What an utterly FANTASTIC MG debut.

With a tender exploration of grief through a folklore lens and a singularly unique POV, THE WOLF'S CURSE has cemented its place in my list of 2021 favorites. The setting, the characters, and the depth of the themes were memorable and meaningful. Simply wonderful.

A thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Greenwillow Books and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Wonderful middle grade title that captures their interests and helps them make sense of the world. This is the perfect book for helping young people learn about trusting people, news, and themselves. Helps teach them about their own feelings and the way the world works - can have a lot of ties with other content areas.

Excellent and unique world very beautifully created. A great one to add to any library looking for more fantasy on their shelves.

This book has such a timeless, classic feel, with a completely unforgettable narrative voice. I loved every page I read of this story and can't wait for the companion novel to be released next year!

Gauge our 12-year-old MC has been cursed with being able to see a wolf in a superstitious town where seeing a wolf means you are extremely bad luck and are ostracized from society. When Gauge's grandpa dies he is left all alone with no place and no one to turn to until he meets a new friend who is going through a similar experience. They will join forces to figure out why only Gauge can see the wolf and what seeing it really means?

One thing I really loved about this book is the accuracy of how it feels to be a young person in an adult's world. I instantly related to Roux and Gauge and their struggles to discover things adults left out in teaching them about the world. There are so many great moments throughout this book where both characters come into their own or stand up for each other, and I think those moments will be super powerful for young readers to read. I thought this book was a fun read full of adventure and thoughtful moments. I know people say this often, but I mean it when I say I did not want this book to end. It was hard to pull myself out of Roux and Gage's world, and I will most likely be rereading this book because there is just so much to think about and explore within its pages. Having been a children's bookseller previously, I have a strong feeling young readers are going to LOVE the sassiness of the Wolf's narration. While kids will find many moments to giggle at, they will also find many moments to grow in their thoughts and feelings. Books like The Wolf's Curse make me feel good knowing kids will have such important stories to grab off bookshelves.

Woah.. This book has a beautiful story and I can't believe I've read The Wolf’s Curse in one sitting. I really like Gauge's story. 😊
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For the characters, I love Roux. She's kind, smart and I want to be her friend. I also enjoy seeing how Gauge's character develop.
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First, I think this book only about a curse, but I was wrong. It's such a complicated story about grief and death, humanity, and acceptance in a middle grade book. Of course I love the perfect ending. 😉
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Overall, this book perfect for 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒐𝒏 fans. If you're looking forward for standalone, grief, and truth, you can try to read 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙡𝙛'𝙨 𝘾𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚.

I think Jessica Vitalis’s heart in this story was admirable and true. There are some beautiful, touching lines that capture the essence of grief quite well and I do believe using fantasy to help children (as well as adults!) process grief is a wonderful idea. However, I expected something significantly more adventurous. It did not feel as if much happened in this story. There was a great deal of focus on death and grief with very little action.

I also didn’t feel enough background information was given into the folklore embraced in the novel. While it added to the suspense of the Wolf’s true purpose, the obscurity made things confusing and I don’t feel there was enough resolution for all that was left unsaid throughout the story.

This book is about death, grief, and mourning. Three things most middle grade readers are NOT asking for when they come into the library. I heard great things about this book, but I didn't really like it, and I don't see middle grade readers liking it either.

I was expecting something closer to werewolves, rather than wolves that collect souls and carry them to the after life. A complex mythology here, the only facet of which we explore is the notion of what happens to us when we die. I fear it may be too subtle and contemplative for many young readers.

You all know I love a book with an intriguing or unique narrator and The Wolf’s Curse has that and more. Death is such a fascinating POV and hasn’t been don’t like this in MG. And then to have a main character like Gauge who is dealing with so much loss and so many huge personal decisions, my heart tugged along with every word and every turn of the page. But Vitalis handles all of this very well and the subject matter isn’t too heavy for a young reader. Her prose is gorgeous and quotable and this story is one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

This is a lyrical and heart-warming tale.

Gauge lives in a superstitious town by the sea. The people there believe that if you can see the wolf then you are cursed and must be "set out to sea".
Gauge has seen the wolf. Now, he must find a way to make the town understand that they are wrong about their superstitions before it's too late.

