Wolf Boy

by G.D. Sammon

Ever since Connor Meredith’s dad had died in mysterious circumstances, Connor had been able to see things. Strange things. Connor and his mum had been forced to move house and school. The shock of his father’s unexplained death, while on a mission with the Army Reserves, led to Connor having psychological therapy once a month. And no wonder …
Because Connor had been struck blind by the shock, yet somehow he could still see – with his mind. Connor had experienced a series of waking nightmares in his room. Creatures battled under his bed at night, and the yellow glowing eyes of a wolf glared at him from his wardrobe doors. One night Connor decided to investigate the wolf in the wardrobe, taking him on a fantastic adventure to a world dominated by wolf people, in constant battle with hideous forest creatures led by a cruel human.

111 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2017

Reviews

[Dash fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5☆ An Action Packed Fantasy, I didn't want to end!

The Wolf Boy is a delightful fantasy book for children aged between 10-14 years.
However I loved it. So I believe it will appeal to all ages.
It also makes a great story time read.

It's a nice short read, perfect amount of pages to capture the attention of the younger readers.

This story is an action packed adventure into a fantasy world of wolf people. (Don't worry it's nothing like werewolves)

The City of Lupusopolis is where the wolf people live. They are under threat by Peragrim. Who is a commander to the creatures of the night.
The Wolf people and Connor work and battle together to try and save Lupusopolis.

I really liked the main character Connor.
He has no sight due to a tragedy her faced but he is able to see clearly using the most powerful tool his mind. When the lights go out Connor delves into a magical dark world.
He is brave, courageous, loyal and I definitely think he will be a character that younger readers will relate too.

Sammon has created a world full of intrigue and mystery it came alive within the pages.
I really hope there will be more to come as I would love to visit Lupusopolis again.

I highly recommend this thrilling fantasy.
It's a book that children will want to read again, it left me wanting more!

Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

My Review is also on my Blog Website:-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book that middle grade children will just read over and over again. Connor is a super character to be hero material in this story as he fights his own personal battles and turmoil of his own life. A battle to gain control again of a mind too young to want to deal with the harsh realities of life.
The tragic and mysterious death of his father had just been too much to cope with and so his mind had closed down his ability to see anything else. Connor was blind through the shock of it all but in the night, in his room, he saw things that no-one else could see like the wolf stood inside the wardrobe door watching until one night Connor went to see what else was in there………………
This is such a cool story with a gripping opening that just sparks your imagination from the beginning. Ulf, the wolf from the wardrobe is in need of Connor’s help as this hidden world is facing terrible hardships from a raging war. The creatures at war with the wolves and this hidden world are described in such way that the words themselves made vivid illustrations in my mind. Each one feeling real, solid and individual rather than a mass. It brings with it characters that you hang on to and don’t have any problem remembering who they are with the few selected to have more of a drop back story about them.
A story that has that feel of familiarity in many ways that I recognised but unique in its own right too. This is a stand alone novella but it would be great if more adventures were to come from the wardrobe in the future.
I wish to thank Rachel Gilbey for an e-copy of this book which I have honestly reviewed.

[Karen Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolf Boy is a fantasy adventure for 10 - 14 year olds and as my ten year old daughter, Maggie loves wolves and fantasy novels I couldn't resist sharing it with her. She enjoys writing her own reviews of some of the books we read together so will be sharing her thoughts below my own review.

Monsters under the bed and creatures in the wardrobe are the classic childhood fears so it's understandable that Connor's mum and therapist believe his dreams are a result of his father's sudden death. However, just as the Pevensey children found Narnia, so Connor, Evey and Billy are taken through his wardrobe into a strange land of wolf people and what follows is an exciting and well plotted adventure which will appeal to young and old.
Though only a short book I was impressed by the intensity of this fantasy action adventure. The world building is immediately immersive with vivid descriptions of the city of Lupusopolis. There's a familiarity to the city which will resonate with anybody who reads fantasy and so is an excellent introduction to the genre for younger readers. The story still feels fresh however, and G.D. Sammon has created a unique world here which could easily lead to a series of novels.
The story seems straightforward enough - it's a good versus evil story with Connor, his friends and the wolf people against another human, Peragrim and his army of night creatures. However, the complex language, excellent characterisation and some truly gripping battle scenes means young readers are never patronised and instead are treated to a cleverly devised and engaging tale. As expected in a book for children, the young people are all transformed in some way by their adventure but the adults of the story - particularly Peragrim and Ulf are developed well too.
I'd love to see another book set in this world or perhaps further adventures elsewhere for young Connor. Though the novel has a rather clever ending I do feel there is plenty of scope for more, particularly given Connor's intriguing gift which means he can see events in his mind - just imagine the possibilities! Wolf Boy is a thoroughly entertaining short read and perfect to read with older children who still enjoy the pleasure of sharing a book at bedtime.

