Wolf by Wolf: A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Choice: Book 1

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By Ryan Graudin
avg rating
5 reviews
What would the world look like if the Nazis had won the war? Wolf by Wolf is a gripping thriller about one girl’s extraordinary mission to kill Hitler.
""Wild and gorgeous, vivid and consuming. I loved it! I can’t wait for the sequel."" Laini Taylor, bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogyThe year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, they host an annual motorbike race across their combined continents. The prize? An audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor’s ball.
Yael has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost when she was a prisoner in a brutal concentration camp. Now part of the resistance, Yael has one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. But the only way to enter the race is to impersonate last year’s only female racer, Adele Wolfe. Yael is a master of deception but there are two other competitors it may be impossible to fool – Adele’s brother, Felix, and Luka, a boy she clearly has history with.
But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and stay true to her mission? The future on the world is depending on her . . .
A fast-paced, clever story that will leave you breathless.
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anyone who is interested in WW2 then you will like this fantastic read
I loved this book because I think it was a brilliant idea to set it in a dystopian world where Hitler won the second world war. I liked having the "Then" parts added in, about her wolves. Yael was a brilliant chararcter, and the eding was completely unexpected.
I had not read any magical realism and I was attracted by the concept of this story. I do like to persevere with a book once I have started to read but reluctantly had to admit defeat at page 130. I suspect it would appeal more to a teenage reader. Not really tempted to read any more magical realism.
“A ‘what if’ fantasy about an assassination attempt on Hitler, set in Germany 1956 when the Nazis have won the War and are determined to rule the World. The plot is exciting and fast-moving, with more twists and turns than an Olympic slalom course. The plot switches smoothly between heroine Yael’s childhood experiences and present-day trials, with a final, unexpected twist in the tale. A ‘right good read’ as we say in Yorkshire! Made me want to get to the end ASAP!”
“I really enjoyed this YA book. It was well written and I felt that it took me on a journey back in time but with a slightly futuristic twist. This was a 5 star read for me, it had excellent pace and an engaging female lead who I loved. I flew through the pages of Wolf By Wolf and was totally invested in the book from start to finish and I am already looking forward to the second book in the trilogy.”
“An amazing story about a 6 year old girl caught up in the horrors of Nazi Germany and medical experimentation. A different perspective to the usual WWII stories. Yael, the heroine of the story, has her camp number tattooed over with 5 wolves. One for each of the people she cared for who died as a result of persecution. She participates in the Axis Tour, the race across the world to win the favour of Hitler & Emperor Hirohito – her prize will be the dance with the Fuhrer and her mission? To end his life. A powerful story of survival, choices and identity.”
A great read - fun, exciting, sad and dark in places. It races along and you are right there with the characters. Is the first part of a trilogy though, so you'll be left wanting more!