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Wolf Mark
Luke King knows a lot of things. Like four different ways to disarm an enemy before the attacker can take a breath. Like every detail of every book he’s ever read. And Luke knows enough—just enough—about what his father does as a black ops infiltrator to know which questions not to ask. Like why does his family move around so much?
Luke just hopes that this time his family is settled for a while. He’ll finally be able to have a normal life. He’ll be able to ask the girl he likes to take a ride with him on his motorcycle. He’ll hang out with his friends. He’ll be invisible—just as he wants.
But when his dad goes missing, Luke realizes that life will always be different for him. Suddenly he must avoid the kidnappers looking to use him as leverage against his father, while at the same time evading the attention of the school’s mysterious elite clique of Russian hipsters, who seem much too interested in Luke’s own personal secret. Faced with multiple challenges and his emerging paranormal identity, Luke must decide who to trust as he creates his own destiny.
Luke just hopes that this time his family is settled for a while. He’ll finally be able to have a normal life. He’ll be able to ask the girl he likes to take a ride with him on his motorcycle. He’ll hang out with his friends. He’ll be invisible—just as he wants.
But when his dad goes missing, Luke realizes that life will always be different for him. Suddenly he must avoid the kidnappers looking to use him as leverage against his father, while at the same time evading the attention of the school’s mysterious elite clique of Russian hipsters, who seem much too interested in Luke’s own personal secret. Faced with multiple challenges and his emerging paranormal identity, Luke must decide who to trust as he creates his own destiny.
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2011
23 people are currently reading
815 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Bruchac
279 books599 followersJoseph Bruchac lives with his wife, Carol, in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York, in the same house where his maternal grandparents raised him. Much of his writing draws on that land and his Abenaki ancestry. Although his American Indian heritage is only one part of an ethnic background that includes Slovak and English blood, those Native roots are the ones by which he has been most nourished. He, his younger sister Margaret, and his two grown sons, James and Jesse, continue to work extensively in projects involving the preservation of Abenaki culture, language and traditional Native skills, including performing traditional and contemporary Abenaki music with the Dawnland Singers.
He holds a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Syracuse and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Union Institute of Ohio. His work as a educator includes eight years of directing a college program for Skidmore College inside a maximum security prison. With his wife, Carol, he is the founder and Co-Director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press. He has edited a number of highly praised anthologies of contemporary poetry and fiction, including Songs from this Earth on Turtle's Back, Breaking Silence (winner of an American Book Award) and Returning the Gift. His poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from American Poetry Review, Cricket and Aboriginal Voices to National Geographic, Parabola and Smithsonian Magazine. He has authored more than 70 books for adults and children, including The First Strawberries, Keepers of the Earth (co-authored with Michael Caduto), Tell Me a Tale, When the Chenoo Howls (co-authored with his son, James), his autobiography Bowman's Store and such novels as Dawn Land, The Waters Between, Arrow Over the Door and The Heart of a Chief. Forthcoming titles include Squanto's Journey (Harcourt), a picture book, Sacajawea (Harcourt), an historical novel, Crazy Horse's Vision (Lee & Low), a picture book, and Pushing Up The Sky (Dial), a collection of plays for children. His honors include a Rockefeller Humanities fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry, the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the Knickerbocker Award, the Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature and both the 1998 Writer of the Year Award and the 1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas.
As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Joe Bruchac has performed widely in Europe and throughout the United States from Florida to Hawaii and has been featured at such events as the British Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee. He has been a storyteller-in-residence for Native American organizations and schools throughout the continent, including the Institute of Alaska Native Arts and the Onondaga Nation School. He discusses Native culture and his books and does storytelling programs at dozens of elementary and secondary schools each year as a visiting author.
He holds a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Syracuse and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Union Institute of Ohio. His work as a educator includes eight years of directing a college program for Skidmore College inside a maximum security prison. With his wife, Carol, he is the founder and Co-Director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press. He has edited a number of highly praised anthologies of contemporary poetry and fiction, including Songs from this Earth on Turtle's Back, Breaking Silence (winner of an American Book Award) and Returning the Gift. His poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from American Poetry Review, Cricket and Aboriginal Voices to National Geographic, Parabola and Smithsonian Magazine. He has authored more than 70 books for adults and children, including The First Strawberries, Keepers of the Earth (co-authored with Michael Caduto), Tell Me a Tale, When the Chenoo Howls (co-authored with his son, James), his autobiography Bowman's Store and such novels as Dawn Land, The Waters Between, Arrow Over the Door and The Heart of a Chief. Forthcoming titles include Squanto's Journey (Harcourt), a picture book, Sacajawea (Harcourt), an historical novel, Crazy Horse's Vision (Lee & Low), a picture book, and Pushing Up The Sky (Dial), a collection of plays for children. His honors include a Rockefeller Humanities fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry, the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the Knickerbocker Award, the Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature and both the 1998 Writer of the Year Award and the 1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas.
As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Joe Bruchac has performed widely in Europe and throughout the United States from Florida to Hawaii and has been featured at such events as the British Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee. He has been a storyteller-in-residence for Native American organizations and schools throughout the continent, including the Institute of Alaska Native Arts and the Onondaga Nation School. He discusses Native culture and his books and does storytelling programs at dozens of elementary and secondary schools each year as a visiting author.
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August 22, 2011OK, Luke.
When you get angry you growl . You can smell your classmates. You have to shave once a day because you have excessive facial hair . The creepy Russian kids who have graduated from the 'Die Hard School of Villains' who seem to know more than they are letting on call you mongrel . You have a wolf birthmark on your wrist that burns when you get angry. You love the moon .... especially when it's full . You like to run through the wilderness . You ride a motorcycle (why do they all have motorcycles?!). You have something inside you that hasn't been awakened yet. Your dad bays at the moon . You don't like fast-food because you like your meat fresh and red . Your Spanish teacher calls you her 'little wolf' .
HOW ARE YOU NOT GETTING WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?!
DO I NEED TO USE MORE BOLD ITALICS TO MAKE IT CLEARER?!
ANYTHING?!
Might go back to this when I have more patience and I'm less likely to punch something.. but probably not.
When you get angry you growl . You can smell your classmates. You have to shave once a day because you have excessive facial hair . The creepy Russian kids who have graduated from the 'Die Hard School of Villains' who seem to know more than they are letting on call you mongrel . You have a wolf birthmark on your wrist that burns when you get angry. You love the moon .... especially when it's full . You like to run through the wilderness . You ride a motorcycle (why do they all have motorcycles?!). You have something inside you that hasn't been awakened yet. Your dad bays at the moon . You don't like fast-food because you like your meat fresh and red . Your Spanish teacher calls you her 'little wolf' .
HOW ARE YOU NOT GETTING WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?!
DO I NEED TO USE MORE BOLD ITALICS TO MAKE IT CLEARER?!
ANYTHING?!
Might go back to this when I have more patience and I'm less likely to punch something.. but probably not.
