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rhywia's review against another edition
4.0
Short, but flows well! Simple, smooth story, with some sharp uncomfortable plot points (in a good way!) Solid.
pixelsandreveries's review against another edition
This book is beautifully written. I was immersed in the story as there was so much emotion and earnestness coming from the characters. I loved reading about Feo and her mum's relationship with the wolves as they are wild creatures and tend to occasionally scratch and bite, but they have a sort of mutual understanding that transcends everything else. It was a celebration of friendship between humans and animals.
The plot was very fast paced and with every turn of the page something new would be happening, which was very thrilling to read. The story centred strongly on the journey which was fantastic.
Feo's character developed so much as the story progresses because she was initially very shy and untrusting towards others but she grows to open up and enjoy their company. She is a perfect heroine as she confronts her fears to rescue her mother.
My only criticism is that this story is at times very dark and ruthless. This aspect of it may have at times overpowered my enjoyment of the adventure. I came across a lot of bloodshed and a harsh sense of justice amongst the children which was in my opinion too strong.
Overall, 'The Wolf Wilder' is an impressive tale of kids coming together to fight for justice with a powerful heroine and strong supporting characters. It is a must read for the winter season.
-L.H-
P.S. The cover design and illustrations are magnificent and go really well with the story. There is beauty in having the black and white illustrations as I was transported in time to Feo's world.
**Thank you Bloomsbury for sending me the book!**
The plot was very fast paced and with every turn of the page something new would be happening, which was very thrilling to read. The story centred strongly on the journey which was fantastic.
Feo's character developed so much as the story progresses because she was initially very shy and untrusting towards others but she grows to open up and enjoy their company. She is a perfect heroine as she confronts her fears to rescue her mother.
My only criticism is that this story is at times very dark and ruthless. This aspect of it may have at times overpowered my enjoyment of the adventure. I came across a lot of bloodshed and a harsh sense of justice amongst the children which was in my opinion too strong.
Overall, 'The Wolf Wilder' is an impressive tale of kids coming together to fight for justice with a powerful heroine and strong supporting characters. It is a must read for the winter season.
-L.H-
P.S. The cover design and illustrations are magnificent and go really well with the story. There is beauty in having the black and white illustrations as I was transported in time to Feo's world.
**Thank you Bloomsbury for sending me the book!**
internationalkris's review against another edition
4.0
I have mixed feelings about The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell though it is certainly a terrific adventure story and will touch the heart of any animal lover. Young Feodora and her mother are "wolf wilders" which means that they help rehabilitate domesticated wolves and release them back into the forest. This job sets them outside of society and naturally there is a lot of superstition and fear surrounding their work. When they attract the negative attention of a general from St. Petersburg the two find themselves in a desperate situation which requires them to trust in others and seek out help as they have never done before. This author came to my attention with an earlier work Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms which is about a girl who grows up in Zimbabwe and then moves to England for boarding school; it was a terrific story and very connected to the author's own experience. Wolf Wilder however is set in tsarist Russia which is outside of the author's experience but very connected with the history that many of our families know. (I work at an international school in Moscow.) As I read the book I kept wondering which things were true and which were invented and what our readers would think of this romantic interpretation of their culture and history. It's a tricky thing to write as an outsider. A foreign setting can be very intriguing to many but what do the owners of that culture think? Looking forward to hearing from our constituents....
lucie_b's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
kozlo's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
starryeved's review against another edition
3.0
Her wolves, Feo thought, were a bunch of the most beautiful criminals.
Katherine Rundell sweeps readers off their feet with yet another charming little story with a gutsy heroine and a motley crew of peculiar folk—and wolves.
The Wolf Wilder follows young Feodora ("Feo"), a wolf wilder living alone with her mother in wintry Russia. For a living, she and her mother re-wild wolves that have been captured and domesticated by Russian nobility so they can survive in the wild when they have grown too large or inconvenient. As tumult erupts in St. Petersburg, however, Feo finds herself running a rescue mission alongside a crew of wolves and oddballs when the bloodthirsty General Rakov burns down her home and captures her mother.
Rundell knows how to spark a premise. Each of her stories is utterly unique and compelling in their own ways, and each is a delight to read. While they are as archetypal and classically typical as expected of middle grade works, they are still charming little tales that enchant the imagination and stir up nostalgia for younger days.
However, this perhaps lacked a little more than Rooftoppers. There weren't as many lovable characters; most, like Feo's mother and Alexei and the villagers, had potential, but remained one-or-two-dimensional. The plot, too, was somewhat one-sided. Where are the other wolves? Why did these ones stay? Why do Feo and Marina live alone? What's really going on in the capital?
