolina. I grew up on a steady diet of fairytales, salt-marshes, music and brothers who would reenact Redwall battles with me in the backyard. I went to an artsy sort of high school that allowed cello recitals in the hallways and impromptu poetry slams in the cafeteria. It was there I decided that writing was what I wanted to do more than anything.

So I wrote. I went to the College of Charleston and graduated in 2009 with a degree in Creative Writing. I met the love of my life and got married at 21. We started traveling the world together and never really stopped. We’ve taught English in South Korea, farmed in New Zealand, hiked through Peru, spied on lions in Kenya. Country number 20 is next on the docket.  

I still live close to the sea, with my husband and my wolf-dog. We try to grow gardens, but haven’t had much success. Sometimes I get bored and color my hair or pierce my nose. One day I’ll be brave enough to commit to a tattoo.

Genre:
 Teen Dystopian Thrillers, Teen Historical Fiction

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to Wolf by Wolf:

• The Diviners by Libba Bray
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys

Awards & Recognition:
From Amazon.com

An Amazon Best Book of the Year

"Wild and gorgeous, vivid and consuming. I loved it! I can't wait for the sequel."―Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy

"A haunting portrayal of one girl's courage in the face of a vicious world. I was racing along with Yael until the book's heart-pounding conclusion. A triumph."―Megan Shepherd, author of The Madman's Daughter

"Ryan Graudin opens one of the darkest chapters in history and spins a what if into an incredible tale of survival, identity, and purpose. This is the kind of book you can't put down, and the kind that follows you long after you have. It is, quite simply, a masterpiece."―Victoria Schwab, author of The Archived series 

"The rush of an action movie combined with a flawlessly executed history, this is the book I've been waiting for. I loved WOLF BY WOLF, and I'm not speaking to my friends till they've read and loved it too."
―Jackson Pearce, author of Sisters Red and Tsarina