October 25, 2011
I wanted to like this book. The first book published by Tu Books, an imprint whose mission I adore. I have really liked previous books by Joseph Bruchac and yet Wolf Mark was a disappointment for me. First, this book commits one of my little pet peeves which is short but many chapters. There are 73 chapters, 374 pages and about five pages per chapter. I think that's a waste of a chapter, especially since each chapter ended SO DRAMATICALLY which was pointless. Why end with a cliffhanger when the reader will just turn the page and discover the big secret? It creates pointless drama and after awhile it becomes annoying and ridiculous. Another thing that bothered me was the character of Meena. She's Pakistani as the author likes to remind us whenever he bothers to mention her, she's solely there to be the love interest and the climax of the book features one of the most cliche scenes concerning love interests. I legitimately rolled my eyes. Plus I didn't understand why the author was obsessed with talking about the 'repressive culture' of Muslims in Pakistan and how Luke and Meena could never be together because of her father and yet when her father is introduced he doesn't seem all that conservative...But what finally drove me to the edge and made it impossible for me to finish this book was ALL THE METAPHORS. Not only were there too many metaphors, some of them were just strange. here's a sampling "I'd be listening as avidly as a lion in a zoo does when i hears the footsteps of its keeper approaching at feeding time with a bucket of raw meat. Growling with happy expectations" (pg. 178), "I'm further down the social ladder from them than a worm is from an eagle" (pgs. 17-18) and "she gives a little nod at that piece of information I've fed her as carefully as a zoo-goer slipping a piece of fruit through the bars to a sharp-beaked bird" (pg. 214). These metaphors are too long, too random and too ridiculous. Who thinks/talks/writes like that?
I could not even focus on the spy elements of the novel which I had thought would be the best part of the book because I was so busy rolling my eyes at the metaphors. I was also irked at how cliche the climax was, not only with Meena but also with the evil villain. And Luke even acknowledges that the whole scene is completely cliche but then....the author does nothing to make the scene any less of a cliche. Luke also intentionally reads like a know-it-all. He explains that he remembers everything, which is fine, but he feels the need to spout random facts that are completely irrelevant. Furthermore, there were dramatic moments in the story where Luke would say something like "I started thinking about....." and it would be SO RANDOM and take away from that particular scene that was getting interesting and dissolve into some philosophical musings (one particular scene towards the end comes to mind). I do however think that the genetically engineered beast hybrids were creative if not sad. And while I didn't like how the author used Luke as a mouthpiece to express his views, he makes some great points. Luke is also a funny guy which never hurts.
Wolf Mark has some good elements but they do not create the exciting story I was hoping for. The author clearly wants his readers to learn a lesson (he says as much in the Afterword) the problem is that the story is sacrificed for the lessons and the audience is forgotten. I was also bothered at how the evil villains all had to be racist. One of them kept saying "Honest Injun" which I thought was a phrase people stopped using around the '70s...but maybe in small towns? Or is it a Western expression? I don't know but it was jarring and it sounded alien to my ears which made the character who said it even more of a joke. Between the caricature characters (the elite Russian mafia-esque students that Luke sort-of befriends had potential but they are all so one-dimensional), the overuse of metaphors (I'm starting to realize that sometimes metaphors are not one's friends) and the random tangents on various aspects of today's societies (rants about our foreign policy, war in general, racism, etc) I could not handle this package. The many short chapters ironically enough made it harder for me to want to finish this book because it seemed to never end.
I could not even focus on the spy elements of the novel which I had thought would be the best part of the book because I was so busy rolling my eyes at the metaphors. I was also irked at how cliche the climax was, not only with Meena but also with the evil villain. And Luke even acknowledges that the whole scene is completely cliche but then....the author does nothing to make the scene any less of a cliche. Luke also intentionally reads like a know-it-all. He explains that he remembers everything, which is fine, but he feels the need to spout random facts that are completely irrelevant. Furthermore, there were dramatic moments in the story where Luke would say something like "I started thinking about....." and it would be SO RANDOM and take away from that particular scene that was getting interesting and dissolve into some philosophical musings (one particular scene towards the end comes to mind). I do however think that the genetically engineered beast hybrids were creative if not sad. And while I didn't like how the author used Luke as a mouthpiece to express his views, he makes some great points. Luke is also a funny guy which never hurts.
Wolf Mark has some good elements but they do not create the exciting story I was hoping for. The author clearly wants his readers to learn a lesson (he says as much in the Afterword) the problem is that the story is sacrificed for the lessons and the audience is forgotten. I was also bothered at how the evil villains all had to be racist. One of them kept saying "Honest Injun" which I thought was a phrase people stopped using around the '70s...but maybe in small towns? Or is it a Western expression? I don't know but it was jarring and it sounded alien to my ears which made the character who said it even more of a joke. Between the caricature characters (the elite Russian mafia-esque students that Luke sort-of befriends had potential but they are all so one-dimensional), the overuse of metaphors (I'm starting to realize that sometimes metaphors are not one's friends) and the random tangents on various aspects of today's societies (rants about our foreign policy, war in general, racism, etc) I could not handle this package. The many short chapters ironically enough made it harder for me to want to finish this book because it seemed to never end.
July 26, 2012
Luke knows enough just enough about what his father does as a black ops infiltrator to know which questions not to ask. But when his dad goes missing, Luke realizes that life will always be different for him. Suddenly he must avoid the kidnappers looking to use him as leverage against his father, while at the same time evading the attention of the school's mysterious elite clique of Russian hipsters.
This YA novel is even more fun than the cover copy implies, throwing together werewolves, Indian legends, secret evil laboratories, martial arts, and – yes, really – a mysterious elite clique of Russian hipsters. And more. Much more. Despite its everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach, it’s a surprisingly coherent action-adventure with a big helping of comedy.
Given the title and cover, it’s no spoiler to say that Luke is a werewolf. Like Bruchac, the author, he’s also an Abenaki Indian. Between the Indian werewolves and a cool take on vampires, I suspect that Twilight was one of the inspirations for this novel. It’s not a parody, but there are a few winks in that direction. Luke, a bad-ass literature geek with a political bent and a mind crammed full of information, was reminiscent of a Cory Doctorow character, but with the saving grace of being much less smug. I liked him.
The mix of action, new riffs on old myths, and wisecracks would probably appeal a lot to Percy Jackson fans. It appealed a lot to me. There’s some over-explaining and messaginess, and while Meena, the girl Luke crushes on, is a likable character with her own issues, she is structurally just The Girl. And the denuement is a bit rushed. But overall, I liked it a lot. Many of you would probably like it too.
This is one of the debut titles of Tu Publishing, an imprint of Lee and Low and the only mainstream YA imprint I know of in America dedicated to publishing multicultural sf and fantasy. They’re off to a good start.
