Wolf

by Rachael Ball

It is the long, hot summer of 1976. Hugo, the youngest child of three, is walking with his father in the woods. There, he comes face-to-face with a wolf—and from that moment on, his life will never be the same again. Soon after, a tragic accident leaves Hugo desolate and disoriented. The family, now grieving and incomplete, moves to a new home. Among Hugo’s new neighbors is the Wolf Man—a dangerous recluse, according to the boy next door. Spellbound by the movie The Time Machine and desperate to return to the days before the accident, Hugo draws up plans to build a contraption that will turn back time. But only the Wolf Man has the parts Hugo needs to complete his machine, and that will mean entering his sinister neighbor’s house. Beautifully illustrated in pencil, Wolf is a captivating and poignant graphic novel about confronting childhood grief and overcoming the loss of a loved one.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Grief, Family

296 pages, Hardcover

Published October 30, 2018

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 1970s England, Hugo’s dad dies in an accident and the family moves into a new, smaller house and deal with grief in their own way. Except Hugo has a plan: to build a time machine and bring his dad back. And he’s going to need the help of the Wolfman next door…!

Rachael Ball’s Wolf is ok. It’s not the most compelling coming-of-age story and nothing that spectacular happens. The “time machine” and the book’s ending played out predictably and none of the characters were especially interesting or memorable. I didn’t love the sketchy pencils-only visuals though the exaggerated character designs were very expressive.

But there was enough to the narrative to keep me going. Ball bait and switches the reader with magical realist (the little tree person, the spirit wolf and Hugo’s imagined - or was it? - trip at the end) and realist elements (the “wolfman”, really just a lonely old man in the final stages of cancer) which were intriguing. And there was a definite lump in my throat when Hugo “time travels” and who he meets there - but then I’m a sucker for sentimentality!

It’s not the most gripping read but Wolf is still a well-made and quietly moving story of families and growing up.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long and subtle and simple graphic novel about grief. The opening scenes, set in the seventies, depict Hugo and and his Dad together. At one point young Hugo thinks he sees a wolf. Later, he meets and befriends an old man dying of cancer that everyone in the neighborhood calls Wolfman who makes and hangs model airplanes in his apartment. I like Hugo's siblings and mom and their interactions.

What Hugo wants is to go back in time. He and his brother and sisters make a time machine out of scraps. Of course, Wolfman also is sympathetic about wanting to go back in time, so talks him through this process. How did it make you feel, going fast in that time machine? It made me feel like a wolf, powerful.

That it is drawn in pencil contributes to the muted, intimate quality of the story. That sadness. And the spare wolf motif I like for getting at the hopes for power, and facing one's fears. It's not terribly surprising but it has a quiet grace about it.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

A poignant graphic novel that navigates grief and loss. The start was strong and overall it was enjoyable, but it didn't leave a huge impact. I liked the simple artwork and style, which made this a quick and easy read while still being sufficiently engaging.

👩🏻 cherreading mood: Quickie at the library.

[Denika Mead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated!

[Carrie-Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the art in here, it's all done in pencil and during the reading experience you feel like you could smudge the pages if you're not too careful.

This was a quick and subtle story about a young boy coming to terms with his fathers death. The story has a whimsical, magical air whilst also being very simple with not much actually happening.

Kids building a time machine and a mysterious neighbour are the main plot points. It was an enjoyable reading experience, and just for the art I feel it's rereadable.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolf by Rachael Ball is a great example of how simple pencil drawing can be beautiful, profound, and atmospheric. The story is classic coming-of-age for the main character, Hugo, who suffers an older brother and sister, a pretty awesome mom, and the recent and sudden loss of his father. Hugo's still thinking and talking of his father in the present tense, when he decides to build a time machine (I mean, THE time machine from the film [based on the book]) to, well, find his dad. There's one tiny problem: the child-eating monster of a man (wolfman!) living next door to their new house has a past Hugo needs.

Ball's lettering threw me off a bit; somehow felt like everyone was yelling all the time (though nothing was capitalized).

Recommended for those who like bicycles, windy storms, and spiders.

[Jj Burch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated British tale about grief and childhood and wonder.

[Int'l librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The strangest book I’ve read in a long time. I don’t like any of the characters except maybe Sonia a bit. The graphic theme is misshapen British council house grot. I can’t figure out the symbolism of the wolf, the fish, the wood.

But there’s a powerful sense of wonder. I love that the walking, talking fish thing with a suitcase feels compelled to hide beneath a hood. Old Man Death Angel takes a neat ballet turn when he gets thwacked by one of his own model airplanes. You can also see human shapes hanging from his ceiling. And then just like that the plot stumbles on.

Icky may be the best merge of wonder and working class - he’s the perfect neighbor who wants to be liked, and loves to be dramatic. “Oof! Me Goolies!” Sure it’s slapstick, but it’s one of the better lines. There’s lots more Briticisms here. “Morlock or Eloi” took a Google search to decipher. I could guess what “You’ll ming” meant, but looked it up anyway to be certain.

Hugo loves his Mom and Dad, and that’s only right. He deserves to seek the most from them, even if that might not be all that much. And the way Dad dies in Chapter 2, well, like I said, I just don’t understand everything that’s going on here.

