Blood For Blood

I'm so conflicted about this book so let's do pros and cons. Bad news first.

Cons:
I feel like this book could have been so much shorter. The copy I read was about 480 pages and I feel like this could have been condensed to 250-300. The first 300 pages are “journey,” the characters traveling from one place to another. And I was so bored. I was dying for them to just get there so the story could move on. Because there's no story in travel. I feel like it's just obstacles put in the way that I'm bored by because I KNOW they're going to overcome them and get to the destination, that's the point. So I really didn't enjoy the first two thirds of the book and feel like it could have been MUCH shorter and I would have enjoyed it more.

Pros:
I loved that some characters joined the resistance and were welcomed. It made me think about how these days people act like everything is “theirs” because they knew it, liked it, were part of it first. And they never allow other people to grow and learn and join them without a fight. I really appreciated what the author did with that aspect of the story.

Luka's meeting with real Adele, finally. I've been waiting for this forever and wasn't disappointed.
That's all I'll say.

I have more thoughts but I'm not going to include them because they're spoilery! I wanted so much to know more about real Adele. I wish that we had known more about her either in the beginning of this book or the end of Wolf by Wolf. I know that Iron to Iron has more info about her and I'm looking forward to reading that for that reason, but I wish it was included in the main duology. It felt missing.


3.5/5 stars, rounded up.

Would I recommend?
Did you read and enjoy Wolf by Wolf? Then yes, fam, you gotta find out what happens.

This was a book that was a sequel to one I enjoyed greatly. I really liked how this books predecessor Wolf by Wolf, managed to show me that a historical novel could be extremely historically inaccurate and yet, still lots of fun. It was fast paced, and exciting all the way through. It received so much praise from me that I gave it the top spot in my Top Ten Best Books of 2015. I eagerly awaited the day that I could get my hands on it's sequel and continue the journey of Yael and her friends. Was it as good as the first novel? Yes, yes it was!

SPOILERS FOR WOLF BY WOLF!!!








This book starts immediately were Wolf by Wolf left off, with Yael disguised as Adel shooting the fake Hitler and trying to run away to freedom. The catch is she isn't alone. She is being followed by Luka, who eventually persuades her to keep up with him. Eventually due to his inexperience and Yael's being overpowered, they are caught and made to think they are going to go to the heart of Germania. Meanwhile Felix is found by the SS in Fake- Adel's room, where he is given a ‘choice' by the SS: Find the members of the resistance by spying on Yael, in order to crush what little resistance there may be, or they will kill his parents. Of course Felix accepts, and he is put on a plane with Yael and Luka, and it is made to look like they all managed to escape the SS, but really this is just a ploy to get Felix in with Yael to the resistance. There is more to it than that, but that should be more than enough to get you interested. Am I right?

To get the negative out of the way, I think that this novel does drag somewhat in the middle part of the book. I think this is partly due to the page count- this book is almost 100 pages longer than the first, and it just cannot sustain the momentum need to keep me as interested as the previous novel. Still this is a small gripe, and will only affect the 1% of the population who will notice, and the ,01% of the population who will care.

Everything else about this book was very well done. The multiple plotlines of Yael, Felix and Luka are well paced. They all have their place and are all here to ratchet up the tension of the novel. Luka and Felix ALMOST form a love triangle with Yael, but that is thankfully diverted at the last second. It is done more as a show of jealousy from Luka than anything, which I am pleased Graudin did as opposed to the former option. This book was so much fun and it was filled with so much action at nearly every turn, I cannot wait to read another book by this author. She writes books that have just enough quirks and twists that they are fun and interesting to read...especially to the rest of YA that is out there.

All in all, this pair of books is one that I feel should be enjoyed by more people. It reminds me that, in the midst of garbage by Veronica Roth and Cassandra Clare, there can be fun, exciting, and unique stories that can entice readers at any age. I give this book a five out of five. Go out and buy the series. You won't be disappointed.