Meet Joseph Bruchac: poet, novelist, storyteller, musician, nuclear physicist, race car driver
This YA novel is even more fun than the cover copy implies, throwing together werewolves, Indian legends, secret evil laboratories, martial arts, and – yes, really – a mysterious elite clique of Russian hipsters. And more. Much more. Despite its everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach, it’s a surprisingly coherent action-adventure with a big helping of comedy.
Given the title and cover, it’s no spoiler to say that Luke is a werewolf. Like Bruchac, the author, he’s also an Abenaki Indian. Between the Indian werewolves and a cool take on vampires, I suspect that Twilight was one of the inspirations for this novel. It’s not a parody, but there are a few winks in that direction. Luke, a bad-ass literature geek with a political bent and a mind crammed full of information, was reminiscent of a Cory Doctorow character, but with the saving grace of being much less smug. I liked him.
The mix of action, new riffs on old myths, and wisecracks would probably appeal a lot to Percy Jackson fans. It appealed a lot to me. There’s some over-explaining and messaginess, and while Meena, the girl Luke crushes on, is a likable character with her own issues, she is structurally just The Girl. And the denuement is a bit rushed. But overall, I liked it a lot. Many of you would probably like it too.
This is one of the debut titles of Tu Publishing, an imprint of Lee and Low and the only mainstream YA imprint I know of in America dedicated to publishing multicultural sf and fantasy. They’re off to a good start.
Meet Joseph Bruchac: poet, novelist, storyteller, musician, nuclear physicist, race car driver
December 28, 2011
A teen boy has a dysfunctional family (of the dead mom/drunk dad variety) and a crush on his cute Pakistani friend. Oh, and a wolf tattoo that burns and throbs occasionally. Nothing weird about that I'm sure!
So yeah, there's nothing about the premise I dislike, but the author's writing style was like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. It's like no force on earth can stop him from going off on a tangent every five sentences. In my book, that's only ok if you're William Faulkner or Neal Stephenson. But....I can see a certain kind of person just eating this up, and for that person, I tried to read it. I'm sorry I couldn't stick it out.
Recommended for:
People who like their paranormal romances on the action-heavy, ADD-writer side of the spectrum.
So yeah, there's nothing about the premise I dislike, but the author's writing style was like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. It's like no force on earth can stop him from going off on a tangent every five sentences. In my book, that's only ok if you're William Faulkner or Neal Stephenson. But....I can see a certain kind of person just eating this up, and for that person, I tried to read it. I'm sorry I couldn't stick it out.
Recommended for:
People who like their paranormal romances on the action-heavy, ADD-writer side of the spectrum.
November 1, 2011
High school senior Luke has a dead mother, a drunken, doped-out father, and a serious crush on a good Pakistani girl. He and his dad now live in a tin can of a beatup trailer in a town that's on it's way down the economic slide. He's trying to stay under the radar at his latest school and just graduate. But, when the Sunglass Mafia shows up and starts ruling the school, he knows something's happening out of the usual. And, boy, does it. His dad gets kidnapped, and after he gets his dad's coded message to him, he discovers more about himself than he ever thought to learn. He gets just enough information to know he's got to rescue his dad, which means breaking into a huge research and development facility, where experiments beyond his worst nightmare are being done.
Greedy corporations, martial arts, secret agents, and some seriously twisted scientific explorations into developing deadly man-beasts are part of the larger plot of this book, which has a whole lot of meat to it, but little flavor for me. I've only heard good things about Bruchac's other books so I can only hope that this one is an exception, because the gaps in this story made it feel like an spider's web--weak and filled with some ragged holes. The background information I could almost taste was just about the only ingredient, other than a story that needed more work on it. Something crucial and living was missing from it.
Greedy corporations, martial arts, secret agents, and some seriously twisted scientific explorations into developing deadly man-beasts are part of the larger plot of this book, which has a whole lot of meat to it, but little flavor for me. I've only heard good things about Bruchac's other books so I can only hope that this one is an exception, because the gaps in this story made it feel like an spider's web--weak and filled with some ragged holes. The background information I could almost taste was just about the only ingredient, other than a story that needed more work on it. Something crucial and living was missing from it.
February 14, 2013
Read this in slow time w/younger son. We had a lot of fun with it and enjoyed the characters, but in part in it was because of amused exasperation with the hero's over-the-top references to his own special powers and uniqueness. He's familiar with Russian street slang? Of course he is. Bestest-best at martial arts? Goes without saying. Keen, keen senses? You didn't expect any less, did you? Sometimes too, the author's teacherly mode overwhelms the protagonist's voice, as he tells us about, say, old films or 1980s music. But it's a fun story all the same, and all the characters are very likable. Plus, it's great to have an Abenaki superhero kid as a protagonist, just saying. It's from Tu Publications, which is an imprint devoted to diversity in YA fiction.
Edited to add--prompted by Hallie's hitting "like" for the review (thanks Hallie!)--that another really great thing about the book was the warm, unsnarky, yet unsugary relationship between Luke and his friends and his father. These relationships felt genuine and strong, and there was plenty of friendly humor (in the relationships with his friends). Especially sweet that although Luke daydreamed about being alone with the girl he liked (and who liked him), sex never played a role in the tale. Not that I've got anything against depictions of teenagers having sex (I don't), but it's nice to read an exciting adventure that *doesn'* feature it.
Edited to add--prompted by Hallie's hitting "like" for the review (thanks Hallie!)--that another really great thing about the book was the warm, unsnarky, yet unsugary relationship between Luke and his friends and his father. These relationships felt genuine and strong, and there was plenty of friendly humor (in the relationships with his friends). Especially sweet that although Luke daydreamed about being alone with the girl he liked (and who liked him), sex never played a role in the tale. Not that I've got anything against depictions of teenagers having sex (I don't), but it's nice to read an exciting adventure that *doesn'* feature it.
August 22, 2011
Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac is a children's novel with the expected publication date of September 28 2011. This book will appeal to guys and girls around nine through their teens. The novel offers a unique take on legends paired with espionage and a variety of cultures. Luke King has a mixed heritage, and knows a great deal about a variety of other cultures because of his upbringing. His parents taught him about his Native American heritage, but thanks to his father working undercover, he also knows a multitude of foreign languages, self-defense and weaponry skills. He knows that because of all this, his childhood has been very far from normal. After his mother's death, Luke and his father are living in a trailer, and his father is drinking and doing drugs to dull the loss. Luke just wants to be normal, to blend in with the crowd. Then things start to get harder, Luke's friend and long time crush just might share his attraction, and a group of exchange students is becoming unnervingly interested in him, as is an executive at a local company. As things escalate, Luke discovers just how different he is when his father is taken and he uncovers new secrets about himself, his town, and his schoolmates.
See my complete review on Associated Content.
See my complete review on Associated Content.