For a fantastical tale it was awfully political and vague simultaneously—not the best combination.
I do wish Rundell had elaborated more on the background, the history, and more. But if you take this as it is, it is a riveting, fast-paced tale that will keep you on your toes and remind you again of the absolute magnificence of wolves and the winters they bear.
jarichan's review against another edition
4.0
Im Bücherforum gab es eine kleine Leserunde zu diesem Buch und die Kombination von Wölfen und Russland wirkt auf mich wie elektrisches Licht auf Insekten. Ich muss es einfach lesen! Das schöne Cover tat sein übriges.
Dennoch muss ich zugeben, dass teilweise etwas Mühe hatte. Kürzlich erst habe ich „Pax“ gelesen und automatisch erwartete ich von „Wolf Wilder“ etwas Ähnliches. Dass das Leben der Wölfe wenn nicht erklärt, dann doch zumindest angesprochen würde, ihr Verhalten, ihr faszinierendes Sozialleben. Doch spätestens ab dem Moment in dem Feo auf dem Wolf reitet, musste ich mich von dieser Vorstellung verabschieden.
Das Buch ist eher ein Märchen und sollte als solches gelesen werden. Ein Märchen oder vielleicht als Roman des magischen Realismus. Denn die Beschreibungen der Lebensumstände der Menschen ist äusserst real und passt ins Russland des 20. Jahrhunderts. Lenny treibt sich übrigens auch irgendwo herum.
Danach war mein einziger letzter Kritikpunkt nur noch, dass Feo zu überdimensional wirkt. Leider eine Schwäche von vielen Jugendbüchern. Die Autoren wollen starke Charaktere als Leitfiguren für die Leser schaffen, jedoch produzieren sie dadurch unerreichbare Helden. Zum Glück kann sich Autorin Katherine Rundell immer wieder selbst am Zaum reissen und schafft es so, die Charakterentwicklung wieder auf ein menschliches Niveau herunterzubringen.
Was dann noch von „Wolf Wilder“ übrig bleibt, ist wundervoll. Die Beschreibungen des Schnees, das Interagieren der Figuren in dieser historischen Umgebung, die nur ganz sachte in die Geschichte hineinspielt, und das grandios spannende Ende bringen reinsten Lesegenuss.
Es gibt einige Kampfszenen, doch das Buch war weitaus weniger emotional, als ich es erwartet hätte. Vielleicht hätte ich das anders gesehen, wenn ich nicht eben, wie erwähnt, kürzlich erst das sehr realistische „Pax“ gelesen hätte. Von Rundells Buch werden mir vor allem die Schneelandschaften in Erinnerung bleiben.
Und die Aussage von Alexei,dass es unmenschlich ist, jemandem seine Bücher wegzunehmen, bevor er sie ausgelesen hat.
Dennoch muss ich zugeben, dass teilweise etwas Mühe hatte. Kürzlich erst habe ich „Pax“ gelesen und automatisch erwartete ich von „Wolf Wilder“ etwas Ähnliches. Dass das Leben der Wölfe wenn nicht erklärt, dann doch zumindest angesprochen würde, ihr Verhalten, ihr faszinierendes Sozialleben. Doch spätestens ab dem Moment in dem Feo auf dem Wolf reitet, musste ich mich von dieser Vorstellung verabschieden.
Das Buch ist eher ein Märchen und sollte als solches gelesen werden. Ein Märchen oder vielleicht als Roman des magischen Realismus. Denn die Beschreibungen der Lebensumstände der Menschen ist äusserst real und passt ins Russland des 20. Jahrhunderts. Lenny treibt sich übrigens auch irgendwo herum.
Danach war mein einziger letzter Kritikpunkt nur noch, dass Feo zu überdimensional wirkt. Leider eine Schwäche von vielen Jugendbüchern. Die Autoren wollen starke Charaktere als Leitfiguren für die Leser schaffen, jedoch produzieren sie dadurch unerreichbare Helden. Zum Glück kann sich Autorin Katherine Rundell immer wieder selbst am Zaum reissen und schafft es so, die Charakterentwicklung wieder auf ein menschliches Niveau herunterzubringen.
Was dann noch von „Wolf Wilder“ übrig bleibt, ist wundervoll. Die Beschreibungen des Schnees, das Interagieren der Figuren in dieser historischen Umgebung, die nur ganz sachte in die Geschichte hineinspielt, und das grandios spannende Ende bringen reinsten Lesegenuss.