*Maggie's review*
I thoroughly enjoyed Wolf Boy. It is a book full of bravery and adventure. Connor is a boy who can't see with his eyes but can see with his mind. He is a fascinating character because of his blindness but also because he is very courageous. Connor, a wolf lover just like me, can see a wolf in his wardrobe. As soon as I found out he loves wolves, he became one of my favourite characters. Evey, Connor's best friend, I liked too because she was very considerate and understanding to everyone. She is also intelligent and her knowledge proves very useful in the book. My feelings about Billy altered throughout the story as Billy himself changed too. Ulf - my ABSOLUTE favourite character - is a brave wolf who commands the wolf-guards in the city of Lupusopolis.
The city of Lupusopolis is targeted by a villian, Peragrim, the commander of creatures of the night. Ulf must prepare defences and offences to win the fight against Peragrim and his night creatures. But is it all enough? I was intrigued to discover what would finally happen in the end!
If I had to have one criticism about this book it would be that I felt it needed to be longer. I was really enjoying it so I was disappointed when it came to the end. I really hope that a sequel of Wolf Boy comes out in the future.

[Michael Hoard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminds me of The Chronicles of Narnia, in so many ways. It's a story that is well written and, if you are no longer a child, will bring you back to your younger years when imagination and adventure made up your being. Mr. Sammon writes in a way that allows you to disappear into the story and smell the fantastic creatures he has created; you can see the army of night creatures as they rush past you in their attack; and you can feel the emotions our young hero, Connor, goes through during his transformation in the story. This book is perfect for Middle Graders. Young Adult, and old farts like me. Highly recommended read!

[Aaron Lawler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mystery surrounding Connor's father's disappearance stokes the wild psychosis and inexplicable blindness plaguing the pre-adolescent boy. And that is hardly the end of the thrills! A strange world existing in the corner of one's nightmares, unfolds, testing Connor's courage, wits, and grip on reality.

Chapter after Chapter, Wolf Boy hurdles you through a spectral strangeness, spicy encounters, mystic Kipling-like dialogues, and undulating currents of hellish fiends and boy's school world. Medieval battle blended with a modern boy wonder!

The characters intrigue, the action keeps on turning pages, and the fantasy world is so lavishly painted that you do not simply read Sammon's words, you transform into them! His British background creates a fun and quaint curiousness that reminded me of a darkly shaded C.S. Lewis.

Recommend for the adventurous and enigmatic!

[Steph Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC of this book via Rachel’s Random Resources blog tour. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

Wolf Boy is an action-packed adventure story, which Amazon has categorised as ‘Teen & Young Adult’, but I personally felt was also suitable for preteens. The violence is more ‘peril’ than actual and there is no strong language or other dubious content. I was reminded very much of children’s books such as Joan Aiken’s Wolves Chronicles series or C. S. Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew, albeit with more modern weaponry!

The focus is on plot, pace and action, so the character development was handled with quite a light touch: for example, Billy’s evolution from bully to ally is quick and easy, occurring within just a few sentences of exposition.

There were also some minor editing issues at the beginning, such as some repetition and slightly stilted phrasing. However the prose became more fluent as the story gathered pace and rhythm, so this did not effect the overall impression of the book.

The ‘wolf world’ setting with it’s similar-but-different culture, and oppressed ‘other’ races is a fascinating creation and full of potential for other stories. For example, I would love to find out more about the history of the ‘settlement’ and how events evolved between the death of Connor’s father and his step through the wardrobe.