February 9, 2012
Wolf Mark is the second book I've read from Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low. Tu Books is an imprint to watch. Here's a snippet from their website:
"Fantasy, science fiction, and mystery: these genres draw in young readers like no other. Yet it is in these genres that readers of color might feel most like an outsider, given that such a large percentage features white characters (when they feature human characters). It is the goal of Tu Books to publish genre books for children and young adults that fills this gap in the market—and more importantly, this gap in serving our readers. By focusing on diverse settings and characters in fantastic stories, we also open up worlds to all readers."
Based in Tu's mission alone I will do my darnedest to read every book they put out.
Wolf Mark is a fast paced supernatural mystery that should appeal to a wide variety of readers of YA fiction. In particular, I think this would be a great recommendations for boys who like adventure, a good fight scene and some intrigue. It's not a deep book. Simply, a dude struggles with life, learns his destiny and likes a girl. Throw in werewolves, vampires and evil corporations and I'm in. Add to the basic recipe the fact that we have a thinking male protagonist of color and this book sets itself apart. I got sucked right into the plot and characters. Hopefully tween and teen readers are, too.
"Fantasy, science fiction, and mystery: these genres draw in young readers like no other. Yet it is in these genres that readers of color might feel most like an outsider, given that such a large percentage features white characters (when they feature human characters). It is the goal of Tu Books to publish genre books for children and young adults that fills this gap in the market—and more importantly, this gap in serving our readers. By focusing on diverse settings and characters in fantastic stories, we also open up worlds to all readers."
Based in Tu's mission alone I will do my darnedest to read every book they put out.
Wolf Mark is a fast paced supernatural mystery that should appeal to a wide variety of readers of YA fiction. In particular, I think this would be a great recommendations for boys who like adventure, a good fight scene and some intrigue. It's not a deep book. Simply, a dude struggles with life, learns his destiny and likes a girl. Throw in werewolves, vampires and evil corporations and I'm in. Add to the basic recipe the fact that we have a thinking male protagonist of color and this book sets itself apart. I got sucked right into the plot and characters. Hopefully tween and teen readers are, too.
February 17, 2023
I was already not loving this book. I get that it's a power fantasy, but even with that in mind, the MC was really straining my suspension of disbelief. He's this awesome martial arts master who's trained like a Navy SEAL or something with firearms skills and survival skills and whatnot and drives a motorcycle while still in high school. He's also got a photographic memory and talks like an adult in rambly asides in the narrative.
But then the Islamophobia started creeping in. It started with the MC talking in his narration about how oppressive Islam is for women and how he wanted to save the Muslim girl he had a crush on. I pushed through because up til then, it had all been the character's thoughts. Maybe, I hoped, he'd have an arc gaining a more nuanced view on the subject. And then we got to the scene where the other Muslim girls find out about his relationship with his love interest. They all gang up on him and tell him he can't talk to her anymore because her dad will flip out. One of them says he probably wouldn't do an honor killing over it but he'd definitely send her back to Pakistan. That told me the Islamophobia is an author-level problem, not a character-level one. And that's where I dropped the book.
But then the Islamophobia started creeping in. It started with the MC talking in his narration about how oppressive Islam is for women and how he wanted to save the Muslim girl he had a crush on. I pushed through because up til then, it had all been the character's thoughts. Maybe, I hoped, he'd have an arc gaining a more nuanced view on the subject. And then we got to the scene where the other Muslim girls find out about his relationship with his love interest. They all gang up on him and tell him he can't talk to her anymore because her dad will flip out. One of them says he probably wouldn't do an honor killing over it but he'd definitely send her back to Pakistan. That told me the Islamophobia is an author-level problem, not a character-level one. And that's where I dropped the book.
December 19, 2011
Review copied from original post at Imaginary Reads
What I liked about it: There aren't enough books that delve into the cultures of various ethnic groups. Wolf Mark's romantic interest is Muslim, and the main character both knows quite a bit about Russians and goes to school with a group of Russians. I appreciate Bruchac's inclusion of detail about these cultures. This was the main attraction of the novel for me--besides the new take on werewolves.
What I didn't like about it: The short, terse sentences made it hard for me to read, and there wasn't sufficient imagery/description to capture my interest. At the beginning, the plot lagged. We find out about Luke's life at home and how things are at school, but it takes a little to get into the meat of the plot. (At least, that's what it seemed like to me. I'm afraid that I had a hard time getting into this novel.)
Told from the perspective of a teenage boy, Wolf Mark is a book that will appeal to boys and girls alike. I would recommend this for middle-grade readers, not for older teens and above.
What I liked about it: There aren't enough books that delve into the cultures of various ethnic groups. Wolf Mark's romantic interest is Muslim, and the main character both knows quite a bit about Russians and goes to school with a group of Russians. I appreciate Bruchac's inclusion of detail about these cultures. This was the main attraction of the novel for me--besides the new take on werewolves.
What I didn't like about it: The short, terse sentences made it hard for me to read, and there wasn't sufficient imagery/description to capture my interest. At the beginning, the plot lagged. We find out about Luke's life at home and how things are at school, but it takes a little to get into the meat of the plot. (At least, that's what it seemed like to me. I'm afraid that I had a hard time getting into this novel.)
Told from the perspective of a teenage boy, Wolf Mark is a book that will appeal to boys and girls alike. I would recommend this for middle-grade readers, not for older teens and above.
July 7, 2016
Interesting mix of sci-fi with a touch of fantasy. Felt like it could use some editing. Too much telling and not showing. Almost like Bruchac felt he needed to teach several lessons along the way.
December 19, 2018
I loved the story even more than I thought I could. At first I was a little skeptical about the story because I wanted to find a good story about fantastical events taking place in the real world. Every time I’ve come across a “unique” story with a werewolf in the present day world, it’s always the same: boy or girl (probably teenager) that finds themselves dealing with a super-powered-puberty. Joseph Bruchach somehow acknowledged how overdone that situation was and made it different; better. By putting a creative, historical, and ethnic spin on the werewolf story Joseph was able to (quite impossibly) relate Luke’s life to my own. The first time I read the book I was 11 years old. It was the first of Mr. Bruchach’s books I had ever read. I have read the book 4 times since. I have also read about 5 others on the Abenaki and not just the ones by Joseph. I am now 16 years old, and still find myself making smarter decisions that I later realize to have originated from defeating my own ‘Grue.’
September 2, 2022
This book started off great. Bruchca did a superb job of writing from the point of view of the not so ordinary teenaged boy , Luke King. As The story progresses and we learn alongside Luke just what it is that makes him special, the pace of the story picks up but my enjoyment of it decreased. By the final quarter of the book I already know how things would end as our protagonist seemed to level up in all his already impressive skills to the point of being almost invincible. The ending scenes were rushed and I found it hard to finish because I’d lost interest at that point. I liked how the story all resolved in a single book, and I love how we got to know the character in the first part of the book. I just think the ending deserved more time than it was given.
April 27, 2018
I really wanted to like this book but it was a bit of a disappointment. At times I just felt like the author was rambling on about things that didn't really enhance the story. Some of the ramblings were interesting but I felt a lot of it was unnecessary. I will say my favorite characters where the Russian Upyr's. I thought there characters where super cool I really found them interesting. In conclusion I liked the storyline but I didn't care for the writing style.