I actually couldn't get into this one. I made it about 30% through and ended up setting it down for now. I will still purchase a copy for my classroom and library. I think the the narration was different and unique and some people will really love this, but it didn't work for me at the moment. I probably didn't get far enough into the story to really love the characters and get pulled into the plot, but the chapters were way too long for me to want ever start another one late at night.

I didn't rate it on Goodreads because I give my DNF's 1-star ratings, and I don't feel like this book deserves that rating. It just wasn't working out for me at the moment, so instead, I deleted it from my want to read list for now.

*I'll come back to this one someday when my reading slump has passed because this book wasn't pulling me out of the slump.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I wish it would have worked out better for me.

Absolutely brilliant! 5 stars all the way. I loved the snarky commentary by the narrator, the determination in the children, the revelation about such a sore subject which was approached with just the right touch, and the final conclusion to the adventure. I would definitely recommend!

This was a beautiful written book that explored grief and how every person experiences it differently. Jessica has managed to show us a minimum of four grief stories with each one feeling impactful. At no point did one outshine another or lessen the value of another grief. Each one had importance, which was explore nicely from the narrator’s perspective.

The narrator was a great character on her own. Breaking the forth wall, we as a reader got to experience this as though being told by an elder. We felt included in the story. I think the narrator, our wolf, had the perfect amount of humour and snark that would allow the reader to breathe between heavy moments of grief without negating its importance.

Gauge was a strong character that was learning about the town he was isolated from while trying to deal with his grief. Although we don’t know much about Gauge, we do come to understand his grief and experience his memories of his family. We also get to see just how caring of a person he is during his journey for truth. The friendship he builds with Roux in such a short period was beautiful and you root for them throughout the book. Roux, herself, is experiencing grief, but you also see her loyalty and bravery the moment she steps onto the page.

Jessica has a great writing style that I believe makes grief more approachable for the middle grade age group – although excellent for older audiences as well. With the great exploration of grief and how every one experiences it differently, I feel everyone will feel some connection to the story. How death is handled in the book was great, and I loved the belief system that was created in this world.

I think this is a great, impactful book that handles its theme well. It was an emotional read that I’m glad I was able to get to this month. I highly recommend it.

This wonderful tale follows a 12 year old named Gauge who has been cursed with the sight for spotting wolves. In this universe, a wolf sighting is said to be bad luck.

If you loved the Boy Who Cried Wolf story growing up, you’ll enjoy this because it’s a delightful twist on that tale where when the towns folk stop believing his cries, his friends join forces to clear his name.

This is a fun story as much as it is a sad one. I think this would be a really powerful book to read to kids to teach them about grief and loss.

A Wolf’s Curse is a unique, expertly written story that so many readers can take something from. I definitely recommend to any and all readers.

I feel this book is a wonderful autumn read, just perfect to read in bed or curled up on the couch with a steaming mug of tea and a cosy blanket. The book feels like foggy autumn mornings, when dew and frost covers the fields and you can smell the cold and the moisture in the air. It's perfect for the season.

The tone of the book is somber with a whiff of thrill and urgency. I liked how the author created a believe system revolving about dying and the afterlife. It was interesting to learn about these believes and the traditions that came with them. Since Gauge was hidden away for many years he did not have many experiences with it and we can learn about them alongside him.
The themes of death and grief were handled very respectfully which I liked a lot. You can feel the love Gauge had for his grandfather and his despair over losing him. It never felt too heavy or depressing though.

There still was a mystery to solve and it was woven neatly into these themes of death and grief. And while these themes are very prominent in the book it didn't feel off-putting. There was not that much real magic going on, it's more of a mystery than an adventure story but that didn't trouble me in the slightest.

In conclusion, I really, really enjoyed the book and it's somber tones. It was perfect for the season and I liked the world the author created. There was a good ending to the story and the way to get there was full of secrets and lies and grief and curiosity. I liked the book a lot and will be on the lookout for more books by Jessica Vitalis.

First off I want to say a big thank you to TBR Tours & Beyond for giving me a spot on the tour and to the Publishers and Jessica Vitalis for sending me an arc via Netgalley.

