I AM Wolf

Coll lives on Wolf, a creature (Construct) created and driven by the crew's willpower.  However, when another Construct attacks, Coll finds his life changed forever.  Thrown clear of Wolf along with Rieka (a Tock who makes Constructs), they must fend for themselves.  Whilst Coll's primary aim is to track Wolf and return to his crew, Rieka is searching for something different.  Will their journey allow either of them to find what they want?

I Am Wolf is set in a dystopian world where creatures are created and humans live within them, using their combined willpower to power these creations.  Whilst crews must work together, it is evident that each creature is out for themselves and nobody trusts any other Construct.  Life seems hard with crews forever alert to the possible dangers of other creatures; however, the need to use willpower to power Wolf certainly creates a loyalty and that is evident throughout the book, one I saw in Coll in particular. 

When Coll (along with Fillan) and Rieka find themselves thrown out of Wolf and alone, they need to work together. Rieka is determined to find something better whilst Coll is simply determined to get back to Wolf: it's his home, his life and 'I am wolf' is his core belief. 

Before long, the trio meet Brann who was Raven before it was destroyed.  Together, they  create their own creature in order to get to where they need to be but this band of misfits, in their own Construct (Cub), may just discover that working together is so much better than working against each other.

Four very different characters, Coll had spent his life feeling different. Born with limb difference, he feels like he constantly has to prove himself and hates that he isn't trusted to do the things he wants to do on board Wolf. He feels judged for the way he is and not what he can do. His loyalty to Wolf is strong but is it reciprocated?  Rieka is simply searching for a better life.  Fillan is desperately seeking a new family after his died (the pouch he carries holds great significance and symbolism) and Brann is lost after the destruction of Raven.  The battles between the four as they learn to get along together are interesting and can reflect many other walks of life.  This may be a dystopian world, but the messages are relevant for us in our world: fighting isn't the answer; working together always produces better results. 

Alastair is a master of sci-fi and I Am Wolf shows that he has not lost this crown. The world-building is captivating and the concepts thought-provoking. The book will most definitely spark discussion in school and I can't wait to share it with my class after half-term.  Publishing on the 9th May, I Am Wolf is guaranteed to be another hit for Alastair.