July 13, 2024
Hand to readers who liked Maximum Ride
Despite the other characters in the work, this reads very much like a one-character novel.
The blurb and early chapters left me expecting that the main character, his love interest, and his best friend would team up to fight the bad guys, but....no. It was alright, but disappointing.
Despite the other characters in the work, this reads very much like a one-character novel.
The blurb and early chapters left me expecting that the main character, his love interest, and his best friend would team up to fight the bad guys, but....no. It was alright, but disappointing.
January 23, 2021
This is such a great take on werewolves! Lucas is constantly fighting to be smarter than his wolf nature, but he manages, every time. I loved the Russians! They're a mix of goofy and creepy at the same time.
August 5, 2018
really good, shapeshifter book, love the mane character.
June 16, 2023
meena was written for the male gaze but otherwise it was pretty good
November 6, 2019
This book was about how a boy leads his life thinking that he is just a normal body until his dad is taken and he finds out that he owns his own mansion. His friends and he had to defeat a corporate company to save himself and his father. Even if he has to work with the Russians.
This made me think about how many people can hide how they are on the inside. It also made me think about how people completely different can bond to complete one job
This made me think about how many people can hide how they are on the inside. It also made me think about how people completely different can bond to complete one job
October 8, 2019
Luke king is a strange kid who after his father is abducted goes,on a journey to save him and makes an alliance with other strange kids known as the sunglass mafia from Russia. I personally think this book is great. I love how the author tells you enough of the story in one chapter so that you're left on a cliff hanger but you don't know that you are until he tells you at the beginning of the next chapter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2013
I received a copy of this galley, free, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Somehow this book got lost in the Netgalley pile (and the review was lost in the pile of written but not posted reviews). Regardless, I was drawn to this book. I visited Tu Books’ website (a family owned publishing company that believes and promotes diversity in science fiction and fantasy for young adults) Now that I have finished reading, I have this strong urge to go back re-read it. I am not sure if that is me just being a book nerd or if the story is that captivating. This is one of the few books that I’ve read lately (review written in December 2012) that I’ve read without any complaints. At first Lucas’ tangents seemed to be to random info dumps. But I saw the purpose, and soon found myself looking forward to and expecting them. I couldn’t imagine the book being written any other way.
There are so many things to love about Wolf Mark that I am not sure where to start. The werewolf legend is something new and not found in “traditional” werewolf stories. The wolf is still powerful, aggressive and strangely alluring. It’s just not the typical mindless beast full of rage or bloodlust that normal ties into the story. There is this balance between beast and humanity that kept me on my toes.
I really, really like Lucas. He is not your regular teenager. He knows that he is different, just not how very different. He is really smart, but not in an arrogant “I’m better than you” way. Lucas’ parents have been preparing and grooming him for the time he would merge with his wolf-half since he was born. He lives in a realistically unique situation. His dad is obviously an undercover agent and they need to stay under the radar, lest danger finds them. Perhaps it was Lucas’ family relationship that makes this story more believable and likable. Perhaps, it’s that Bruchac has drawn on Native American lore of the werewolf that makes the skin walkers more like their human counterparts instead of mindless beasts.
Where there are werewolves, there are vampires (or vampire-like creatures). And where there are U.S. undercover operatives, there are Russian spies. Where there are shape shifters and other mutated species, there are those who wish to exploit them. Nothing is as it seems.
In more ways than I can express here, I am thankful for that. I am sure that Lucas is also thankful for that. Yep, this is one of those books that I could go on and on and on about. There’s so much depth to the characters and to the plot that I can’t find a nice place to stop.
Though this is Lucas’ story, he is not the only stand out character. The action was vivid and so easy to visualize. There were moments I felt as if I was watching a movie instead of reading a book. I am just going to stop here, not because I don’t have anything else to say. Not because I think I have said enough. But honestly, you should just go out and read Wolf Mark for yourself.
5 Stars *****
Always Shine!
March 31, 2013
Review Posted on Reading Lark 8/18/11: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2011/...
Wolf Mark is a fast paced adrenaline treat for your brain. This book oozes with suspense and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Wolf Mark is the paranormal version of X-Men with gifted supernaturals fighting against a large corporation that wants to prey on their genetic mutations to create a superior army of killing machines.
Wolf Mark will appeal to both male and female readers as the main character, Luke, tells the story. For once, the monster is in charge of telling the story and you just might find that traditional monster roles don't apply. Luke just wants to be normal, but the wolf shaped birthmark on his wrist and his militaristic, be prepared for anything upbringing keep normality at bay. As look finally begins to make friends - his life is thrown off kilter when his father is kidnapped by mysterious men in black. Luke must fully embrace who he is and find the strength to storm a fortress full of killers to save his father.
I loved that this book was not only from a male perspective, but that it took the concept of werewolves and breathed new life into the myth. Bruchac doesn't take the typical werewolf route; werewolves are not made - they are born. However, he infuses that concept with the idea of second skin. This made me think of the selkie myths from Celtic lore of the women who turned into seals when they donned a second skin. Fisherman would often hide the skins from the selkie so that the females would be forced to stay in human form and settle down in a marriage. There are also other legends of wolves with a second skin that I have read in the past. I loved that Bruchac took these ideas and made them his own; it was a refreshing change from the other werewolf stories out there.
Another intriguing thing about this book is the other cultures that are present. One character, Meena, is from Pakistan so you get a glimpse into the Muslim culture. Another group of characters are from Russia and I enjoyed learning about their culture and language throughout the read as well. The Russian characters in this book intrigued me and kept me laughing. I love Vlad - he is such an awesome character. Finally, the author, who is an American Indian, infuses tribal lore into his story as well.
One Last Gripe: I still don't totally understand why Luke repels technology. It is explained in the book, but it just didn't sink in for me.
My Favorite Thing About This Book: The lore behind the skin walkers and Upyr
First Sentence: The mark is on the back of my left wrist.
Favorite Character: Uncle Cal
Least Favorite Character: Kesselring
Wolf Mark is a fast paced adrenaline treat for your brain. This book oozes with suspense and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Wolf Mark is the paranormal version of X-Men with gifted supernaturals fighting against a large corporation that wants to prey on their genetic mutations to create a superior army of killing machines.
Wolf Mark will appeal to both male and female readers as the main character, Luke, tells the story. For once, the monster is in charge of telling the story and you just might find that traditional monster roles don't apply. Luke just wants to be normal, but the wolf shaped birthmark on his wrist and his militaristic, be prepared for anything upbringing keep normality at bay. As look finally begins to make friends - his life is thrown off kilter when his father is kidnapped by mysterious men in black. Luke must fully embrace who he is and find the strength to storm a fortress full of killers to save his father.