This review will always be spoiler free so I need to be careful on how I review this book as not to give anything away. What I can tell you that this book is a genius retelling of the boy who cried wolf and this is the reason that made me sign up. From the very start I loved that the narrator was someone you would least expect. I did like Gauge and Roux and thought them very strong as characters but found the Lord Mayor Vulpine very very annoying I actually wish that they were not featured at all. Apart from that I found the world building and the plot engaging as it discussed the topic of grief and how each individual copes with their loss. It shows the importance of having people who you love around you so that you can heal and be stronger. One question I am left with is who was the wolf before. We do see a little of the past but I would like to know more of their backstory and also what the mother wolf is like and what the forever woods entailed as they sound so mystical. I'm hoping that one day my questions will be answered. For all these reasons I am giving The Wolf's Curse 4 stars and can't wait to see what Jessica will write about next.

Stewards, Blacksmiths, and Healers, oh my. Reading “The Wolf’s Curse” was a delight!

Firstly, I commend the author for the beautiful world-building. When you read this story, you feel the backdrop comprises hard-working people who make a living with a designated job. But the author fills the world with magic and wonder as our protagonist Gauge has to go on a journey. The author adds concepts like the Sea in the Sky and the shells as currency beautifully and gives the tale a unique touch.

Moreover, the author paces the story wonderfully, focusing equally on the plot and the character’s emotions. I liked Gauge from the get-go. He shares a beautiful relationship with his Grandpapa, and I was keen to read about his journey in the tale. He goes through many emotions from grief, loss, fear to hope, and I thought the author progressed Gauge beautifully. I also adored Roux and her friendship with Gauge. Right from the time they meet, Roux stands by his side. Some exciting moments between them were when they met the guards or tried to figure out the Voyant.

I also loved how the author voiced the Wolf. The Wolf tells most of the story from his perspective, and I loved how personal he got with the narration, including his own opinions. There are so many moments that stood out for me, like when Gauge needs to find the feathers of his grandpa’s release and overhears Mayor Voyant announce the arrest. I also liked Mistress Charbonneaux, the Steward, Ruben the vessel maker, and Nicoline the Healer. This book was impressive for a debut novel.

Overall, I enjoyed “The Wolf’s Curse” and thought it was an enchanting middle-grade fantasy novel.

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Greenwillow Books for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars rounded up!

TL;DR: The Wolf's Curse is a fantastic debut! This story was not at all what I expected and I mean that in the best way because it exceeded my expectations! This was an emotionally wrought and beautifully written debut with a unique narrator's perspective, an engaging plot, and endearing main characters that you will wholeheartedly root for! Though the story deals with heavy themes, there is light after the dark in this story and it ends on a very hopeful and satisfying note. I'm so excited to see what else Jessica Vitalis writes in the future because I will definitely be happy to read it!

I can't believe this was Jessica Vitalis' debut because wow, what a fantastic debut! The story is so well written and immersive and it’s the perfect escapist read, albeit a slightly darker one. Vitalis creates a somewhat charming and simple fantasy world in this bustling seaside village. While the villagers weren't my favourite as they were rather cruel, it wasn't difficult to see how their superstitious belief in the well-developed local folklore about sorcery and magic caused them to live in perpetual fear. It was also easy to picture the mythical Sea-in-the-Sky where departed souls would sail to once they've passed and from where they’d light their lantern at night to watch over those they've left behind. It’s such a beautiful and magic-filled image! I also have to mention my appreciation for the few footnotes on pronunciation—I'm so glad they were included because I would've definitely butchered those words had the guides not existed 😂

The story does get heavier than anticipated even knowing it deals with topics such as death and grief. This is a deeply emotional story and the grief is so big and deep that it feels like not only are the characters drowning in it but you as the reader are swept up in those emotions too. However, just as one of our main characters discovers how there is always light that follows the dark, there is also an uplifting beauty to the darkness of this story. It might be about people so overcome with grief and feelings of anger and guilt, but at the same time, it's about finding ways to deal with loss and learning to find joy in living while still being able to find comfort in the memories of those who are no longer here.

I haven’t read The Book Thief or any other book that’s narrated by death, so I found it refreshing that in this story death is a wolf and that wolf is a she. I really enjoyed the wolf’s narration and found her voice to be an entertaining mix of dry wisdom and humorous exasperation, especially at the silliness of humans! I wouldn’t consider her villainous despite what the villagers all think and I actually found it quite easy to sympathise with her once we know about her past and how she came to be the wolf. I really loved the complexity of thoughts and feelings that Vitalis developed in the wolf's character and I also loved how her story intertwines with Gauge's and Roux's story, and how it all came full circle very nicely in the end!

