I Am Wolf

Mad Max for kids. This story is incredibly creative and imaginative. I love dystopian novels and this doesn’t disappoint. Something has happened long ago, some kind of apocalypse and all that’s left is a little technology that people will kill for - nanobytes that allow humans to create and move around gigantic robotic animals.

There are themes of found family, unlikely friendships and questioning of core beliefs.

This is the first in an exciting trilogy and I can’t wait to find out about how the lands came to be wasted, who first invented the constructs, and what is in ‘The North’?!

Publication date is May 9th.

I am a huge fan of Alastair’s books and love that he is bringing more new sci-fi to children’s books.
I am Wolf is a storming first instalment of a new trilogy. Having a main character who has limb difference is refreshing, especially as it does not define who he is.
The Constructs are superb and Alastair’s description of the fighting between them makes them feel real. I was sure the ground shuddered under me when two of them collided mid battle.
I look forward to the rest of the trilogy.

A thrilling SF adventure, a land where people live in tandem with massive animalistic constructs, scavanging for material, survival and territroy. Coll is part of Wolf, until an accident casts him adrift to find his way back, or possibly a new path with a band of outcast allies.

This is an excellent adventure story where you want to know what's next, how things turn out. And a story of disparate characters thrown together in unlikely circumstances, to find their way with each other and their situation. First of a planned trilogy, highly recommended.

I am Wolf.
Alastair Chisholm
Nosy Crow
Publishes 9th May 2024

Coll’s whole life is Wolf; it always has been. Operating Wolf with his crew all focused on the same movements, the collective will to drive Wolf on and protect Wolf territory is all he knows. When Wolf is attacked and Coll falls from her, he is thrown into a state of panic and normlessness. He will have to adapt in order to survive.

This is a story about identity: Coll wears prosthetic limbs and has always felt the need to prove himself, even on Wolf, amongst his own. Being separated from his clan, where survival is the reward, and where he must rely on others too, Coll is pushed to examine his identity and challenge his mindset, learning what can be achieved with a shift in thinking.

A lot is achieved in only 240 pages. Alastair Chisholm has created a world we can believe in. I was gripped from start to finish and found Coll a compelling lead. He has also shown where sources of conflict and intrigue lie in the subsequent books.

As I approached the end, I was watching the page count dwindle and it became very clear this this is to be considered part of a wider work. However, the ending was still well managed and I didn’t feel short-changed.
I love the premise- the Constructs remind me of the Jaegers in Pacific Rim, albeit with more of a raw connection with the natural world around them.

I will definitely recommend this book to my pupils- they will love it and I can’t wait to pick up the story again in ‘I am Raven’ - Caw! Caw!

Thanks to @alastairchisholm @netgalley and @nosycrow for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I really enjoy Chisholm's middle grade fiction titles, Orion Lost, Adam-B and The Consequence Girl have been popular books in my school library and there's a real demand for science fiction of this kind I think. I Am Wolf is fast-paced, action-centred yet not short of interesting characters. In the world that he has imagined there are large animal 'constructs' made from a metal that is controlled by the consciousness of the humans that work and live on each one. It's a dazzling concept and I can't wait to see where the series is going.