I really liked the twist on the ‘monster in the wardrobe’, with all not being as it seems, and the mystery surrounding Connor’s father’s death and Connor’s own special powers are both intriguing hooks on which to hang what is hopefully the first in a Lupusopolis series. I would be very interested to see what might happen between the different races there after the changing dynamics that occur throughout this story!

I would recommend Wolf Boy for any preteens that like fast, pacy, action-packed fantasy adventures.



Connor’s heart was beating fast as he watched the wardrobe door slowly close. A pair of hairy, clawed hands pulled the doors shut, until the clasp snapped. It sounded loud in the silent bedroom, but Connor knew his mum wouldn’t hear it. She never did.

– G. D. Sammon, Wolf Boy

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...

[Matt Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

By way of disclosure, I was able to obtain a free copy of Wolf Boy in advance in exchange for a review.

The book follows the story of Connor Meredith, a young lad who is physically blind but, thanks to his ability to visualise things in his mind, can still see. To make his life that little bit more complicated, Connor is often visited by a wolf that appears in his wardrobe at night. The result of these visitations is that Connor, along with his friend Evey and a local bully named Billy Lennox, are whisked away to another world where the wolves are the dominant species. However, as dominant as they are, a threat has risen to face them. With Connor and Evey seemingly tied into an ancient prophecy, can the kids and their fuzzy companions survive?

So, you may notice some familiar elements there. The wardrobe to another world is, of course, used in The Chronicles of Narnia. You may also recognise Connor’s sight skills from an old episode of The X-Files. And prophecies? They’re common enough. Let’s be honest here though, picking up familiar threads and potential influences in a book is nothing new. If doing so here makes you have second thoughts about reading the work, I would recommend giving it some further thought. While there a bits and pieces that may make you think of other things, the overall story itself is original. Not only that, but given that the book is aimed at those just entering high school education, any similarities that crop up will likely be treated the same as references made in most modern kids’ TV shows by the target audience.

I would definitely say that that’s a good comparison to make here too. Once the key elements are in place, the story just starts moving, and doesn’t stop. From the travel to the wolf city of Lupusoplis, to the days long conflict with the antagonist, Peregrim, things just keep going without ever falling into filler territory. That is in itself the way a good TV series should be built, and having it work this way will be particularly appealing to children at an age where they want to read, but have a growing interest in non-monster-of-the-week TV shows too. Of course, to get not only this, but any audience interested enough to discover the overall quality of the piece, a book needs a strong opening. G.D. Sammon obviously realised this, because the first three paragraphs of the book do a wonderful job of creating intrigue. They may be short, but they tell you what you need to know and set up the wolf in the wardrobe concept nicely. From there, we start getting to know our main hero and his backstory, which is as fine a start as you could hope for.

Now, Connor is given plenty of screen time, as you’d expect. He’s the hero, after all. The problem here is that, being a children’s book, you’re not going to be looking at a tome the length of A Song of Ice and Fire. So, while Connor is fleshed out a fair bit, the other children, Evey and Billy, are not given quite so much time to shine. I’m not saying that they have no development or unique traits, just that they’re growth is dealt in a far swifter manner than Connor’s. In some ways, that’s a shame, because the main cast are a likeable and authentic bunch. In a way, I almost wish that there had been maybe ten or so more pages dedicated primarily to Connor’s human companions.

But what of the wolves and their world? Well, the land beyond the wardrobe becomes the primary setting relatively early on. The nature of the story means that we only see a small chunk of the land, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. If anything, it means that the story maintains a solid focus throughout, and we get to learn as much as we can about the lay of the land in terms of that area. The wolves themselves are anthropomorphic, which suites me to a tee, and there’s a clear hierarchy in place for them. I would guess that this is symbolic of the pack structure of regular wolves, but we only really get to speak to a handful of the beasts. That’s fine though. Ulf, the wolf from the wardrobe, is a good addition to the cast and makes a strong guide to the world for both readers and protagonists alike. Meanwhile, the wolves’ adversaries are suitably monstrous, with some interesting hybrid creatures making up the brunt of the enemy forces. This all adds an air of mystique to the world and certainly leaves you wanting to know more.