Aside from the Wolf, most of the story focuses on Gauge and Roux. Gauge is such a brave young boy and he’s impossible to not root for! My heart ached so much for the sheltered and invisible life he has led and how the villagers treated him because he's a Voyant. The pain he felt at the loss of his grandpapá was so visceral and Vitalis shares some honest and relatable truths about coping with loss and dealing with grief. His emotions cut me as deeply as it did him and I’m not at all ashamed to say this story made me shed a tear or a dozen! 🤷🏻‍♀️ Gauge was simply doing his best to get through each day in a place where he has been shunned for almost his whole life and has been made to feel like he doesn’t belong. But I’m so glad that he found a comforting and understanding friend in Roux, who was also a precious character who suffered a loss in this story. Together they made for a great team who were ready to do whatever it took to reveal the truth.

Overall, this was such a refreshing and entertaining read despite the heavy tones of the story. It's a story that will worm its way into your heart while you're reading and it will stay with you long after you're done. I'm so glad that it was put on my radar!

Wolf’s Curse was beautifully written middle grade fantasy that revolved around Twelve-year-old boy who could see the Death and how that changed his life. The story was about death, grief, superstitions, family, friendship, loneliness, and kindness.

Writing was mesmerising, spell-binding, vivid, and heartfelt with fast pace. Wolf’s Curse was written in distant third person narration from Wolf’s (death/reaper) perspective which was best part of the book. The narration was inspired from The Book Thief and it sure brought back the feel of death’s narration that I haven’t read in any other book until this one. And I tell you it was really well done. I loved Wolf’s sarcastic voice written in round brackets providing her own thoughts to the events happening, main character’s thoughts, and also introducing world. It was genius and it made the style and narration both more original and refreshing. Oh and there were footnotes for pronunciations of words of this world.

Plot was interesting and so unique. That synopsis is perfect. It didn’t give away much detail and it honestly worked best for this. This was kind of book that one can enjoy most going in blind and I’m going to keep it that way. I loved initial chapters introducing the Wolf, the world, superstitions and Gauge whose life changed twice, one when people got to know about his curse of seeing the Wolf and when his grandpa dies. It was interesting to read how Gauge would survive alone in the world of superstitions and people who wanted him dead right after his grandpa’s death, how would he navigate his grief and anger towards Wolf, how would he prove himself innocent, why Wolf wanted to offer him a job, would Gauge take the offer or would die trying to prove himself.

Characters were amazing. Many characters were introduced as the story progressed and and they all were interesting but Gauge, Roux and the Wolf were the best of all. Kids were most relatable and author perfectly showed what it’s like for kids to be in adults’ world. There wasn’t exactly a character development but development in their grief, the way they learn to accept death, share grief, and get over the pain of losing loved ones.

Gauge was great throughout the book. He was nice kid. It was easy to empathise with him. I could see how terrible it must be to be stuck at home all the time like prisoner in his own home for five years with only company of his grandpa- no friends, no playing outside or going out, not being seen by anyone, hiding whenever customer comes to shop… No kid can live like that, hell even adult can’t live like that. It was no surprise he was miserable, terribly lonely and very much angry at Wolf who caused this. It was genuine he felt lost and even more angry when he saw the Wolf steal his grandpa and the blacksmith’s soul. He wasn’t smartest but he was determined and brave kid who would do anything to make things right. I liked him the way he risked life for his grandpa’s release ceremony, helped Roux and supported her with their shared grief of loss, and opened his mind to things going around related to death, ceremony and Wolf and tried to get at the bottom of it all. I loved him even more for what he did at the end.

Roux was smart, logical, practical, brave and strong girl. I loved her for not believing in rumours and helping Gauge without thinking about consequences. I liked how she handled loss of her father and helped Gauge in finding the truth about things to prove his innocence than dwelling on grief.

The Wolf was 700 years old woman who was deceived into being wolf, tasked with fetching souls but now she was getting tired and old and she was desperate to find replacement that could only be a person who could see her and that was Gauge here. She had the mysterious air. As story progressed we see why she was desperate to hand over her job to Gauge and that was really touching. As mother I could feel her pain and could understand her action. What I liked most was, even after centuries handling death and souls, she was still human, a mother suffering from grief and I liked the way she confessed and what she decided to do at the end.

