(3.9 / 5)This book wasn’t what I was expecting, but I actually really enjoyed it. This is an alternate reality story where the outcome of WWII went the other way and Germany and Japan won. The story follows a young concentration camp survivor Yael who, because of experiments performed on her at the concentration camp, can change her appearance at will. She escapes the death camp to be groomed by the resistance as human weapon thanks to her special abilities. By 1956 the post war world looks very different and Yael is an educated, competent, and stone cold seventeen year old about to set a large scale rebellion in motion. Her mission is to assassinate an aging Hitler and disrupt the center of power. To do this she must win a transcontinental motor cycle race to even get close enough to take a shot.
This was a fast and furious read and I couldn’t put it down. Graudin builds her suspense masterfully and weaves backstory skillfully throughout. The symbolism with the wolves and the valkeryie were a cut above your average YA novel and really lent a nice touch. The end leaves you breathless and desperate for the sequel.
The only part of the story that didn’t really work for me was the science fiction element of Yael being able to change her appearance at will. This is difficult because the whole story hinges on this fact. I wouldn’t call this book magical realism (a genre I’ve never been able to get on board with), but it doesn’t feel like true science fiction either. It’s somewhere in between. Regardless I really enjoyed my time with this book and I would recommend it to those who enjoy YA but are looking for something that breaks some of the traditional molds.
Violence: Medium Language: Medium Adult Content: Low/Medium