Wolf by Wolf is a novel by Ryan Graudin that takes place in 1956, while Nazi Germany & Japan are in power and winning World War II. Hitler and Hirohito hold an “Axis Tour” which is an annual motorcycle race from Germany to Japan, and even though there are safety rules in place to prevent tragedy, there’s almost always a fatality, or even multiple. The winner’s prize is being given the opportunity to attend the Victor’s Ball in Tokyo with Hitler. Yael, the protagonist, is a concentration camp survivor who was subjected to inhumane experiments during her imprisonment. She is determined to kill Hitler. She knows about the Axis Tour race, and her goal is to get into it, win the race, and kill Hitler at the Victor’s Ball while the act is broadcasted. She plans to do this by impersonating the only female racer who participated in the previous year’s race, Adele Wolfe. But this plan quickly becomes a huge challenge when Felix, Adele’s twin, and Luka, her ex, enter the race as well. As the novel progresses, Yael gets herself into many situations that could get her into lots of trouble, and begins to even grow relationships with other competitors. The deeper you get into the book, the more you will wonder; will Yael be able to keep up her act and carry through with her elaborate, complex plan, or will she soften up as she grows closer to the other competitors and fail?

Despite being a work of fiction, this novel has multiple themes that relate to realistic aspects of life such as revenge, humanity, and determination. The themes steadily interchange depending on Yael’s situation. Wolf by Wolf is about the Jewish culture in Nazi Germany. Ryan Graudin’s perspective is not only shining light on what the Jewish people were treated like during that time, but also shining light on how somebody as ruthless as Hitler was given power and treated like a god. Ryan Graudin’s point of view in very important to this book because he doesn’t sugar coat the unfortunate events, but instead tells them straightforward and raw. In my personal opinion, this book was not for me, but that doesn’t mean that other people won’t enjoy it. I didn’t find it engaging enough for my personal taste. But I would still recommend the book, and I think if you find that time period interesting, you should definitely read it because it conforms to your interests.