Blood for Blood (Wolf by Wolf, #2)

by Ryan Graudin

The thrilling conclusion to Ryan Graudin's Carnegie Medal 2017 nominated alternative history and fantasy epic, WOLF BY WOLF. In 1950s Germany, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun . . .

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

With their mission to overthrow the Nazis in danger, Yael and the resistance are ready to fight.

Forced to run, life in the shadows for Yael, Luka and Felix isn't easy, especially when their enemy seems to know their every move. And when each step uncovers dark secrets and even darker truths, each must find a way to navigate right and wrong, past and future, life and death, if they are to survive at all.

A captivating story of survival, love and freedom in a gripping, fantastical alternate universe from WOLF BY WOLF and THE WALLED CITY author, Ryan Graudin.

• ISBN10: 0316405159
• ISBN13: 9780316405157
• Publish Date: 1 November 2016 (first published 6 October 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 496
• Language: English

Reviews

“Volchitsa, the old woman used to call her. The girl who was special. The girl who would change things. The girl who was as fierce as a wolf.”

I can equate my reading experience of Blood for Blood with being on a roller coaster. I was extremely invested during the first half, lost some of that interest in the second half, had to force myself to continue reading after losing all interest in the last third and finally became engrossed in the last few chapters after all the action had ended.

Blood for Blood picks up where Wolf by Wolf ended. The resistance is springing into action and our main character, Yael, is on the run. While Wolf by Wolf focused on the “What if?”, Blood for Blood focuses on the aftermath and the questions and emotions that come with it.

Yael’s conflict in Wolf by Wolf dealt with finding her identity, dealing with her past and completing her mission as a member of the resistance. Blood for Blood deals with all of that as well, along with the themes of monsters. Are monsters born or are they made? What does it take to become one? Part of Yael’s identity means coming to terms with the ‘monstrous’ side of her, but I didn’t find this aspect compelling. I’ve read other books that deal with this theme a lot better and I found Yael’s quest for her identity and place in the world a lot more interesting.

I didn’t care much about Yael’s companions, Felix and Luca. Yael bringing them along with her is a lot more trouble than it was worth. I also wasn’t interested in the developing romance between Yael and Luca either. The only characters that I found interesting are Yael’s five wolves and a few main members of the resistance.

I enjoyed reading Wolf by Wolf and I had extremely high expectations for the sequel. I can’t really explain where all the disconnect came from, but I would still recommend the Wolf by Wolf duology. There’s an interesting premise, a wonderful main character and a bittersweet ending.

Blood for Blood is another one of those ‘enjoyable to read, but ultimately forgettable’ books.

““We hope and we fight.”

[liz089]

I feel so sad... that was a beautiful ending to an amazing story.

Okay okay, maybe I would have liked it better if the ending had been slightly different? But on the other hand it does add something extra to the story, people die and that is also part it, and in it's own way this makes it a perfect ending for such a hard and heavy story.

Really worth taking your time for.

[Stephanie]

I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm... not fine.

[ross91]

This was heartbreaking and beautifully written.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Five reasons to grab your earbuds and listen to Blood for Blood

*If you have not read/listened to Wolf by Wolf, despite my efforts, this review may contain spoilers. Please check out my review of Wolf by Wolf.

• Wolf by Wolf was a brilliantly written tale that led us on a daring cross-country motorcycle race in the year 1956. It introduced us to our heroine Yael, a former death camp prisoner. As part of the Resistance, she had to win the race to gain admittance to the Victor’s Ball in Tokyo. Adolf Hilter would be in attendance, and her mission was to kill him. In Blood for Blood, the story picks up with Yael on the run after the ball. The story contains three POV's from Yael, Luka Lowe, a National Socialist poster boy, and Felix Wolfe. However, Yael's narrative was the focal point. Graudin sometimes provided the perspectives of all three during the same period, and it worked brilliantly. I found it added depth and emotional connection.  Within these pages, you will find friendship, loss, betrayal, hardships, romance and even death.



• Classified as Young Adult, due impart to the character's age. Given the subject matter both books are dark, brutal, and at times bloody. For that reason, I recommend them for older youth nd adults.  I had my heart ripped out during flashbacks at the encampments and again each time we experienced a loss. I felt Wolf by Wolf provided some relief due to the friendships, snark and witty banter between the racers but we did not get such a reprieve in Blood for Blood.  While listening my palms were sweating, and there was this overwhelming sense of foreboding. My heart bled and still bleeds as the memories of this tale resurface.



• This is an alternate historical fantasy where Hilter won the war.  It has paranormal elements and scientific advancements. Yael is a skin shifter and can take the form of others. Yael is one of the bravest, strongest and compassionate heroines I have ever had the pleasure to read. The poor girl cannot even remember what she looked like before she shifted. She has experienced more pain and loss than anyone should. Yet she gets up, runs and fights to help others. Despite betrayals, she still trusts, and I loved that Graudin showcased the impact one person can have. So many folks complain, "I am but one voice/person what can I do? " ...Yael is inspirational.



• This is the third book I have read by Ryan Graudin, and her writing is breathtaking. She creates three-dimensional characters who worm their way under your skin and into your heart. She shares with the reader the goodness in them and exposes their flaws. In doing so, the reader ends up rooting for them, crying for their loss and screaming at their betrayals. She twists historical events without allowing them to lose their significance or by making light of the tragedies. In this world, things changed considerably, but the persecution of Jews and others remained.  She does not cover up or make light of the ugliness and horrors that occurred.



•  Christa Lewis narrated bringing the story and emotions to life. She has a voice that pulls the emotion from each word, aiding to build suspense while providing additional connections.

Audio provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[nightingalereads]

3.75 stars

General Thoughts: I'm satisfied. Not everything I wanted to happen happened, but I love the story and I'm happy with where things ended.

The writing was beautiful and immersive, just like in Wolf by Wolf, but this sequel lacked the compelling plot structure of the race from the first book. I was never bored reading Blood for Blood, but without a clear goal I was left feeling directionless at times. This was only a small problem, though. I enjoyed most of the book's plot and I loved getting to follow Yael again. My main complaint concerns the whole Luka and Yael romance. To me, it felt unnecessary and completely unconvincing. I didn't think that they had a strong connection in Wolf by Wolf, so their entire relationship just felt overblown in this book. It doesn't help that I find Luka to be lacking in character depth; his thoughts and feelings just seem to conveniently adapt to fit different situations/service the plot. He never felt real. Felix, on the other hand, takes the crown again as my favorite character (closely followed by Yael). While Luka felt like a caricature most of the time, Felix felt real to me the moment I met him in Wolf by Wolf. Throughout both books, I've always had a strong sense of who he was - his background, his personality, and his motivations. I think Ryan Graudin did an amazing job crafting his character.

So, bottom-line: No, I don't think Blood for Blood is as good as Wolf by Wolf, but it still left me sufficiently satisfied. The sheer scope of this story alone is impressive. Overall, a truly great duology!