Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin Series: Wolf By Wolf #2
Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers in November 2016
Format: ebook
Source: Library
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There would be blood. Blood for blood. Blood to pay. An entire world of it.
For the resistance in 1950s Germany, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun.
Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skinshift, is on the run: the world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against the New Order, and there is no alternative but to see their mission through to the end, whatever the cost.
But dark secrets reveal dark truths, and one question hangs over them all: how far can you go for the ones you love?
This gripping, thought-provoking sequel to Wolf by Wolf will grab readers by the throat with its cinematic writing, fast-paced action, and relentless twists.
**SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain spoilers for Wolf By Wolf, the first book in this duology. Please do not read this review if you do not wish to have any spoilers.
Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin was well crafted. She was able to create a thrilling, fast-paced story despite mixing various points of view and flashbacks. The story flowed seamlessly and pulled at all of my emotions. I personally found Blood for Blood to be so much better than Wolf By Wolf.
The story starts off with Aldof Hitler’s doppelganger dying. Much like Yael, Hilter has skinshifters that can pose for him during public events. Making Hilter “immortal” so to speak. So most of this story is about Yael trying to finish what she originally set out to do, which was kill Hitler, but this time she has Luka and Felix in tow.
My favorite part about Blood for Blood was the incredible character growth. In this story, Yael could just be Yael. She didn’t have to hide her identity. Luka could also be just Luka, no longer hiding behind this “poster boy” persona. Felix was still true to his original goal in Wolf By Wolf, which was do anything to protect his family, but it was interesting to watch him realize that there were things beyond his family as well. That his choices and actions have ramifications beyond his family. By mixing points of views and flashbacks, we truly got to delve into the three characters. They truly got to become their true selves.
The plot itself was very thrilling. There were twists at every turn, and there was no doubt anyone could die at any moment. (There was a war waging after all.) That, of course, didn’t make anyone’s death easier to handle. My heart broke every time. The ending, in particular, was quite the page-turner. At one moment Graudin had me smiling, then she ripped out my heart, next I was beyond shocked, then my heart got ripped out again, and finally, I had that bitter-sweet ending. Authors just have no consideration for their reader’s emotions. LOL.
I think the Wolf By Wolf duology is something everyone needs to experience, and it’s a great way to start a conversation about some of the dark moments in our world history. I loved Yael’s story. I loved her friendship with Luka and Felix. If you read Wolf By Wolf and Blood for Blood, I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did. It’s definitely one of my favorite reads this year.
Did you read Wolf By Wolf and Blood for Blood? Are you thinking about reading them? What were your thoughts? I’d love to hear them!