I loved that this book was not only from a male perspective, but that it took the concept of werewolves and breathed new life into the myth. Bruchac doesn't take the typical werewolf route; werewolves are not made - they are born. However, he infuses that concept with the idea of second skin. This made me think of the selkie myths from Celtic lore of the women who turned into seals when they donned a second skin. Fisherman would often hide the skins from the selkie so that the females would be forced to stay in human form and settle down in a marriage. There are also other legends of wolves with a second skin that I have read in the past. I loved that Bruchac took these ideas and made them his own; it was a refreshing change from the other werewolf stories out there.
Another intriguing thing about this book is the other cultures that are present. One character, Meena, is from Pakistan so you get a glimpse into the Muslim culture. Another group of characters are from Russia and I enjoyed learning about their culture and language throughout the read as well. The Russian characters in this book intrigued me and kept me laughing. I love Vlad - he is such an awesome character. Finally, the author, who is an American Indian, infuses tribal lore into his story as well.
One Last Gripe: I still don't totally understand why Luke repels technology. It is explained in the book, but it just didn't sink in for me.
My Favorite Thing About This Book: The lore behind the skin walkers and Upyr
First Sentence: The mark is on the back of my left wrist.
Favorite Character: Uncle Cal
Least Favorite Character: Kesselring
November 10, 2011
Originally posted on my blog here.
It's hard to say what caught my attention first about this book. I love wolves, werewolves in particular; the premise sounded engaging; the cover simple but catching (though yellow and red aren't my favorite colors together, this seems to work).
Once I started the book I found it interesting, particularly in that we are inside the head of Luke and he is quite a knowledgeable kid. All his little tidbits and asides were one part fascinating (I'll admit it, I took some notes as there are some real facts involved), one part conceited and one part distracting. While I liked how into detail things got....this also kind of made the book heavy to read even though it wasn't particularly deep. It took me a while to get through it...but I did get through it and ultimately liked it, which matters more I think, in the long run.
The most original part of the book, and what I found the most interesting, was that these werewolves aren't like your normal werewolves that have the wolf inside them, no, these werewolves are more like selkies than anything else. The skin is separate from them and they have to protect it. I thought that this was clever and this is the first time I've come across something like this.
Other than that though, not too much else was original, but it was bearable. The other characters tried to become three dimensional, but it felt forced. Luke is too dominate a narrator so we only really get to know him and everyone else is how he sees them. Nothing wrong with this, it just wasn't as fleshed out as it could have been.
Overall, an interesting read, different from your regular paranormal teenage werewolves. Also, I learned some Russian. That's always cool. (by the way, 'cool' in Russian is 'klassni'....just in case you wanted to impress someone).
It's hard to say what caught my attention first about this book. I love wolves, werewolves in particular; the premise sounded engaging; the cover simple but catching (though yellow and red aren't my favorite colors together, this seems to work).
Once I started the book I found it interesting, particularly in that we are inside the head of Luke and he is quite a knowledgeable kid. All his little tidbits and asides were one part fascinating (I'll admit it, I took some notes as there are some real facts involved), one part conceited and one part distracting. While I liked how into detail things got....this also kind of made the book heavy to read even though it wasn't particularly deep. It took me a while to get through it...but I did get through it and ultimately liked it, which matters more I think, in the long run.
The most original part of the book, and what I found the most interesting, was that these werewolves aren't like your normal werewolves that have the wolf inside them, no, these werewolves are more like selkies than anything else. The skin is separate from them and they have to protect it. I thought that this was clever and this is the first time I've come across something like this.
Other than that though, not too much else was original, but it was bearable. The other characters tried to become three dimensional, but it felt forced. Luke is too dominate a narrator so we only really get to know him and everyone else is how he sees them. Nothing wrong with this, it just wasn't as fleshed out as it could have been.
Overall, an interesting read, different from your regular paranormal teenage werewolves. Also, I learned some Russian. That's always cool. (by the way, 'cool' in Russian is 'klassni'....just in case you wanted to impress someone).
August 23, 2011
If you’re a fan of action-adventure stories, the darker edge of paranormal, believe there is an element of truth behind every conspiracy theory, and enjoy first-person stories told in an original voice, then I’d recommend reading this one...and here's why:
1. Luke – he’s engaging, intelligent, observant, and flat-out funny. I loved his narrative voice, and even during the expositional portions of the story my interest never flagged.
2. Motorcycle chases, safety deposit boxes, an old mysterious house…this story is loaded with the classic elements of an action-adventure tale, and they’re all done right…and described with Luke’s trademark irony.
3. Black ops – I loved how Luke and his father have all this covert knowledge that comes into play in unexpected ways throughout the story.
4. Evil Villans – really evil. While I normally prefer my villains to be colored with complicated shades of grey instead of basic black, there are times when a monologuing, accented, and utterly despicable villain is exactly what a story needs. This is one of those times.
5. World-building – Bruchac combines North American Indian tradition, European legend, and a dash of pop culture into a werewolf tale unlike anything I’ve ever read. These are neither the graceful wolves of Twilight lore or the mindless ravaging beasts of old horror movies…I won’t say more because I don’t want to give out any spoilers, but suffice it to say that you’ll think you know what’s what and who’s who. (Don’t bet your shirt on it.)
Wolf Mark escalates from teenage angst to high-octane adventure, and has the spine-creeping feel of a horror story with just enough humor and romance to hold it all together. It’s the story of a father and son, a boy and girl, and a boy coming of age…with enough twists to keep even a seasoned YA reader intrigued.
1. Luke – he’s engaging, intelligent, observant, and flat-out funny. I loved his narrative voice, and even during the expositional portions of the story my interest never flagged.
2. Motorcycle chases, safety deposit boxes, an old mysterious house…this story is loaded with the classic elements of an action-adventure tale, and they’re all done right…and described with Luke’s trademark irony.
3. Black ops – I loved how Luke and his father have all this covert knowledge that comes into play in unexpected ways throughout the story.
4. Evil Villans – really evil. While I normally prefer my villains to be colored with complicated shades of grey instead of basic black, there are times when a monologuing, accented, and utterly despicable villain is exactly what a story needs. This is one of those times.
5. World-building – Bruchac combines North American Indian tradition, European legend, and a dash of pop culture into a werewolf tale unlike anything I’ve ever read. These are neither the graceful wolves of Twilight lore or the mindless ravaging beasts of old horror movies…I won’t say more because I don’t want to give out any spoilers, but suffice it to say that you’ll think you know what’s what and who’s who. (Don’t bet your shirt on it.)
Wolf Mark escalates from teenage angst to high-octane adventure, and has the spine-creeping feel of a horror story with just enough humor and romance to hold it all together. It’s the story of a father and son, a boy and girl, and a boy coming of age…with enough twists to keep even a seasoned YA reader intrigued.
October 12, 2011
I liked this book in theory, but in practice the first person present tense POV just did not work for me. Despite a fast-paced plot and frequent action, this one was a slog for me to get through.
