Wolf by Wolf Ryan Graudin

Wolf by Wolf duology, bk 1. Hachette, 2015. ISBN 9781780622026
Recommended for 14 years olds and above. It's 1956 and has been 10 years since the Third Reich and Imperial Japan won the war, seventeen year old Yael who escaped the Nazi death camp, is about to undertake her first mission, the one she has been trained the last 3 years for, to kill Hitler. Yael, a survivor of painful human experimentation who has the power to change her appearance into anyone she chooses, must complete her mission by entering the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across the world from Berlin to Tokyo impersonating last year's only female victor, Adele Wolfe. With her mind totally focused on the race she doesn't need the distraction of Adele's twin brother Felix and Adele's former love interest Luka both entering the competition. She must decide whether these two can become allies or enemies.
I was so not excited to read this book - it was a case of judging the book by its cover, however before long I was well into the third chapter and really enjoying it!! The story is written in the past and the now but easy to follow the timeline of the plot. It is fast paced with many 'edge of your seat' moments. The characters all had so much depth to them including the other racers who didn't become faceless competitors. I really loved her relationships with both Felix and Lowe and even the interactions between themselves. And I really loved the twist at the end!!!! I can't wait to see how the sequel will turn out. Recommended for fans of The Hunger Games, Valkyrie, The Scorpio Races, The Maze Runner, Code Name Verity and X-Men.
Jody Holmes