Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Think "Hunger Games" meets "The Book Thief" with a touch of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" for good measure. This is a remarkable book that manages to be both compelling and engaging; exciting and thoughtful.

Set in 1956 in a world in which WWII was won by Hitler and Japan, the protagonist is a holocaust survivor who, as a result of experiments by a Mengele-like Nazi doctor, can shape-shift into different forms. Her task is to win a round the world motorbike race so that she can dance with Hitler and assassinate him. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it really works and Graudin's treatment of the history is sensitive and inquisitive. I particularly liked his postscript discussion of how and why we might usefully rethink history.

If this book doesn't end up as a blockbuster film, I'll eat an article of clothing.

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