Wolf Light
by Yaba Badoe
Interest age: 12 to 18
Reading age: 11+
Published by Head of Zeus, 2019
About this book
Born in three very different places in the world (Ghana, Cornwall and Mongolia), Zula, Adoma and Linet are nevertheless sisters. Tied together by a magical bond and with the loving support of their elders, they must defeat the skinwalkers who threaten the world. But as well as having supernatural powers, the three girls are also ordinary teenagers, and love, anger and their histories will challenge them along the way.
Throughout, this book is written in a magical realist style. The narrative flows across three places, stories and voices. At the same time, the main characters are able to be present in each other’s worlds using a kind of magical telepathy, with the rules for this never precisely defined. This does mean that Wolf Light is at times likely to be a struggle for younger readers to follow, especially in the early chapters.
For older teenage – and indeed adult – readers, Wolf Light is a challenging and unconventional work of literary fantasy that disrupts expectations. At its best, it sketches out potential pathways for a new children’s literature that truly reflects our international and interconnected world.
About the author
More books like this
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Man Man and the Tree of Memories
by Yaba Badoe, illustrated by Joelle Avelino
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Lionheart Girl
by Yaba Badoe
11 to 14 years
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The Secret of the Purple Lake
by Yaba Badoe, illustrated by Gbolahan Adams
5 to 14 years
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A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars
by Yaba Badoe
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