Pages

Monday, November 28, 2011

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: WOLF STORM

Isn't this one HECK of a COVER?!!

Dee Garretson is one of my pals over at Project Mayhem, yet I had never read her novels. But WOLF STORM was nominated for the Cybils by Dean Oester, and I plowed in.

I'm very happy I did. The story was gripping from the get-go. A snowy movie set in the Carpathian mountains. Child actors who have to act alongside (tame) wolves. And the possibility of wild and hungry wolves prowling about--I tell you, several times, the hair at the back of my neck stood up, things were so tense.

Opening Lines: "Snow lay thick in the ruins of the castle walls, drifting over the best hiding places."

The Characters: It's Stefan Andris's first movie role, but the pressure to perform is taxing. It doesn't help that his co-star, Raine Randolph is such a diva. The third child-actor, the much-younger Jeremy Cline, is already "showing too many signs of latching on to (Stefan)," and has asthma and a lot of fears. When the children are marooned in the ski lodge in which they're staying, with only the elderly and ailing actor who plays their grandfather, they have to deal with avalanches, injuries, and wild wolves who are so starving that they shed their innate fear of humans and begin to stalk them. The kids have to come up with a plan to escape, or else their very lives will be in peril.

Verdict: This is one thrilling book. I can see it being popular with boys as well as girls. I couldn't stop turning the pages to see if the kids would in fact make it safely off the mountain without loss of life. My hat is off to Dee for creating such a fast-paced and engrossing story.

9 comments:

  1. Fascinating review! Love it. Adding to my TBR list. And congrats to Dee for her nomination!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, this sounds like a really exciting story. Definitely will look for it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great review. I've heard good things about this. I'll have to check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh my gosh...this is high on my to read list. Thanks for featuring it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dee sent me an ARC and I reviewed it the day before its release! It is SO gripping and action-filled. I agree, both girls and boys will enjoy the plot and pace.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a cool premise. My daughter is a child actor so I can see her like this one.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Another great review! I'll have to add it to the huge TBR list. Thanks Michael.

    ReplyDelete
  8. it sounds pretty thrilling, and a book boys can love, too. I've seen this one come up before, I'm going to run to goodreads to make sure i've got it on my TR list.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Looks like a good one. first gators, then wolves.

    ReplyDelete

Youse got something to say? Well, say it then. (The Don and I will shoot you... a personal reply, that is. But if we can't find your e-mail, we'll just reply in the comment box.)