Bruchac's Wolf Mark was sadly disappointing. I was intrigued by the summary which, no lie, featured the phrase "mysterious elite clique of Russian hipsters." And the plot seemed promising enough. Luke King is a teenager with superhuman senses, strength, and memory. Weirdly enough, he doesn't wonder too much about these skills, instead sticking with his parents' lessons to stay under the radar and to be prepared for the worst. When his former covert operative dad is kidnapped, Luke must use all of his skills to discover his heritage and solve the mystery surrounding the town's sinister biotech company and the aforementioned group of elite mysterious Russian hipsters.
Unsurprisingly for a book titled Wolf Mark, and which harps anviliciously about all of Luke's wolfy traits for the first third of the book, Luke is a werewolf. In a nice change of pace from the usual stale werewolf mythology, Luke is, like Bruchac, an Abenaki Indian, which makes the book's werewolf mythology a more interesting blend of American Indian skinwalker stories and European werewolf myths. Unfortunately, the interesting mythology and meager charms of the action adventure-y plot were not enough to overcome my dislike of the first person present tense narration. First person POV always has the potential to polarize readers, since the novel is going to live or die on how much the reader likes the narration and narrating character. I didn't mind Luke himself, but the narration was not at all to my taste. Also, Wolf Mark skews on the younger end of the YA spectrum, and is a bit too teenage boy-ish for my tastes.
Bruchac's Wolf Mark was sadly disappointing. I was intrigued by the summary which, no lie, featured the phrase "mysterious elite clique of Russian hipsters." And the plot seemed promising enough. Luke King is a teenager with superhuman senses, strength, and memory. Weirdly enough, he doesn't wonder too much about these skills, instead sticking with his parents' lessons to stay under the radar and to be prepared for the worst. When his former covert operative dad is kidnapped, Luke must use all of his skills to discover his heritage and solve the mystery surrounding the town's sinister biotech company and the aforementioned group of elite mysterious Russian hipsters.
Unsurprisingly for a book titled Wolf Mark, and which harps anviliciously about all of Luke's wolfy traits for the first third of the book, Luke is a werewolf. In a nice change of pace from the usual stale werewolf mythology, Luke is, like Bruchac, an Abenaki Indian, which makes the book's werewolf mythology a more interesting blend of American Indian skinwalker stories and European werewolf myths. Unfortunately, the interesting mythology and meager charms of the action adventure-y plot were not enough to overcome my dislike of the first person present tense narration. First person POV always has the potential to polarize readers, since the novel is going to live or die on how much the reader likes the narration and narrating character. I didn't mind Luke himself, but the narration was not at all to my taste. Also, Wolf Mark skews on the younger end of the YA spectrum, and is a bit too teenage boy-ish for my tastes.
May 16, 2014
Wolf Mark
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to think, act, and have the abilities like that of a wolf? Well, the book Wolf Mark written by Joseph Bruchac gives you such a strong image, it makes you actually feel like you are a wolf. The genre of this book would be something similar to fantasy, considering the fact that a boy basically gets wolf powers. In the book, 17 year old Luke King is separated from his father, when his father is kidnapped by his enemies from a former business. Luke discovers the one thing his father left behind, the one thing that Luke would need to rescue his father- a wolf skin. It gave Luke the abilities to think and act like a wolf, as well as it gave him the strength and aggression of a wolf. Luke spends months pondering on how he will rescue his father, as he is also getting the materials he needs to rescue him, also. When he goes to rescue him, though, he is in for a big and dangerous surprise…
Personally, I really did enjoy the book. I would it 4 out of 5 stars, just because of all the action and adventure that appealed to me so greatly. It was a bit odd, but it still really appealed to me. In the book, with the wolf skin, Luke acts exactly like a wolf, whether he wants to, or not. The skin takes over his brain. This causes him to eat other animals, and attack people. I crave that type of excitement, whether it would be gory, or not. In this case, it was, and I ended up enjoying it. If you enjoy that type of action and fantasy, I would recommend this book for you to read. If you’re one of the people who doesn’t like fighting and somewhat gory action, I would not recommend you to read this book. That could be disturbing to some people, so this book is clearly not for everyone. Some people would enjoy it, though, as it was a very good book, and a strong piece of literature.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to think, act, and have the abilities like that of a wolf? Well, the book Wolf Mark written by Joseph Bruchac gives you such a strong image, it makes you actually feel like you are a wolf. The genre of this book would be something similar to fantasy, considering the fact that a boy basically gets wolf powers. In the book, 17 year old Luke King is separated from his father, when his father is kidnapped by his enemies from a former business. Luke discovers the one thing his father left behind, the one thing that Luke would need to rescue his father- a wolf skin. It gave Luke the abilities to think and act like a wolf, as well as it gave him the strength and aggression of a wolf. Luke spends months pondering on how he will rescue his father, as he is also getting the materials he needs to rescue him, also. When he goes to rescue him, though, he is in for a big and dangerous surprise…
Personally, I really did enjoy the book. I would it 4 out of 5 stars, just because of all the action and adventure that appealed to me so greatly. It was a bit odd, but it still really appealed to me. In the book, with the wolf skin, Luke acts exactly like a wolf, whether he wants to, or not. The skin takes over his brain. This causes him to eat other animals, and attack people. I crave that type of excitement, whether it would be gory, or not. In this case, it was, and I ended up enjoying it. If you enjoy that type of action and fantasy, I would recommend this book for you to read. If you’re one of the people who doesn’t like fighting and somewhat gory action, I would not recommend you to read this book. That could be disturbing to some people, so this book is clearly not for everyone. Some people would enjoy it, though, as it was a very good book, and a strong piece of literature.
July 27, 2012
Wonderful YA, urban fantasy with male protagonist
Luke, the teenage male protagonist of Wolf Mark, is an American Indian of the Abenaki tribe. His mother died some years ago, and he lives in a dilapidated trailer with his alcoholic father who used to do some kind of highly secretive work in years past that left him emotionally scarred. Even so, Luke's father apparently is an amazing warrior, because at some point he taught Luke impressive skills of survival.
At school, Luke cares deeply for a Pakistani girl named Meena, but he is afraid to ask her out for fear her conservative family will not allow her to date. He is trying to live as normal a life as he can when seven mysterious Russian exchange students come to school, constantly wearing sunglasses. Then one day Luke's father is kidnapped, and Luke has to call on every skill he has to try and save him.
Given what the title of this book promises, it is not a spoiler for me to say there are werewolves in this book. There is a strong action/adventure plot, with a dastardly villain and evil, scary minions, and Luke is a very strong, sympathetic hero who is brave, loyal and never gives up.
It is great to see a YA novel written from a male point of view. This book would have strong appeal for boys, but girls--and adults of both genders, too--will enjoy this book if they like to read paranormal urban fantasy.
I rate this book as follows:
Hero: 5
Subcharacters: 5
Fantasy World-Building: 5
Writing: 4
Action-Adventure Plot: 5
Mystery Subplot: 5
Romantic Subplot: 4
Overall: 5
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book through NetGalley.
