The Wolf Princess
Gr 4-8-Sophie dreams of a life that is richer and more interesting than her poor existence in a London boarding school. Orphaned and abandoned by her guardian, she clings to stories that her loving father told her about a winter forest, wolves, and a mysterious woman. When she has a chance to visit Russia on a field trip, Sophie is thrilled. But once they're there, Sophie and her friends are abandoned in the woods, then whisked away on a mysterious white train to a crumbling Winter Palace, where Princess Volkonskaya takes a curious interest in Sophie. While listeners will probably figure out that the trip has a specific and creepy purpose, it takes Sophie far too long to put the pieces together. Her smart friends contribute nothing to the solution and seem to be along only to add a little girlfriend rivalry. There's plenty of action, intrigue, and terror, all narrated with great drama and emotion by Beth Kent. She gives each character a unique voice and an appropriate accent, which slips a few times from Russian to British. Constable's debut novel (Chicken House, 2013) features enchanting descriptions of Russia in winter, a glamorous palace with a romantic history, a princess, and vicious white wolves. This may be enough to keep fans of princess tales entranced.-MaryAnn Karre, West Middle School, Binghamton, NYα(c) Copyright 2013.  Library Journal. LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.--This text refers to theAudio CDedition.