2. We Are Wolves

2.  We Are Wolves. Katrina Nannestad. 2020. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [historical fiction, mg historical fiction, world at war, 4 stars]

First sentence: 'Hitler is a toad!'

Premise/plot: We Are Wolves is set in Germany [or is it East Prussia????] during the last year[s] of the second world war. Liesl Wolf is the oldest child and her mother makes her promise to take care of her younger brother, Otto, and younger sister, Mia, no matter what. No matter the cost, they must, must, must stay together. While she yearns for the war to be over, at what cost to the German people will it be over. The end of the war may just bring ever increasing danger. 

Most of the novel is Liesl relatively "on her own" taking care of her siblings--no matter the cost. There are other children--some German, some not--also living a "wild" life as they are trying to survive day by day. It is a dangerous landscape--dangers from soldiers, dangers from other children, dangers from the elements or human sickness and disease. 

My thoughts: We Are Wolves is an almost for me. I'll clarify: it is an almost love for me. I have read previous books by the author that I loved more. The book was compelling enough. It kept me turning pages. I was invested in the characters and the story. I do think in some ways that the book doesn't do full justice to the "Wolfskinder." The author wrote that she wanted to keep it kid-friendly and on the lighter side so she didn't deep dive into the darker horrors and terrors of [young] children left to tend to themselves with very few resources [if any] in a harsh environment on every level. I get that. I do. But at times the rosiness kept it from fully feeling authentic. The tied-with-a-bow ending felt a little too good to be true. Though, of course, I was hoping that everything would work out.

 

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