Blood for Blood

September 15, 2016
Graudin returns to her what-if-Hitler-won alternate 1956, concluding the story begun in Wolf by Wolf (2015). After Yael's failed assassination of Hitler (actually a skinshifter wearing his guise), the resistance seems doomed. Fortunately, opponent Luka follows when she flees; less fortunately, Felix, twin brother of the woman Yael has been impersonating, saw Yael's tattoos (which do not change when she shifts appearance, although everything else, including mass, does) and conveys that clue to the SS-Standartenfuhrer. All three are imprisoned, Felix as a double agent, then escape and fall in with the Soviets. The road trip back to Germania to again attack Hitler makes up the heart of the story, culminating in a showdown and war compressed into a few pages. As in the first book, Graudin's unconventional syntactical choices ("the wolf-fierce...of her iron voice"; "blitzkrieg" as a verb) and frequently overworked metaphors ("Gossamer feelings...as sticky, fragile, complex, and beautiful as a spider's web silvered in morning dew") combine with a tendency to tell rather than show emotions, resulting in a strangely flat affect. Most problematic is the treatment of religion: Yael's rediscovery of her Judaism is symbolized by eating challah, and the pivotal romance between a Jewish camp survivor and a Nazi poster boy will disturb some readers, no matter how conflicted and ignorant Luka may have been. Strictly for fans. (Historical fiction/fantasy. 12-16)

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September 1, 2016

Gr 7 Up-This sequel to Wolf by Wolf continues the tale of Yael-a shape-shifting assassin in an alternative 1950s Europe and Asia in which the Nazis won World War II. Posing as Adele Wolfe, Yael has completed the Axis Tour motorcycle race and shot the Fuhrer on the dance floor at the Victor's Ball. It is then that she discovers that her victim is a doppelganger like herself rather than the real Adolf Hitler. In a dramatic escape from the SS, she rescues her fellow racers Luka Lowe and Felix Wolfe, Adele's brother. The three flee across the globe, trying to return to Germania as the world descends into a bloody revolution. Along the way, they encounter Soviet guerrillas, Resistance fighters, and ghosts from their pasts. Graudin has crafted a fast-paced historical fantasy that movingly transports readers into a world of hard choices, great injustice, and daring acts of love. The romantic elements are touching and wholesome and provide a welcome counterbalance to the fight scenes and military details. The story's conclusion, while not a completely happy ending, is all the more satisfying for its notes of sorrow. VERDICT Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, alternate history, or works of espionage and intrigue.-Kelly Kingrey-Edwards, Blinn Junior College, Brenham, TX

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2016
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Yael's job was supposed to be straightforward: join the Axis Tour motorcycle race by pretending to be someone else, win, and kill Adolf Hitler. While the world thinks she succeeded, the Fuhrer still lives, having sent his own skin-shifting doppelganger to the victory ball. That trickery alone is enough to make Yael furious and frustrated, but adding to the pile is the mess she's made of her own life and emotions. Yael, a skin-shifter, has been impersonating racer Adele Wolfe. Now on the run from the SS, she is caught by this year's winner, Luka Lowe, who's still in love with the girl Yael has been pretending to be. As the Resistance rages on, trying to make Operative Valkyrie the new regime, Adele's brother Felix is kept captive in Japan, held for information. These three stories intertwine and diverge in a truly inventive way, making this alternate history novel feel distinctly real. Each primary characterYael, Luka, and Felixis individual and distinct, giving the reader a sense of adventure viewed through different eyes. Graudin's writing is beautiful, her story exciting and consuming. This sequel to Wolf by Wolf (2015) is not to be missed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)