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Caustic by Primitive Man

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Denver’s PRIMITIVE MAN’s music matches its name: a savage, sparse mix of death metal,...

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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Blood for Blood (Wolf By Wolf #2) in Books

Dec 17, 2018

Blood for Blood (Wolf By Wolf #2)

Ryan Graudin | 2016 | History & Politics, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)

8.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

Ryan Graudin blew readers away with her alternate historical novel Wolf by Wolf. Now it is time to conclude the imaginative narrative with the highly anticipated sequel, Blood for Blood. Continuing from the precise moment Yael pulled the trigger on the Führer’s doppelgänger, the reader is thrown into a lively story of twists and turns, where danger lives around every corner.

To recap, it is 1956 and Hitler has won the war. Germany, or Germania, is ruling over Europe and many countries in Asia and Africa. Yael is a Jewish girl who a doctor experimented on whilst she was detained in a concentration camp. As a result of the brutal medical treatment, Yael is a successful result of the Doppelgänger Project – she can now change her physical appearance and anatomy at will. Wolf by Wolf focused on Yael and the resistance’s attempt to win a prestigious motorcycle race in order to get close to the Führer and end his life. As it turns out, Yael is not the only person with this skin shifting ability.

On the run with the entire world knowing her secret, Yael is desperate to make contact with the resistance leaders and continue with their plot to assassinate Hitler. However, unable to leave innocent people to suffer at the hands of the National Socialists, Yael ends up being accompanied and hindered by two Aryan boys, Luka and Felix. Yet with no way of knowing who can be trusted, Yael is taking a fatal risk by helping others instead of saving herself.

Despite circumstances, the blossoming romance that began to advance toward the end of the first book continues to feature in Blood for Blood as characters begin to rely on and trust each other. Nonetheless, constant plot developments obstruct all thoughts of a happy ending. Clever twists and gradually emerging truths prevent any opportunity for rest or safety.

Wolf by Wolf was an exciting, new concept for young adult readers, answering a “what if” question about the second world war. Yet the historical setting – albeit fictional – was impeded by the focus on the Axis Tour as characters raced from Germania to Tokyo. In contrast, Blood for Blood leaves all distractions behind, giving full attention to the life and danger under Hitler’s dictatorship. Despite Germany/Germania’s triumphant win, war is still raging throughout Europe. Anyone not meeting the Aryan description is at risk of death or deportment. Strictly speaking, the situation described must look similar, if not the same, as the true result of Nazi ruling.

Ryan Graudin is a formidable writer with the ability to make fiction seem like reality. Despite the added science fiction twist, the imaginative scenario is so well researched and planned that it becomes almost believable. Graudin comes at the story from so many directions, evidencing the effort put into creating the thrilling plot. It is one thing to be able to string words together, but to make them come alive it takes a genius.

Blood for Blood is by far the better of the two novels, making it the perfect conclusion to a fantastic two-part story. Beginning with explosive action and not stopping until its heart-wrenching conclusion, Blood for Blood will satisfy readers of all ages and genres. Those who have read Wolf by Wolf definitely must get their hands on this amazing sequel. You will not be disappointed.

Kudos

Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Suicide Tree in Books

Jan 9, 2020

The Suicide Tree

Shayla Raquel | 2018 | Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy

8.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

What I liked most about this book was the interwoven stories of Knox, Arlo, and the mysterious person who harmed Arlo (0 more)

After thinking about it I would say that the reasoning behind Arlo’s childhood assault (for lack of a better term) was a bit on the anti-climatic side (0 more)

Honest Review for Free Copy of Book

The Suicide Tree by Shayla Raquel was a surprisingly good book. It was not quite what I expected but after reading it I am honestly not sure what I was expecting. Early on it talks about the Suicide Tree being a real tree and I could not help but look it up. What I found is that the Suicide Tree is actually a tree called Cerbera Odollam and is found in Asia and India. I find it interesting Knox uses this tree’s nickname for his tag because of the specific properties this tree has. I will leave it up to the interested reader to look up those properties for themselves. The story was so good that I am afraid to say too much without the risk of spoilers.

Trigger Warning: Although I don’t usually feel like I need to add these to my reviews I feel this may be an exception. The death of Knox’s parents is a tragedy and a large part of the story and is brought up very frequently.

Knox Kevel’s parents died in an explosion three years before the story begins. Knox, being almost a computer genius becomes a hacker known as The Suicide Tree while his parents are still alive. After their death, he works for people on the black market and attracts the attention of the FBI. The FBI gets ahold of him twice and he is facing prison time when Arlo Jenson pops in. Arlo wants Knox to work for him and if Knox agrees Arlo will call in a favor with the DA and have Knox’s charges dropped.

Knox ends up flying to Italy with Arlo, in hopes of finding the person who hurt Arlo as a child. Knox and Arlo stay with Norah, Arlo’s sister, and her daughter Jessa. The four of them team up and travel to many well-known cities in Italy trying to discover the truth. The truth about what? Well, you will just have to read The Suicide Tree to find out for yourself.

What I liked most about this book was the interwoven stories of Knox, Arlo, and the mysterious person who harmed Arlo. It was actually hard to find something that I didn’t really like about this book. After thinking about it I would say that the reasoning behind Arlo’s childhood assault (for lack of a better term) was a bit on the anti-climatic side. I was hoping for something a little more in-depth than what was offered.

In all honesty, I believe just about anyone could read this book. There is little in the lines on inappropriate material in this book. The book is also relatively short and does not require a lot of dedication making it perfect for the occasional reader. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 because the plot line was well thought out and there was very little that I questioned after finishing the book. The story was strong and extremely entertaining. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read.