WOLF BY WOLF

It honestly baffles me how I managed to not read this brilliant book sooner. It is truly such an amazing story set in an alternate universe in which the Axis powers won the war and the aftermath of it all which is especially harrowing to think about because it could very well have been a reality. It's an action packed and fast paced novel that keeps you on the edge of our seat the entire time. I adored the cross continental motorbike race which was such a unique backdrop for the story and the sci-fi element thrown in (the main character can change her appeance at will ). I can honestly say I have never read anything like this. Highly recommend it.....P.S. I still have to read the second book [ ugh board exams suck:( ] but I'm absolutely positive it's going to be amazing.........

Excellent writing. . Truly a page Turner . It’s always interesting to read books on world war and especially this book is so gripping for all the bike racing and stuff . Can’t wait to read the second part .

Wolf By Wolf takes the DNA of "What if Hitler won the War" (Robert Harris's Fatherland) splices in a thread of Inglorious Basterds (young girl is intent on killing Hitler) and mixes a dollop of action, base violence and an X-men style, shape shifting /mutation / origin story. That in short, is the essential nucleus of this thriller.Yael is a young girl who turns shapeshifter after being mercilessly experimented on by the Nazi's. She uses this new found talent to escape her captives clutches and joins a resistance movement that is struggling against a Reich which has emerged victorious from the Ashes of the Second World War.The glorious victory over the Allied forces is commemorated by the Axis powers through the vehicle of a motorcycle race across their dominion. To the victor go the spoils- glory, a cushy job and a ceremony in which the victor is wreathed and lauded by Adolf Hitler himself.Driven by her determination to change things for the better, Yael see's her opportunity to get up close and personal with the Fuhrer and thus bring Hitlers reign to a very public end. This is by entering and winning the race in the form of a previous female victor- Adele Wolfe. There's just a couple of problems; everyone else in it, is there to win it, the brother of Adele Wolfe is trying hard to get her not to race and finally the real Wolfe did something terrible to one of the other contestants the last time she raced and won.The inevitable 'will-she won't-she' win fuels much of the suspense in this thriller which motors along at great pace without slipping or the plot becoming tired. Yael is an intriguing character although we don't get to look too deeply into her inner-self too often. Perhaps this was a bit of an omission, and those who feel introspection leads to greater affinity for a character will note this, but you know what ? I didn't mind personally. In short this book is thought provoking given the background history whilst also being a racy, pacy, shapeshifting, gear shifting counterfactual turbocharged novel.Roll on the sequel.

While alternative histories aren't generally my thing, this novel really did draw me in. Beginning with the horror or Yael's childhood journey to a concentration camp and then following her tense journey as part of the Axis Tour, it was a "what if" story that truly allowed the reader to imagine just how horrible the world would be if the Nazis had won (a thought that is very poignant to our current political climate).Wolf by Wolf has a lot to offer and I think it will appeal to many different kinds of reader. It's a thriller, it has science fiction elements, it has a grueling motorcycle race, historical roots and light romance. Its dark and violent in places but never overly gory. Yael is a very strong and relatable protagonist and, while the other racers initially felt a bit shallow, they revealed hidden depths as the story progressed.My only real issue with the story was that the prose could be a little purple at times. It was beautiful but the heavy use of metaphor sometimes seemed a bit excessive. It should also be warned that the novel ends on a cliffhanger. While it wasn't especially jarring (the story did at least conclude) it did not offer a great deal of resolution and left a lot of threads hanging. Hopefully these will be neatly tied off in the concluding volume.All in all, this was an excellent novel and really made me want to read Graudin's earlier work. I can't wait to see how this story will wrap up in the next book!

I bought this book because my daughter was reading it at school and wanted to be able to talk about the text. I was quickly gripped and enjoyed every moment reading it. There are some excellent twists - I love being surprised by plot turns and this book certainly delivered.

What if the Germans and Japanese had won World War II? Most historians do agree that it was possible at one point or another. What defines our identity? Is it the colour of our skin? Or the blood in our veins? These are the questions Ryan Graudin explores in her thrilling debut novel, Wolf By Wolf.Yael's earliest memory is of her time at a Aushwitz, where she was selected for an special experiment to manipulate her melanin. During the slow and horrific procedures, she secretly develops a supernatural (and Mystique-like) ability to skin-shift. Yael uses her new-found ability to escape the death camp. But she ends up forgetting her own face.In 1956 Germania, Yael joins the Resistance which has one ultimate goal: kill Hitler. But this proves difficult as the Fuhrer has become somewhat reclusive. However, every year the legendary Axis Tour, a treacherous motorcycle race from Berlin to Tokyo, takes place. Last year's winner, Adele Wolfe, scored a rare dance with the Fuhrer at the Victor's Ball. This is their chance. Yael must transform into Adele, win the race, dance with Hitler and assassinate him. But with the other riders attempting to sabotage her chances at every turn she risks losing the race and her chance for revenge...Holy scheisse! This book is good. I bought it randomly after reading the fascinating blurb and was not disappointed. I think Yael may be the most tenacious female protagonist I've ever had the pleasure to read about. Her world is completely torn apart by this merciless regime and yet she still finds the strength to fight against all odds. She endears me to no end, but she is complex. Yael constantly questions her identity (you would too if you forgot your face) but the author does a good job at reminding us about what truly matters. And our skin colour, our blood mean nothing at the end of the day. We are all created equal despite our differences. So no matter what Yael's outward appearance may be, she is still the same girl inside.Wolf By Wolf is a clever combination of alternate history and fantasy. I was absorbed from start to finish. You can tell Guadin did her research and based many facts in this novel on the speculation of various historians and engineers. It is intriguing to think how the world would be if we had lost WWII. Her writing style is poetic, her story seamlessly moving between the gut-wrenching past and heart racing present. I particular enjoyed the stories behind Yael's five tattooed wolves (four for those she has lost and one to remind her.) And the motorcycle race is epic. You can feel every bump on the road they ride. Oh and the ending! I seriously did not see that cliffhanger coming. I cannot wait to see what happens next in Blood For Blood.

Never read anything even close to the premise of this book before. Graudin executed every plot element so incredibly well, getting me invested in not just the main characters but also in the less than sympathetic characters (i.e. every other racer). Not a dull moment in this one, I genuinely didn't know how the story was going to progress and end. Given that ending, I'm going to have to pick up the sequel ASAP!