Luke, the teenage male protagonist of Wolf Mark, is an American Indian of the Abenaki tribe. His mother died some years ago, and he lives in a dilapidated trailer with his alcoholic father who used to do some kind of highly secretive work in years past that left him emotionally scarred. Even so, Luke's father apparently is an amazing warrior, because at some point he taught Luke impressive skills of survival.
At school, Luke cares deeply for a Pakistani girl named Meena, but he is afraid to ask her out for fear her conservative family will not allow her to date. He is trying to live as normal a life as he can when seven mysterious Russian exchange students come to school, constantly wearing sunglasses. Then one day Luke's father is kidnapped, and Luke has to call on every skill he has to try and save him.
Given what the title of this book promises, it is not a spoiler for me to say there are werewolves in this book. There is a strong action/adventure plot, with a dastardly villain and evil, scary minions, and Luke is a very strong, sympathetic hero who is brave, loyal and never gives up.
It is great to see a YA novel written from a male point of view. This book would have strong appeal for boys, but girls--and adults of both genders, too--will enjoy this book if they like to read paranormal urban fantasy.
I rate this book as follows:
Hero: 5
Subcharacters: 5
Fantasy World-Building: 5
Writing: 4
Action-Adventure Plot: 5
Mystery Subplot: 5
Romantic Subplot: 4
Overall: 5
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book through NetGalley.
June 13, 2012
Wolfmark takes a non-typical approach to werewolves and it works. It includes an interesting mixture of Native American culture and mythology blended into a contemporary story about a young boy named Luke. As a typical teenager Luke has to deal with problems with friends, at school, and with his father who uses alcohol to deal with the loss of Luke's mother. But when Luke finds out who he really is he has to start making decisions like an adult, and he must learn to control the wolf.
The pacing is quick, the tone is pleasant, and Wolfmark is easy to read. The chapters are quite short, some only a couple of pages long. For the most part the language is easy to follow, with the exception of some doses of Russian language which adds an exotic element to the story.
I enjoyed the father son relationship that comes to light as the story progresses.
I have two minor issues with the overall story. 1) Even though Luke faces some tough challenges he overcomes them quite easily. I would have rooted for him a little more if he'd have stumbled once or twice. He may have been a little too perfect, and he didn't seem to need me to root for him. And 2) Luke sometimes spews tons of info for a teenager. Even if he does have a photographic memory it's a little surprising for a teenager to put so much information out there. His photographic memory is kind of like an ace up his sleeve more than once.
Overall I enjoyed reading Wolfmark and I recommend it to anyone looking for a different take on werewolves. I'm betting my fourteen-year-old son will love this story.
The pacing is quick, the tone is pleasant, and Wolfmark is easy to read. The chapters are quite short, some only a couple of pages long. For the most part the language is easy to follow, with the exception of some doses of Russian language which adds an exotic element to the story.
I enjoyed the father son relationship that comes to light as the story progresses.
I have two minor issues with the overall story. 1) Even though Luke faces some tough challenges he overcomes them quite easily. I would have rooted for him a little more if he'd have stumbled once or twice. He may have been a little too perfect, and he didn't seem to need me to root for him. And 2) Luke sometimes spews tons of info for a teenager. Even if he does have a photographic memory it's a little surprising for a teenager to put so much information out there. His photographic memory is kind of like an ace up his sleeve more than once.
Overall I enjoyed reading Wolfmark and I recommend it to anyone looking for a different take on werewolves. I'm betting my fourteen-year-old son will love this story.
August 30, 2011
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Luke, the main character, will draw the reader into this novel. His life has been secretive up to this point, he has to deal with the knowledge that his father is a black ops infiltrator and that he has a strange wolf mark on his wrist. He has always tried to blend in, but his attempts are not always successful-especially when his father mysteriously disappears, leaving Luke a target. The action really takes off here as Luke decides that the Russian crowd should be viewed in shades of grey, rather than black or white, and how he should approach the subject of his wolf mark and his fathers disappearance.
Luke is a great main character. He has plenty of knowledge about black ops, as does his father, that really adds to the book. He is a bit of an enigma in the beginning, forcing the reader to look deeper. At times, he can be impulsive, though he appears cautious by nature. The reader will enjoy following his thoughts and actions through the book. The secondary characters are just as intriguing, the reader will get to meet quite a few "characters."
The events are fast-paced, some high-energy. The plot was intriguing, could have been developed a little further. The story itself was good enough to hold this readers attention. This book is good for young readers through teens.
Luke, the main character, will draw the reader into this novel. His life has been secretive up to this point, he has to deal with the knowledge that his father is a black ops infiltrator and that he has a strange wolf mark on his wrist. He has always tried to blend in, but his attempts are not always successful-especially when his father mysteriously disappears, leaving Luke a target. The action really takes off here as Luke decides that the Russian crowd should be viewed in shades of grey, rather than black or white, and how he should approach the subject of his wolf mark and his fathers disappearance.
Luke is a great main character. He has plenty of knowledge about black ops, as does his father, that really adds to the book. He is a bit of an enigma in the beginning, forcing the reader to look deeper. At times, he can be impulsive, though he appears cautious by nature. The reader will enjoy following his thoughts and actions through the book. The secondary characters are just as intriguing, the reader will get to meet quite a few "characters."
The events are fast-paced, some high-energy. The plot was intriguing, could have been developed a little further. The story itself was good enough to hold this readers attention. This book is good for young readers through teens.
January 22, 2016
Luke King has always been different—how could he not be when he’s grown up with a CIA agent for a father? Now, though, his mother has died and he and his father are living in a trailer, Luke attending the local high school and his father escaping his pain with drugs and alcohol. Add in the fact that Luke seems to just kill all modern electronic devices (they shut down when he’s around) and the wolf mark on his left arm, and he’s pretty different. And soon, his life becomes not only different but dangerous. First, there are the seven members of the Sunglass Mafia (Russian students living in Luke’s town), who seem to have some special skills and are keeping a close watch on Luke. Then his father goes missing, and Luke finds that he isn’t as human as he’s always believed himself to be. Now, with his father’s life on the line and Luke the next target, he has to figure out how to control the wolf within, save his family, uncover the secret plot of those who are after him, and maybe, if he can swing it, take the girl he’s had a crush on for the past couple years for a motorcycle ride.
I liked Luke’s story; it’s adventurous and interesting, but at the same time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was reading a Twilight read-alike for guys. There was more action and less focus on the love story, but still, it was a little too Twilight-y for me to completely love it. Overall, though, it’s fun and I always like how Bruchac incorporates American Indian and other cultures.
I liked Luke’s story; it’s adventurous and interesting, but at the same time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was reading a Twilight read-alike for guys. There was more action and less focus on the love story, but still, it was a little too Twilight-y for me to completely love it. Overall, though, it’s fun and I always like how Bruchac incorporates American Indian and other cultures.
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