I loved The Wolves Are Waiting and plan to seek out more books by Natasha Friend.
AUTHOR: Natasha Friend
SERIES: no
PUBLISHER: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
PUBLICATION DATE: Mar 22, 2022
PAGES: 384
GENRE: realistic fiction
SETTING: small college town called Faber (like in Animal House!)
GIVE IT TO: HS
AWARDS AND KUDOS
- Booklist starred
SUMMARY OF THE WOLVES ARE WAITING
Fifteen-year Nora Melchionda wakes up semi-undressed on a golf course in the middle of the night. She remembers nothing about what happened, but she knows she had only drunk a rootbeer. She and her friends spark an investigation of institutional sexism among the fraternities in their college town.
THE SHORT VERSION
Loved it! Read most of this book in one sitting.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE WOLVES ARE WAITING
A quick read! The Wolves Are Waiting is 384 pages long, but it certainly didn’t feel like it! I was hooked into the dialogue and action right from the first chapter.
Interesting characters. I especially liked Nora, Adam Xu, and Asher. Nora’s father is an interesting study in human behavior – it was interesting how he is constantly described as “charismatic” and having a magnetic personality. I think if I met him in real life, I would find him a cheap fake. He sounds like a total narcissist.
The rape storyline. Okay, Nora wasn’t actually raped since Adam Xu interrupted it before the rape happened. But I loved the constant message that it doesn’t matter what the woman did or wore or drank…sexually assaulting an unconscious teenager on a golf course is 100% on the assailants. Even Nora questions her miniskirt in the days afterward. Women hear these false messages all the time, and I’m glad The Wolves Are Waiting addresses it repeatedly.
A twist! I often see twists coming, but I did not see this one!
One romance did not go as I expected, and I also liked that. It’s realistic that romances don’t always work out as you might expect.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THE WOLVES ARE WAITING
I really liked just about everything about this book. Cam and Maeve (Nora’s 11-year old sister) are a little annoying.
DIVERSITY
Nora’s best friend Cam is biracial (Haitian and white). Adam Xu, a classmate who interrupted Nora’s assault, is Asian American. Nora and her family cue white.
LIBRARIANS WILL WANT TO KNOW
- Themes: rape, sexual assault, consent, toxic masculinity, college fraternities, fathers and daughters, siblings, justice, misogyny
- Would adults like this book? YES
- Would I buy this for my high school library? YES
- Would I buy this for my middle school library? NO
MATURE CONTENT
- Language: includes lots of sh**, 4 fu**, slutshaming, tits
- Sexuality: kissing, semi-naked photos of unsuspecting teen females circulated online
- Violence: sexual assault (no penetration), accusations of previous sexual assaults
- Drugs/Alcohol: Nora was drugged just prior to the assault
- Other: “boys will be boys” mentality, systemic misogyny
MORE BOOKS LIKE THE WOLVES ARE WAITING
