"I am obsessed with this story!" -- Erin Entrada Kelly, Newbery Medal-winning author of We Dream of Space "A lyrical tale of loss and survival, tradition and belief, in which tension and secrets build like a towering wave. The Wolf's Curse is a story of many layers. Young readers will treasure this beautiful debut and hold it close to their hearts."-- -- Diane Magras, author of The Mad Wolf's Daughter "A fable as polished and timeless as a fine wooden toy. Readers will root for spunky heroes Gauge and Roux while keeping watch for a certain mysterious wolf who's not what she seems ." -- Catherine Gilbert Murdock, author of the Newbery Honor book The Book of Boy The Wolf's Curse boldly tells readers to take a closer look at the stories they're told--not to mention at the wolves that might be lurking in the shadows. A clear-eyed, big hearted fable of compassion, friendship, and love. -- Anne Ursu, author of The Real Boy "In the France-inspired town of Bouge-by-the-Sea .

Gauge is the only person able to see the Great White Wolf, a supernatural canine who ferries souls to the afterlife. Fleeing his pursuers, Gauge stumbles upon unlikely allies . [and] they begin to suspect that neither the Wolf nor their town's death rituals are quite what they seem--and they are determined to unearth some answers. Accessible and intriguing worldbuilding, particularly around the Wolf's backstory, will pique readers' interests, as will larger questions about life, death, truth, and tradition. Thoughtful, creative, and engaging." -- Kirkus Reviews "In a thought-provoking debut, Vitalis considers grief, the end of life, and the industry of death through the eyes of an otherworldly, psychopompic wolf. Through the Wolf's archly omniscient first-person narration, Vitalis relates the affecting stories of Gauge and Roux, whose raw mourning provides a revealing contrast to the Lord Mayor's simmering, unprocessed grief. [A] contemplative story.

" -- Publishers Weekly "Vitalis's striking debut is alluringly told through the first-person perspective of the Wolf, offering a safe distance for sensitive readers to engage in a story about death, grief, and corruption. The language is wonderfully crisp and clear, showcasing a literary style that favors a slower, more thoughtful pace but still invites a middle-grade audience. A respectful, yet skeptical, exploration of the rituals used both to cope with and exploit death adds a meaningful layer to this poignant tale." -- Booklist "Twelve-year-old Gauge has spent the last five years hidden from his fellow villagers, because the Lord Mayor Vulpine convinced the residents that the boy is a Voyant, who can compel an invisible wolf to kill. [An] extraordinary fantasy . The story is an emotional rollercoaster with all the feels." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.