Es gibt einige Kampfszenen, doch das Buch war weitaus weniger emotional, als ich es erwartet hätte. Vielleicht hätte ich das anders gesehen, wenn ich nicht eben, wie erwähnt, kürzlich erst das sehr realistische „Pax“ gelesen hätte. Von Rundells Buch werden mir vor allem die Schneelandschaften in Erinnerung bleiben.
Und die Aussage von Alexei,dass es unmenschlich ist, jemandem seine Bücher wegzunehmen, bevor er sie ausgelesen hat.
colourmeread's review against another edition
4.0
Children are the toughest creatures on the planet. They endure.
Feo is not your regular 10-year old girl. She can tell the weather by the smell of the wind, make a compass from scratch, and has three wolf friends ready to protect her when needed. She is fiery and kind and will fight for those she loves.
In one word, this book is delightful. The plot itself is simple: when the General of the Russian Army arrests Feo’s mother for wolf wilding, Feo goes on a rescue mission to bring her back. We get to see different sides of Feo as she journeys through the woods and Feo learns that human friends, while not as easy to communicate with as wolves, are also pretty nice to have.
Rundell does a beautiful job with her characters. I haven’t read middle grade books in a long time, but Rundell reminded me of the distinct heartwarming quality children’s stories often have.
Paired with Rundell’s imaginative descriptions, The Wolf Wilder is the perfect book to read this winter. The kids you meet in this story make it an enjoyable adventure; I love how Rundell gave them unique voices and found myself chuckling at some of their conversations. From Feo to Ilya and the others, we learn that bravery is more than being unafraid, stories can start revolutions, and cheese often gives you courage.
The Wolf Wilder is a new favourite and I highly recommend it to readers of all ages.
lolasreviews's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
The Wolf Wilder wasn't quite what I expected and I was actually a bit disappointed by it, the book has a great concept namely that of the Wolf Wilder and then spends a whole book not doing anything with that topic. Sure there were wolves around and I liked that, but there wasn't much wilding taking place. It was more a quest around the countryside to save her mom, who was taken for no real reason, start a revolution and it was quite short and even a bit rushed at times and the other half things didn't made quite sense. And even though it was short, it still felt slow and boring at times as well, while other parts weren't fleshed out enough. There were scenes that didn't really work or things that went too easy and were a tad unbelievable. Like the scene at the end. Although I did like the actual ending, I just thought the scene right before that was a bit unbelievable and too easy.
It was a shame I didn't like it more, but it just fell flat for me. I wanted to see more wolf wilding, not a weird villain who hurts people and burns their homes for no reason at all. The ending had some nice build-up but was also a bit disturbing as they were so many kids involved and they teach those kids how to fight and it just made me sad instead of rooting for them. Kids of 6 years old shouldn't have to learn how to fight, they shoudl be out playing. And how could one day training prepare them for anything. It was just a bit unbelievable. I did like the message of fighting for what you love and how sometimes you need to be brave enough to do something, but the whole book fell a bit flat and I couldn't bring myself to really care.
There are also places where it says illustrations here and I think those illustrations might actually have added some flavour to this book, so as this was an ARC I can't say anything about that, just that the final version will apparently have illustrations. Also the writing and tone felt very distant. There is some animal cruelty and normally that would have me close to tears, especially with our rat dying while I was reading this book, but the writing was so distant, it didn't move me. I didn't really felt involved or close, but more like watching things from a distance. The story can be a bit dark and disturbing at times and I didn't like the plot too much. I also didn't really get why her mom was taking and why the villain did what he did. It just didn't make sense to me. Why have a country with wolf wilders and then suddenly decide they shouldn't wild the wolves anymore.
The characters were interesting enough. You have the main character who is surrounded by wolves which was pretty cool. And Illya who isn't quite who he seems and there's a nice twist later of what he becomes and then there is the charismatic Ariel, who wants a revolution. They were interesting enough to add some flavour and colour to the story and I liked that. I would've wished to get to know them a bit better though. I also liked the part the wolves played in this book, they were quite present and that was nice. Then there is the villain who is plain evil and maybe even a bit crazy, but he had no motive and I just wanted more out of it. He had no depth or reason for his actions, he just was a maniac, but no reason or story of how he got there and why.
When it comes to world building this book takes place in Russia and there are a few Russian words thrown in. I first thought one of the word was someone's name and was quite confused until I figured out it was a russian word probably. I liked the setting and I felt like that part at least came alive with all the snow and how the main character knew how to survive in the harsh winter. There is enough descriptions to form a bit of an imagine about the setting. One thing that was a bit vague was when this story takes place, I actually think it's in the past, but my knowledge of Russian history is too limited to tell when. When it comes to world building around the wilding, the concept was great, but only in the first few chapters there is some wilding and then for some reason someone wants them to stop wilding, while before that it is established why they do this and it just didn't make sense. After that it's a story of a wolf girl, but not a focus on the wilding aspect.