It should be said, however, that while the book is an enjoyable romp through a new and interesting world, I did feel that it had some minor faults. There were a couple of times that I thought that I spotted some small editing errors. There wasn’t anything major in that regard, maybe one incorrect word that had slipped through and the odd occasion where I thought that there may be missing question marks. If you look, this is actually quite common in many books. Editors are, after all, human, and there is every possibility that they won’t catch everything all the time, so I don’t look at this too negatively. I’d also say that I spotted the final plot twist coming very early on, but that’s looking at things through the eyes of an adult accustomed to books like ‘House of leaves’ by Mark Z Danielewski. Would a younger reader spot it in the same way? That would likely vary from child to child. It doesn’t have to lower enjoyment though, as waiting to see if you’re right can be a rewarding experience. It certainly was for me.

No, the only thing that I’d really pick as a more troublesome point for me was actually a single, short chapter. Chapter thirteen to be precise. There was something about the conversation that takes place there that felt off. I don’t know whether it was the slight repetition throughout, or something else altogether, but it definitely felt stilted to me. While the odd earlier occurrence of this was something I put down to Connor adapting to the wolves’ world and way of speaking, this particular one, unfortunately, took me out of things a little. I should emphasise though that that comes down to personal opinion. Other readers may not be so bothered by it, which is absolutely fine. The fact is, once I made it through that one section, the book was back into being just plain enjoyable for me, so I’m happy to look at this as a temporary blip and nothing more.

In all though, I think that G.D. Sammon has created a very worthwhile book here. Wolf Boy is an easy read that provides plenty of entertainment, a creative fantasy world, and a small but decent main cast. It’ll keep its target audience’s attention and would also be enjoyable for adult fans of the genre. In that respect, it does exactly what it needs to.

Final Score: 4 / 5

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connor Meredith’s father dies suddenly and he loses his vision because of the loss. But he is not completely blind, he can still see things in his mind. He starts seeing creatures fighting under his bed and a wolf in his closed. Connor and his friends Evey and Billy go through the closet and learn of a world where wolves are fighting an evil human bend on their destruction. Ulf, the leader of the wolves needs Connor and his friends help to defeat the enemy.

Connor has gone blind from the loss of his father and his mother and doctor think that he is making things up because of that loss. But there is no much more happening. Connor is going to have to struggle through his own problems along with helping the wolves with theirs. He is a strong character and a great role model for kids to look up to. Even his friends are great characters with how they grown throughout the story.

This is a great fantasy story for any age. It is a shorter read but it is a great teaser. I do hope that GD Sammon will be writing other books about this world.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

This is a very easy book to read and I few through it in no time at all. It is short enough to keep you captivated and there is the perfect amount of content!

The story is easy to follow and I thoroughly enjoyed it - it may be aimed at those 10-14 years of age, but I fully enjoyed it as an adult! Connor is a great character and I loved how he developed and found strength as the book developed.

It is an action-packed story and I can see this being a firm favourite for middle grade and young adults - five stars from me - one I will be very highly recommending!!

[Paul Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

GD Sammon’s first YA novel is a worthy addition to the genre with this haunting tale that will have you captivated from page one.

Wolf Boy focuses on Connor Meredith, a young boy who is blind but blessed with the ability of foresight. Along with his friend Evey and the school bully, Billy, they are summoned to a mysterious other world inhabited (and run) by wolves.

It’s a world that’s under threat from a mysterious force. We learn that the intrepid visitors are not there by accident, but there as a result of an ancient prophecy.

The story contains elements that evoke thoughts of other books in this genre, but this is by no means a derivative tale. Wolf Boy can stand alone in the pack, given its impressive detail. If you liked Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, then there is a great deal for you to enjoy in this tale.

The characters are fully rounded and you are with them all the way as they put themselves in peril for a world that’s unfamiliar and fraught with danger

I would highly recommend this book. Here’s hoping that this is not a one off and that we can revisit this world again sometime soon.

[Lucy-May · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

I have very mixed opinions on this book; I found it impossible to put down because I was so intrigued by the plot & setting that I read it in one sitting, but it also ended with a lot of unanswered questions & didn’t make a lot of sense at first. I did like this book, I liked the idea of the setting & who doesn’t enjoy a “chosen one” plot? But it could have been written better than it was.

I received this book from a blog tour organiser in return for an honest review.

Extended Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-2zP