The Moon Wolf by Sanjana Kanamarlapudi – Book Review

The best thing about this novel is that it has been written by an author who is very young, talented and who does have a vision for the ideal children’s literature. Once you start reading The Moon Wolf, Sanjana Kanamarlapudi’s latest fictional book, you will understand the statement in the very first line conveniently. The novel has all the essential elements that fuse together to craft an ideal book for young readers. Written by a young author as well, The Moon Wolf will get special treatment from the readers as well as book critics, I am sure.

The novel has very favourable ratings and reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, as well as on the popular book review websites in India and globally. And it is no coincidence because the novel does have a certain appeal about it. Novelists often try to put entertainment above anything else in their novels even if they are writing for children. However, Sanjana Kanamarlapudi had her priorities sorted and she has tried to balance between acts of motivation as well as instances of entertainment. It is a story consisting of wolves, their struggles, conflict with humans and a web of assassination plots, battles and prey-predator games. Everything changes with Moony, a wolf supposedly came from the moon, mysterious and magical, strong and able, friendly and fierce… I must admit that the novelist has done her best in creating this protagonist that’s inspirational and ideal for the roles ascribed to it.

The Moon Wolf is for children who are in their early primary sections, children in their early teens and anyone with an interest in fantasy novels, fiction involving animal kingdoms and novels about magical powers, myths and legends. Yes, at the core, you will certainly find a drive that will essentially appeal to the young audience only. However, the novel has certain elements that make it different, adds to its depth and help it stand out among many other novels. Sanjana’s novel has different layers in the storyline, one is about the curiosity of the protagonist itself, Moony looking for its origins and one is about the curiosity of the readers, whether Moony will be successful in leading the pack of wolves to a victory in the war against Grey’s Dark Pack. This makes things interesting.

The Moon Wolf, as a novel, excels because it does not rely merely on any one issue or idea. It has Moony, the hero. It has Grey, the villain. It has the secret prophecy of someone from the Moon and it has the regular day job involving training, leadership and preparation for the battle to come. The novel also has negotiations and compromises, mitigation and political ties. Everything in the novel is tightly connected and the author has not left space for loopholes, as it appears after the first reading. However, critically, the novel may find itself in want of a little more depth in the development of characters and 2-3 more characters from each side, if developed, could have added more to the overall appeal of the novel. Nevertheless, in its current form, the novel will surely attract readers and will make for a day spent well in the life of children and lovely young readers. So, if you are thinking about a gift for someone’s birthday around, do consider a copy of this brilliant novel!

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Review by Nishant for The Book Blog