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A review by thebookishfeminist
The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars by Shivaun Plozza
5.0
THE BOY, THE WOLF, AND THE STARS is a perfectly magic, poignantly heartwarming, powerfully inspiring story about Bo, a boy whose mother abandoned him long ago who is now on a mission to save his community. All of the stars in the sky have been swallowed by a wolf, and Bo and his friends new and old set off on an adventure to release the stars and set the world right again.
There are witches, magical creatures, and messages about trusting yourself, the chosen family with whom we surround ourselves, and the importance and power of friendships. Plozza does a fantastically efficient and effective job world-building so we remain in the story and invested but also get a good sense of the characters, their environments, and their back stories. It helped me feel connected to the story and Bo and his comrades throughout the book.
I also loved the way the magic was so engrained in the world of Ulv that seeing it occur didn’t feel like it was overthought or contrived; it was a lovely balance of realistic experiences interspersed with magical ones. The magic felt believable even for my adult lens, and that’s remarkable!
I think this is a boon that middle-grade and YA readers will just devour. I also greatly appreciated that the wolves were not just vilified needlessly; that’s a hot-button issue for me based on what’s happening in the world, and too often children’s media shows wolves in a horribly violent light. The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars was not reckless in its portrayal of wolves, and instead showed the pain and trauma of what they had been through as a way of increasing the reader’s compassion for them. This is a technique that’s being used more and more in children's lit and I am all the way here for it.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough! It’s creative, relatable, and fast-paced enough to keep younger readers engrossed. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading THE BOY, THE WOLF, AND THE STARS.
There are witches, magical creatures, and messages about trusting yourself, the chosen family with whom we surround ourselves, and the importance and power of friendships. Plozza does a fantastically efficient and effective job world-building so we remain in the story and invested but also get a good sense of the characters, their environments, and their back stories. It helped me feel connected to the story and Bo and his comrades throughout the book.
I also loved the way the magic was so engrained in the world of Ulv that seeing it occur didn’t feel like it was overthought or contrived; it was a lovely balance of realistic experiences interspersed with magical ones. The magic felt believable even for my adult lens, and that’s remarkable!
I think this is a boon that middle-grade and YA readers will just devour. I also greatly appreciated that the wolves were not just vilified needlessly; that’s a hot-button issue for me based on what’s happening in the world, and too often children’s media shows wolves in a horribly violent light. The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars was not reckless in its portrayal of wolves, and instead showed the pain and trauma of what they had been through as a way of increasing the reader’s compassion for them. This is a technique that’s being used more and more in children's lit and I am all the way here for it.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough! It’s creative, relatable, and fast-paced enough to keep younger readers engrossed. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading THE BOY, THE WOLF, AND THE STARS.