To conclude: this was a bit disappointing and not at all what I expected. I expected focus on wolf wilding, but instead it was a girl going on a quest to save her mom, accompanied by wolves. the wolves were cool, but the story and plot fell a bit flat. It was rushed at times, slow at others, short and unbelievable at other times. The plot didn't quite make sense or how they went form A to B, it just felt a bit off. The characters are interesting, but the writing was too distant to really make me care about anything or anyone. Read this book if you want a book about kids standing up and fighting for what they love, a girl who has wolves travelling with her and a Russian setting. For me this book just felt a bit off and wasn't what I expected.
The Wolf Wilder wasn't quite what I expected and I was actually a bit disappointed by it, the book has a great concept namely that of the Wolf Wilder and then spends a whole book not doing anything with that topic. Sure there were wolves around and I liked that, but there wasn't much wilding taking place. It was more a quest around the countryside to save her mom, who was taken for no real reason, start a revolution and it was quite short and even a bit rushed at times and the other half things didn't made quite sense. And even though it was short, it still felt slow and boring at times as well, while other parts weren't fleshed out enough. There were scenes that didn't really work or things that went too easy and were a tad unbelievable. Like the scene at the end. Although I did like the actual ending, I just thought the scene right before that was a bit unbelievable and too easy.
It was a shame I didn't like it more, but it just fell flat for me. I wanted to see more wolf wilding, not a weird villain who hurts people and burns their homes for no reason at all. The ending had some nice build-up but was also a bit disturbing as they were so many kids involved and they teach those kids how to fight and it just made me sad instead of rooting for them. Kids of 6 years old shouldn't have to learn how to fight, they shoudl be out playing. And how could one day training prepare them for anything. It was just a bit unbelievable. I did like the message of fighting for what you love and how sometimes you need to be brave enough to do something, but the whole book fell a bit flat and I couldn't bring myself to really care.
There are also places where it says illustrations here and I think those illustrations might actually have added some flavour to this book, so as this was an ARC I can't say anything about that, just that the final version will apparently have illustrations. Also the writing and tone felt very distant. There is some animal cruelty and normally that would have me close to tears, especially with our rat dying while I was reading this book, but the writing was so distant, it didn't move me. I didn't really felt involved or close, but more like watching things from a distance. The story can be a bit dark and disturbing at times and I didn't like the plot too much. I also didn't really get why her mom was taking and why the villain did what he did. It just didn't make sense to me. Why have a country with wolf wilders and then suddenly decide they shouldn't wild the wolves anymore.
The characters were interesting enough. You have the main character who is surrounded by wolves which was pretty cool. And Illya who isn't quite who he seems and there's a nice twist later of what he becomes and then there is the charismatic Ariel, who wants a revolution. They were interesting enough to add some flavour and colour to the story and I liked that. I would've wished to get to know them a bit better though. I also liked the part the wolves played in this book, they were quite present and that was nice. Then there is the villain who is plain evil and maybe even a bit crazy, but he had no motive and I just wanted more out of it. He had no depth or reason for his actions, he just was a maniac, but no reason or story of how he got there and why.
When it comes to world building this book takes place in Russia and there are a few Russian words thrown in. I first thought one of the word was someone's name and was quite confused until I figured out it was a russian word probably. I liked the setting and I felt like that part at least came alive with all the snow and how the main character knew how to survive in the harsh winter. There is enough descriptions to form a bit of an imagine about the setting. One thing that was a bit vague was when this story takes place, I actually think it's in the past, but my knowledge of Russian history is too limited to tell when. When it comes to world building around the wilding, the concept was great, but only in the first few chapters there is some wilding and then for some reason someone wants them to stop wilding, while before that it is established why they do this and it just didn't make sense. After that it's a story of a wolf girl, but not a focus on the wilding aspect.
To conclude: this was a bit disappointing and not at all what I expected. I expected focus on wolf wilding, but instead it was a girl going on a quest to save her mom, accompanied by wolves. the wolves were cool, but the story and plot fell a bit flat. It was rushed at times, slow at others, short and unbelievable at other times. The plot didn't quite make sense or how they went form A to B, it just felt a bit off. The characters are interesting, but the writing was too distant to really make me care about anything or anyone. Read this book if you want a book about kids standing up and fighting for what they love, a girl who has wolves travelling with her and a Russian setting. For me this book just felt a bit off and wasn't what I expected.
maria_elisabeth's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked this, it was different from other middle grades I've read, and I really enjoyed a main character who's so wild