Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Germania, 1956. Over ten years since the Nazis won the war. 18-year-old Yael is part of the resistance, and she has just one mission: to kill Hitler.
But first she’s got to get close enough to him to do it.
Experimented on during her time at Auschwitz, Yael has the unique ability to change her appearance at will. The only part of her which always remains are the five tattooed wolves on her arm; one for each of the people she’s lost. Using her abilities, she must transform into Adele Wolfe, Germany’s most famous female rider and winner of the legendary Axis Tour; an epic long distance motorcycle race from Berlin to Tokyo, where only the strongest (and wiliest) riders survive. If she can win this, she will be able to get close enough to kill the Fuhrer and change history forever.
But with other riders sabotaging her chances at every turn, Yael’s mission won’t be easy. .
Warnings: anti-Semitism, war, murder, violence
An alternate history dystopia, Wild by Wolf explores a fantasy concept during a time of persecution. Yael is a Jewish girl who was part of experimentation by Nazi scientists, which left her with the ability to skinshift, to be able to take on whichever appearance she prefers (with some limitations). Her life has been pain, loss and heartbreak, and her only mission now is to assassinate Hitler and bring down the Third Reich. The metaphorical ghosts of her found family lie as tattoos of wolves on her arms, and are something that she uses to constantly remind herself of what she’s fighting for.
Yael is pretty badass, that goes without saying. She’s a trained spy, skilled in different combat styles and is brave enough to undertake such a dangerous mission. To get close, she has to take on the life of a Victor of the Axis Tour – an annual cross-continental motorcycle race that is practically a death race with the tough competition, dangerous terrain and even more dangerous rivals who are not above using sabotage. Adele Wolfe (oh I love the pun) is a Nazi girl who is quite celebrated, and stepping into her shoes means taking on her life, which includes a protective twin brother and the many secrets the girl holds. Yael doesn’t only to survive the race, she has to do so without blowing her cover, which is difficult when the girl’s twin and former lover are both in the race. For a girl who did not have any strong relationships before, both of them present a challenge – she understands that they care for Adele, but on the road with them, she sees different sides to these two boys who, until then, she had only known through files. There is also a minor friendship with one of the Japanese racers (a girl) which I felt could have been explored more.
The story takes place in the present for the most part, but also goes back into time explaining her childhood and the significance of each of the five wolves in her arm. So much loss, so much pain, and that forms her personality. Despite all the anger and that she has endured, she abhors taking a human life, even of the enemy (save one), for she knows very well the value of each life. For the most part, she plays it fair on the road. She is on a difficult mission, but she wants to do it right. The assassination she is planning is more symbolic than pragmatic, after all, and the only way she feels she will be able to silence the howling in her mind. Obviously, the mission itself isn’t as straightforward as she imagined, and the stakes are high – she has to win in order to be at the Victor’s Ball. However, it is a bit predictable too, in some aspects: I kind of guessed the outcome of the race, and sort of what would happen during the assassination (I mean, there is a sequel out there so obviously the story doesn’t end here). But the ending does present a bigger challenge, and I am interested in seeing how that plays out.
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