Aug 12

Aug 12 Wolfish

Author: Christiane M. Andrews
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

Click above to buy this book from my Bookshop.org shop, which supports independent bookstores (not Amazon). You can also find it via your favorite indie bookstore here.

Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

The Inquisitor’s Tale meets The Book of Boy in this adventurous fantasy inspired by the myth of Romulus and Remus.

Twelve-year-old Rae is content as the adopted daughter of shepherds, helping with the flock and reveling in the beauty of her family’s hillside farm. But after a frightening encounter with a wolf—to whom she feels a sudden, peculiar connection—Rae realizes there is much more to her past, and her future, than she could have imagined.

Meanwhile, a young girl named Alba goes about her days as an oracle’s apprentice, a duty that confines her to a distant, watery cave. But when she bestows a troubling prophecy on the rising boy-king, her words unintentionally begin a reign of terror, and send Alba on a desperate mission alongside Rae and the wolf.

Inspired by Roman mythology, this mysterious and uniquely magical adventure explores the intricate roles of nature and fate in our lives, the power of language to shape our world, and the boundless importance of love and kindness.

TL;DR Review

Wolfish, inspired by Romulus and Remus, is a lovely, gorgeously written book that I only wish had been a bit shorter.

For you if: You like lyrical prose and timeless stories.

Full Review

Wolfish found its way to the top of my TBR because it was shortlisted for the 2023 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize. In fact, I hadn’t even heard of it before that, although I’m definitely not up to date on middle-grade releases. Anyway, this was a lovely, gorgeously written book that I only wish had been a bit shorter.

Wolfish is inspired by the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus, but you don’t need to know anything about that to enjoy this book. There are a few main characters: Rae, a wild young girl raised by shepherds who found her in the mountains; Alba, apprentice to the oracle; and (more of a tertiary character) the king, who ascended the throne as a boy.

Ultimately, this was a beautiful story told with really beautiful prose. True to form for middle grade, it has plenty of layers and interpretations that readers of all ages will enjoy. But it doesn’t ever feel simplistic or written down. However, I found myself struggling with the slow pace; Rae and Alba don’t even wind up in the same place until halfway through this 400-page book. I think if it had been a bit more tightly edited, it would have shone even brighter in my mind.

Still, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this one to young readers (or anyone). Glad I read it!