The world was another best part. It made the story atmospheric. I enjoyed reading about Gatineau, superstitious community of Bouge-by-the-Sea, all the superstitions related to death and funeral ceremony, power hungry mayor and his schemes, and vocabulary of this world- ‘Voyants’ (person who could see the Wolf, like Gauge) and how they become the Wolf (yes, you get it the Wolf was once a voyant), ‘setting sail’ is death. ‘set out to sea’ means sentenced to death by setting preparator on boat without oars and letting it drift (they might die hungry or eaten by shark in trying to swim to shore) – it was all interesting.

I loved the way author handled the topic of death and grief and depicted how death is inevitable and yet everyone fears it, how everyone deals with their grief and how it can feel intense, overwhelming and cloud judgement. I liked the layer of poverty, oppressive ruler, superstitions, importance of memories, time we spend with loved ones, and how eternity isn’t bliss when one can’t spend it with loved ones.

Twist and turns were good. They weren’t big surprise, I could see them coming and yet I enjoyed reading them. Climax was interesting. I couldn’t guess what kids would do about what they discovered. I expected the capture but I couldn’t guess what would happen next and how they will get out of their situation. I enjoyed this part most. I loved how they all learned to accept death and got over their pain and grief. End was perfect.

Overall, The Wolf’s Curse was beautiful, atmospheric, touching and well written middle grade fantasy that dealt with heavy topic and complex emotions and yet felt feel good at the end.

I highly recommend this if you love,
Narration reminiscent of The Book Thief
Topic of death and grief
unique plot and world
layer of superstitions
relatable characters
kids in the world of adult

The Wolf's Curse is a middle grade like none I've ever read. Twelve year old Gauge struggles with a curse that allows only him to see the wolf, a spectral creature that brings fear to the residents of Bouge as they believe it is the wolf behind untimely deaths and therefore fearing Gauge himself. With the help of an unlikely new friend he attempts to prove his innocence and discovers the real reason behind the curse along the way.

Fantasy in the YA and adult demographics tend not to be what I usually reach for but middle grade fantasy is quickly becoming one of my favourite sub-genres of a sort. I love the imagery the author conjures up and the magical feelings it evokes. I've just finished this book and the way the author built this story around grief and losing a loved one mixed with the light fantasy of the wolf and the curse is nothing short of brilliant.

It took me maybe about 30% of the way in to get used to the narration and who was narrating as at the beginning it felt slightly odd and exaggerated. Trying not to spoil here but it's difficult! I'll just say that it's an interesting way of telling the story and the more I read the more I was convinced it worked perfectly in order to fully grasp how the characters are feeling and their thought processes. The synopsis mentions how it's similar to the narrators in The Book Thief and the Series of Unfortunate Events books so if you enjoyed how those stories were told then you'll probably enjoy it here too.

Gauge, I just wanted to wrap up him up and give him a massive hug. He is burdened with so much throughout this book for someone so young and it's difficult at times to see him struggling with his grief after the loss of his grandfather and how much he blames himself. He's such a brave kid and fiercely loyal to his family and friends, he goes on a journey here not only to prove his innocence but to set right what he feels he has done wrong. I adored Roux as well, she's so kind and generous even when she has so little. The way she befriends Gauge and gives him safety purely because she knows it's the right thing to do was so heartening.

This book tackles themes of death and grief so incredibly well. It managed to depict how we deal with losing a loved one and the traditions and practices we have that help us to move forward in a way that was realistic but at the same time exceptionally comforting. I'm not personally religious but the story relates well to how many view what the afterlife is and what it means, how believing that a soul has passed on can give solace to those grieving. It completely warmed my heart and will mean a lot to those who have gone through grief before.

It's such a well executed fantasy adventure that has so much heart and rich world-building. The setting has a classic fantasy/historical feel to it, we're introduced to the town of Bouge and the different residents and their occupations such as the carpenter, healer, the blacksmith, rope-maker and mayor. It's reminiscent of a traditional village but is still rooted in a way that's true to life when it comes to the villager's superstitions and the customs that they believe in. Contemporary culture still has many beliefs and fears surrounding death that it's easy to feel connected to these characters and the plot itself.

Whilst it was the cover that initially drew me in, this was ultimately a beautifully written, original story that will stay with me for a long time. Emotional but uplifting at the same time, it's reflection on death and how we process grief as well as it's strong themes of friendship and finding yourself were just superb. This is one of those middle grade books that should be read by audiences of all ages and I completely urge you to pick this one up!