Title: Gray Wolf Island

Author: Tracey Neithercott

Genre: YA Magical Realism

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis: Right before Sadie died, she begged her sister, Ruby, to do the one thing she could never do herself: Find the treasure on Gray Wolf Island.

With just a mysterious treasure map as a guide, Ruby reluctantly allows some friends to join her on the hunt, each of whom is touched by magic: a boy allegedly born to a virgin, a girl who never sleeps, a boy who can foresee his own death, and a boy with deep ties to the island. Each of them is also keeping a secret—something they’ll have to reveal in order to reach the treasure.

As the secrets come to light, Ruby will have to decide: Can she make peace with her friends’ troubled pasts and continue to trust them? Can she forgive herself for doing the unspeakable? Deep in the wilderness of Gray Wolf Island, Ruby’s choices will determine if they make it out with the treasure—or merely with their lives.

From debut author Tracey Neithercott comes a darkly compelling tale of profound friendship, adventure, and finding the strength to tell the truth.

Review: I’m learning something about myself the more I read: I absolutely love magical realism. It takes all the best parts of fantasy and contemporary stories and mixes them together to create something amazing.

This book completely blew me away. As much as it’s about a treasure hunt on a mysterious island, it’s equally about the friendships that are formed. And the friendships are my very favorite part of this story. Each character is so unique and I just really want to be a part of this group.

The writing in Gray Wolf Island is beautiful and the story is magical and heartbreaking. I can’t wait to see what Tracey Neithercott comes up with next. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story.