The Wolves Are Waiting

The Wolves Are Waiting
Age Range
14+
Release Date
March 22, 2022
ISBN
978-0316045315
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From award-winning author Natasha Friend comes a compelling investigation of sexual harassment and the toxic and complicit structures of a small college town.

Before the night of the Frat Fair, 15-year-old Nora Melchionda's life could have been a Gen-Z John Hughes movie. She had a kind-of boyfriend, a spot on the field hockey team, good grades, and a circle of close friends. Of course there were bumps in the road: she and her lifelong BFF Cam were growing apart and her mother was trying to clone her into wearing sensible khakis instead of showy short skirts. But none of that mattered, because Nora always had her dad, Rhett Melchionda, on her side. Rhett was not only Nora’s hero, but as the Athletic Director of Faber College, he was idolized by everyone she knew.

Now, Nora would give anything to go back to that life. The life before whatever happened on the golf course.

She doesn’t want to talk about it—not that she could, because she doesn’t remember anything—and insists that whatever happened was nothing. Cam, though, tries to convince Nora to look for evidence and report the incident to the police. And then there’s Adam Xu, who found Nora on the golf course and saw her at her most vulnerable. She ignores it all, hoping it will all go away. But when your silence might hurt other people, hiding is no longer an option.

The Wolves Are Waiting begins in the aftermath of an attempted assault, but reaches farther than a story about one single night or one single incident. What Nora and her friends will uncover is a story that spans generations. But it doesn’t have to anymore.

Editor review

1 review
powerful and thought-provoking YA contemporary
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
THE WOLVES ARE WAITING is a powerful and thought-provoking YA contemporary. The last thing 15-year-old Nora remembered from the charity event known as the Frat Fair was ordering a cup of root beer. The next thing she knows, her BFF Cam is waking her up on a golf course, and she is throwing up everything she ate the day before. She soon figures out that she had been drugged by some college guys who had removed her clothing and were clearly planning to do more before they were scared away by Adam Xu.

Nora wants to forget what happened, but her mind is full of the memories she has and those she is missing, as well as all the feelings they have left behind. Her life is now divided into before and after, and while she knows all the things that say this was not her fault, she also cannot help but remember the things people have said about the way she dresses and the choices she made. Cam also cannot let it go and begins to investigate, uncovering bigger secrets that Nora cannot ignore.

What I loved: This was such a thought-provoking and powerful read about assault, the aftermath, and the ways it is handled when it is brought to light. Beyond what happened to Nora, the story of other girls and young women is discussed, particularly with regards to troubling patterns with colleges, college athletes, and the ways they investigate assault when reported. These themes as well as those around generational problems with the historical context being seen as a pass on considering them further, the importance of belief in victims, and victim blaming, such as comments on clothing choices, drinking, and decisions to go to parties, are really important.

The book is mostly told from the perspective of Nora, but also includes those from Cam, Adam, and occasionally Nora's brother, Asher. All of these perspectives in understanding the broader implications and societal/cultural issues surrounding assault. Nora is a particularly compelling character as she tries to understand the un-understandable and re-evaluate those around her, particularly as things become out of her control with who knows what.

This book raises a lot of important questions and would make for a great pick for a book club or discussion group. The implications of the story merit deeper consideration from different perspectives, including those who have not experienced assault firsthand but also those who offhand comments fall into these problematic cultural themes and those who are in power to do more.

Final verdict: With critical themes and compelling characters, THE WOLVES ARE WAITING is a powerful and thought-provoking YA contemporary. Highly recommend for book groups and further consideration.
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