This is an amazing story of a brother (Holo) and sister (Kai). The kids appear to be children of the forest. They are caught stealing food at a gas station, after they are arrested, the Chief of Police (Chester) takes them into his home. The kids prove to be extremely intelligent. As he tries to find out more about the children, he gets more questions than answers. With lots of twists and turns as Patterson masterfully crafts, this is top notch story. 

4 Stars

Were two teenagers truly raised by wolves?

The town of Kokanee Creek isn’t quite sure what to make of the two teenagers who show up one day and ransack the Grizzly Grocery and Bait Shop. They are dirty and wearing raggedy clothes, and after smashing the glass door to get in they start eating food by the fistfuls. When they are approached by the store clerk they growl and bare their teeth, so he calls the police. Police Chief Chester Greene arrives to a crazy scene, but he treats the two with empathy. He isn’t able to get them to speak with him, so has little choice but to bring them along to the police station. There eventually the two start to talk; the elder says her name is Kai and introduces the boy as her younger brother Holo. Then she drops the bombshell….she says they were raised by wolves. While they certainly act feral, its hard for Chester to square that claim with their ability to speak English perfectly well, but Kai says they have no last name and no family other than the wolves. Chester decides to bring the pair back to his home while things are sorted out (to the delight of his partner Lacey), and enrolls them in the local high school. Two near-feral strangers are not received with much warmth by the local teenagers, who call them freaks, and they soon become the local bully’s favorite new target. Kai and Holo know how to fight and aren’t afraid to use their skills to defend themselves, but the principal takes their actions as further proof that they have behavioral issues. Then the FBI arrives, thinking that the two will lead them to someone they have sought for years. Who are these two young people, and why did they show up in Kokanee Creek? Will they be able to adapt to living like normal teenagers, making friends and maybe experiencing love? Were they truly raised by wolves? Will they stay, or will they return to the wild from which they came?
With chapters alternately narrated by Chester and by Kai, this at times reads like a mystery and at times like a YA novel. There are frequent comparisons between living by the harsh rules of nature, where one must always be on alert for predators and other dangers, and living within a small town, where food and shelter is readily available and the marvels of technology make life much easier. Wendy’s cheeseburgers vs freshly caught trout? Hot showers vs bathing in cold bodies of water? Sleeping in a warm, comfortable bed or sleeping outdoors with the stars above and sharing body warmth with one’s family? At the same time the reader is asked to decide if a wolf pack is really all that different at its core from a human family. The story moves briskly, and the characters are intriguing. While it was an enjoyable enough read (I would rate it a 3.5 rounded up to 4), I found it tried to be too many types of story at once. Is it a mystery? A YA novel exploring the plight of outsiders in the social hierarchy of teenage life as well as the odd sensation that is when feeling attraction to another for the first time? What does the arrival of the FBI mean and is their presence sinister or admirable? Readers of James Patterson know what to expect from his brand and this hits most of the usual notes. Readers of author Dean Koontz might also find the premise appealing. My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me early access to this interesting thriller.

An arresting tale filled with twists, turns and unanswered questions. Just when I thought I knew where Kai and Holo came from and who they were a new twist was added. This book kept me enthralled from the first page till long after the last.

In the very small town of Kokanee Creek, Idaho, two children have just run out of the woods and into a convenience store. Acting feral and growling. Not violent, just very hungry and dirty.

The Chief of Police takes them in but can’t get any real answers from them. Except the growling and howling. So, he takes them home.

Were they really raised by wolves? That would turn out not to be true. But then maybe they don’t know the truth.

I have read every one of James Patterson’s books. I would have never known this was one of his by the writing. I went to the website to see if this was a YA book, but no.

As just a story it was okay.


NetGalley/ Grand Central Publishing November 05, 2024

Kai and Kolo broke into a convenience store and tore apart bags of snack, made a general mess and growled at anyone who stood in their way.

The local chief of police hauled them into a jail cell, to try to identify them and find their parents. They said they were raised by wolves. However, when they started to talk, they sounded intelligent and educated but were poorly behaved. After a night in jail, Chester, the chief, brought them home to his partner. There, they started to enjoy the joys of modern day conveniences. School was a challenge for both of them with many of the students avoiding or harassing them. As the FBI, law enforcement and people of the community joined in the efforts, the story became even more complex. And the State of Idaho wanted a say.

It appears that they did have a wolf family, but where did they come from? Who educated them?

This is a fun story to read, but not aimed at adults.

Kai and Hola are found wrecking a store and eating their way through the store. When they are stopped by the chief of police who takes them to jail and tries to figure put where they came from. This book has so many twists that you will never see coming and makes you think about the various situations to see if they are good or bad. A great book!