Into the wild by Anh Do

Wolf girl book 1. Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760525095
(Age: 8-13) Recommended. Themes: Adventure, Survival, Dogs, Drama. In a book (and series) that is very different to Anh Do's humorous stories, this is an adventure tale set in a dangerous situation that is both full of action and intensely serious. In the opening scenes the main character, Gwen, and her family attempt to escape from impending disaster. Gwen ends up isolated and alone in the wild and eventually is surrounded by a collection of animals - mostly canines of various varieties. The pack work together developing survival skills and exercising their own talents to enable them all to survive. What starts out as an impossible and motley combination proves to be a cohesive unit as they are forced to work together.
Set in an unspecified conflict or dystopian context, the requirement for personal survival skills is of paramount importance. The inclusion of a wolf into the troop suggests that this is not an Australian context. The book ends with a cliff-hanger . . . the need for Wolf girl book 2 to follow quickly will be important. Anh Do has created an exciting book with intrigue and drama that young readers will be happy to discover (once they have accepted that it is not laced with humour). There is a lightness to the story that still makes this very suitable for the young reader looking for an exciting story.
Carolyn Hull