Publisher’s Description of The Wolf’s Curse

Shunned by his fearful village, a twelve-year-old apprentice embarks on a surprising quest to clear his name, with a mythic—and dangerous—wolf following closely at his heels.

Gauge’s life has been cursed since the day he cried Wolf and was accused of witchcraft. The Great White Wolf brings only death, Gauge’s superstitious village believes. If Gauge can see the Wolf, then he must be in league with it.

So instead of playing with friends in the streets or becoming his grandpapa’s partner in the carpentry shop, Gauge must hide and pretend he doesn’t exist. But then the Wolf comes for his grandpapa. And for the first time, Gauge is left all alone, with a bounty on his head and the Wolf at his heels.

A young feather collector named Roux offers Gauge assistance, and he is eager for the help. But soon the two—both recently orphaned—are questioning everything they have ever believed about their village, about the Wolf, and about death itself. 

Rebecca’s Thoughts on The Wolf’s Curse

The publisher’s description references the familiar story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, but this story is so much more. It pulls you into an intriguing world and its beliefs about the preternatural wolf associated with death—and the problems those beliefs cause for Gauge, the boy who can see it.

Gauge is an underdog, so I naturally wanted to root for him. But what really pulled me into the story was the depth of his character and Roux, the girl who helps him, as well as the mystery they need to solve to clear his name. The mystery leads the kids into several precarious encounters!

Like The Giver, the story is set in a small town with strongly held beliefs and an overbearing Mayor that we want Gauge and Roux to defeat. Like The Book Thief, death is personified in the narrator (the wolf). And like The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Gauge’s tale of seeing the creature leads him into trouble. Yet this story is all its own.

The Wolf’s Curse is perfect for readers who love middle grade fantasy.

Highly Recommended.

I received a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Wolf’s Curse will launch on September 21, 2021. You can add it to your “want to read” list on Goodreads, or order on Indiebound, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

If The Wolf’s Curse sounds good, you might like these other middle grade books we’ve recently reviewed:

The Nightmare Thief by Nicole Lesperance
Friend Me by Shiela Averbuch
Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca
Rebel in the Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander