SERIES REVIEW: Wolf by Wolf & Blood for Blood, by Ryan Graudin

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
Series: Wolf by Wolf #1
on September 15th 2015
Pages: 388
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Amazon||The Book Depository
Goodreads

Her story begins on a train.

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, they host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The prize? An audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball in Tokyo.

Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele's twin brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move. 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?

From the author of The Walled City comes a fast-paced and innovative novel that will leave you breathless.

Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
Series: Wolf by Wolf #2
on November 1st 2016
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Action & Adventure, Survival Stories, Dystopian, Historical, Military & Wars, Europe, Romance, General, Family, Siblings
Pages: 496
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Amazon||The Book Depository
Goodreads

There would be blood.
Blood for blood.
Blood to pay.
An entire world of it.

For the resistance in 1950s Germany, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun. Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skinshift, is on the run: The world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against the New Order, and there is no alternative but to see their mission through to the end, whatever the cost.But in the midst of the chaos, Yael's past and future collide when she comes face-to-face with a ghost from her past, and a spark with a fellow rider begins to grow into something more. Dark secrets reveal dark truths, and one question hangs over them all--how far can you go for the ones you love? This gripping, thought-provoking conclusion to Wolf by Wolf will grab readers by the throat with its cinematic writing, fast-paced action, and relentless twists.

i don’t know why i waited this long to read Wolf by Wolf. probably because it’s no longer a loud NEW RELEASE and probably because it’s not very hyped, but BUT this duology is so so wonderful.

the world is the first thing that caught my attention; it could’ve easily been our actual world. if Hitler had won world war two, this would’ve been us!! okay, maybe not, because maybe shapeshifters wouldn’t be an actual result of some Nazi experiment, BUT it seemed so possible. speaking of which…

the characters are so so cool!!! for one thing, our main character is a shapeshifter?? HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! throughout the novel, she’s constantly in a dark space – which is understandable considering everything at stake – and i LOVE IT. she’s kidnapped and impersonated someone, is planning on murdering Hitler, is filled with deceit, and I LOVE HER. Yael’s unfortunate history makes me understand her vengeance, but also makes me want to cry for her. she’s mastered the art of impersonation, but she doesn’t remember her SELF – her real self. which brings the question of…

who is your real self? is it the face you have, or is it the past you carry? is it neither or both or more? *cue severe existentialism* among all the action, Graudin manages to share clear and unshakable themes. and i am here!! for!! it!! as a person who constantly questions my ~true spiritual being~, these themes are exactly what i need.

“Her self-reflection was no reflection at all. It was a shattered mirror. Something she had to piece together, over and over again. Memory by memory. Loss by loss. Wolf by wolf.”

also, the ROMANCE. the slow burn is so so painful (and i love it v v much). Wolf by Wolf almost had 0 romance – which i was fine with since it was more about the plot and other things – but MAN, Blood for Blood was so slow it physically pains me. i just – *exhales*.

if i had to compare the two, Wolf by Wolf was more enjoyable. Blood for Blood was good, but it felt like a typical dystopian sequel; life was on the run, the edge, and we didn’t know where the plot was going. another thing is because BfB was SO! ANNOYINGLY! FRUSTRATING!!!! (due to circumstances in the plot) and i couldn’t simply enjoy it.

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BfB was terrible to bear through because FELIX IS A FUCKING IDIOT I CANNOT WITH THIS DUDE. i can understand where he’s coming from – the kid is worried about his family, i get it – but i really admire Yael and Miriam for not killing him in the end. every time he betrayed Yael after all the lengths she went through to protect his sorry ass i wanted to strangle him.

another thing: WHY CAN’T WE EVER HAVE A HAPPY ENDING? WHY. as if Yael hadn’t suffered enough, we also have to have MY ABSOLUTE FAVE die magnificently. (but stupid Felix is still alive and having a jolly time with his family) it’s unfair, i tell you. this is why i couldn’t truly remember this duology in a happy place; it’s too painful and sad. uGH !!!!!

another thing part two: Luka’s chapters are the most precious and hilarious because he’s just a smol boy confused about his emotions and hopelessly in love with a girl with no face. HE DIDN’T DESERVE THIS INJUSTICE but i also love how valiantly our hero died I CRY EVERYTIME okay i’m done bye
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Wolf by Wolf was the happy, somewhat stressful beginning; Blood for Blood was the seriously stressful jokes-on-you ending. *cries in German* but overall, both wrap up nicely in an emotional duology. GO READ IT.

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