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A review by patchworkbunny
White Rabbit, Red Wolf by Tom Pollock
4.0
White Rabbit, Red Wolf is a twisty turny young adult thriller which challenges the stereotype of the spy book hero. It is so twisty it's a bit hard to review much about the plot without giving things away. I read most of it in one day, which is a big endorsement from me these days.
The story opens on a panic attack, showing how bad things are for Peter, where he compulsively eats when his maths fails him. It also shows the supportive nature of his mother, who doesn't question him, just tends to his injuries. I loved that he had understanding people in his life, which makes what unfolds even more shocking.
His mental health makes it hard for him to make friends and he is an easy victim of the school bullies. His twin sister Bel looks out for him but things do start to look up when he befriends Ingrid, a girl with OCD. But wait, this is not a smooshy teen romance and you will go between doubting every relationship to being grateful for them like a ping pong.
There's a small element of science fiction which is important to the plot. I'm not sure I liked the very ending, it seemed a bit of an unkind thing to do to Peter. I suppose that was the point, it leaves both you and the character wondering and ties in nicely with the liar's paradox, a philosophical (and in this case mathematical) problem resulting from the sentence "this statement is a lie". That gives you a hint to how mind-bending this book will be...
The story opens on a panic attack, showing how bad things are for Peter, where he compulsively eats when his maths fails him. It also shows the supportive nature of his mother, who doesn't question him, just tends to his injuries. I loved that he had understanding people in his life, which makes what unfolds even more shocking.
His mental health makes it hard for him to make friends and he is an easy victim of the school bullies. His twin sister Bel looks out for him but things do start to look up when he befriends Ingrid, a girl with OCD. But wait, this is not a smooshy teen romance and you will go between doubting every relationship to being grateful for them like a ping pong.
There's a small element of science fiction which is important to the plot. I'm not sure I liked the very ending, it seemed a bit of an unkind thing to do to Peter. I suppose that was the point, it leaves both you and the character wondering and ties in nicely with the liar's paradox, a philosophical (and in this case mathematical) problem resulting from the sentence "this statement is a lie". That gives you a hint to how mind-bending this book will be...