#144 Book Review: The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf

The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf
Release Date: July 1st 2012
Author: Ambelin Kwaymullina
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy: Fishpond | Booktopia | Dymocks
More Info: Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads:

The Reckoning destroyed civilisation. Rising from the ashes, some people have developed unique abilities, and society is scared of them. Guided by the ancient spirits of the land, Ashala Wolf will do anything to keep them safe. When Ashala is captured, she realises she has been betrayed by someone she trusted. When her interrogator starts digging in her memories for information, she doubts she can protect her people forever. Will the Tribe survive the interrogation of Ashala Wolf?

Cover:
Love the girl's fiery look! I like how the girl's hair looks a bit messy to show the looks of a warrior or a tribe leader and I love how the title of the book is set out neatly in the middle of the cover!

Story:

My name is Ashala Wolf and this is my 'interrogation'...

Wow, I am absolutely surprised at how much I enjoyed reading The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf. I can't remember the last time I read an Aussie dystopian novel and this one is impressive! 

The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf introduced me to a brand new world. In this world, people with different abilities are banned because they can endanger 'citizens'. Therefore, some of these people decided to runaway and form a tribe. But most of these people in the tribe are still quite young, none of them are quite adults yet and it takes a great deal for them to survive outside the city. What I truly liked from this book is Kwaymullina's mixture of elements of nature such as water, earth, wind, fire and animals in relation to the people with abilities. It's also interesting how Ashala, our main character has the ability of sleepwalking and how her other friend, Ember, has the ability of controlling memories and even altering them. The book begins with the present Ashala's interrogation but continues with flashbacks from her life which leads to the interrogation. I was confused at first because I still have not grasped the entirety of this world but as soon as I got into the book, I understood the world Kwaymullina has built. This book was quite unpredictable and I really enjoyed it! The atmosphere of this book was wonderful and Kwaymullina's writing was gripping and hooking!

Characters:
Ashala Wolf is a heroine I completely adore. There is nothing I disliked about her. I love how brave and courageous she is, how she is willing to go so far to protect the tribe and how capable she was of dealing with the troubles revolving around her. I really adored the bond she has created with other members of the tribe such as Ember, Jaz, Cassie and also her relationship with Connor. When I first meet Connor in this book, I've always thought him as Ashala's betrayer who brought her to be interrogated. But as the book goes, we find out that this is not the truth. That there's something deeper going on with this interrogation and that Connor might not be the enemy.

Neville Rose, the Chief Administrator and Miriam Grey, owner of the machine that can access people's minds are great antagonist. They try hard to dig into Ashala's minds and take hold of her memories so that they can capture all the members of the tribe. Overall, I think all the characters are well-written and the main characters particularly are strong and solid characters!

Overall:
Love dystopian? Then check out The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf! Ambelin Kwaymullina's gripping writing introduced me to a fascinating world of people with different abilities and the tribe. With strong and solid characters, a enchanting mix of the elements of nature and animals, Kwaymullina's debut novel is absolutely not to be missed!

4 Forget-Me-Not flowers for The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf!

Thank you Walker Books Australia for the review copy!

Check out the book trailer below!