[Morgan Golias · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of a boy (Hugo) who loses his father. It shows the ways he and his family deal with their grief, with moving to a new home, and all the changes that happen after that. Hugo becomes obsessed with the idea of a time machine. If only he could go back in time, he could save their dad and everything would go back to normal. It takes a helping hand from an unlikely source to teach him how to deal with a life that doesn't turn out the way you might've liked, and how to make the most out of it.

The illustrations in this graphic novel are done in pencil, the graphite giving the images an interesting texture. The artist could've done a bit better of a job getting a wider range in values, as that would give the images a bit more depth. The symbolism behind the lack of color would be more meaningful if the beginning of the story, before the father dies, was in color. A book completely without color feels a bit flat.

The story itself is well told, Hugo is easy to connect with and have empathy for. His struggles to overcome the loss of his father tug at the reader's heartstrings. It has a great story arc, and great character development, watching the family go from fractured, to mending.

All in all a good book.

[Beatrice Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's very original and stylistic in art design. An entire pencil Graphic Novel and takes place in lower class Britain modern day. Quite an extraordinary little lifestyle here. The title is offputting and misleading...those wanting high fantasy or anthropmorphic fairy tale are out of luck. Has nothing to do with wolves. I will note, when did it become a trend for the father of a family to die in an accident in the opening scene? (Just read Amulet). I just like this family tho and the scenes of arguing siblings are really strong and relatable as is having creepy neighbors. One maybe wants for more things more fantasy....but what we get is dealing with the grief of a missing loved one and what we can do to honor their memories.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll admit, I was drawn to this book for how beautiful the cover was. Despite how detailed the cover looks though, the contents are actually fairly simple - Ball uses a simple pencil drawing style, hand-written text bubbles and a freeform style of panelling (i.e. open drawings on the page rather than boxed in), which suited the style of the story fairly well. Her character designs were also quite exaggerated which personally isn’t my preferred style in art, but certainly made the characters very expressive. As for the story, I appreciated what it was trying to convey in terms of themes of death, grief and acceptance, but was just hoping for something just a bit more. Otherwise, I did enjoy this graphic novel and am glad I went with my gut in picking it off the library shelf.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story about how a little boy copes with the grief of losing his father. You really see the pain the family experiences and the shift in emotions and family dynamics that come with loss. The connection to the Wolf Man is beautiful and the way that grief follows the boy around throughout the story is thoughtful and pulls on the heart strings. It was hard for me to put this one down. Finished it in a few sittings. Love the art style and would love to see more from this author

[Erin]

A quick read, that could be made longer by poring over the details in the illustrations. Hugo's story addresses the pull of grief, and the need sometimes to do something about it. Hugo's grief draws him closer, briefly, to his siblings, then brings him within the sphere of his mysterious neighbor. His engineering feats allow him one last glimpse of his father.

A story about life and love, and how it ends. And how we move through that.

[Tatiana Valada · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Wolf' is a tale though simple in narative, its black and white ilustrations made only with graphite transmite a lot more than words. Hugo is a young boy going through a rough time in his life and must find a way to handle his lost. A new friend appears and helps Hugo create what he thinks can bring his dad back.
A good book for kids (and english starters) to learn more about death and grief.

[Xavier University Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wolf begins as a story of loss and ends in an unlikely friendship, with brief visits along the way for some horror and time travel fun. The pencil drawings help blend reality with imagination and explore the grey area between reality and memory. Some recurring elements are left unanswered however, and I am left wondering who the little shadow person with the suitcase was.

[lucy black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wolf is a short graphic novel set in the 70s in England. Hugo is struggling to cope with grief and moving house. He spends the summer building a time machine with his siblings and neighbours. This graphic novel is dark and odd, scuttling creatures and whirlpools of feelings. The story could have done with more to it, the art is very original and accomplished.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm surprised by the relatively low rating of this book, although it is definitely the adorable character designs and sensitive art that makes what could have been a pedestrian story more of a stand out for me.

Recommended.

[Jamie Sands · Rating 3 out of 5]

Struggled with the rating. Nice handling of a father's death, the impact on the youngest in the family. Sudden flashes of cruelty took my rating down, but it's a fair representation I think. I won't read it again I think but glad I did

[Jesse Baggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this around the same time as another graphic novel, Romain Renard’s “Melvile,” and while “Wolf” deals with similar themes and was better done, I actually can’t remember what it was about, while the emotions provoked by “Melvile” stuck with me.

[Edward Sanchez · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't see why this book is called Wolf as the wolf isn't a vehicle in the story.

[Sean M Puckett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick-reading GN about a young boy who's coping with some hard changes in the half-real way that kids sometimes do.

[P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poignant, slightly creepy, imaginative and a little magical.

[Jacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artwork is divine, story is sweet.

[Hank Anthem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't super impressed by the actual plot but the art was beautiful so it kept me reading.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The sandlot meets huck finn.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

:'(

[Nicha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Nomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the pencil work. Moving

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Laura B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

subtle, sad. love the smudgy, dark drawing style.