Into the Mouth of the Wolf

By: Erin Gough

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Paperback | 1 May 2024

At a Glance

Paperback
384 Pages

Age
12 - 99

Dimensions(cm)
20.5 x 13 x 2.5

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Part-thriller, part-queer romance, We Were Liars meets Station Eleven in this extraordinary young adult novel about love, grief and climate change from the award-winning author of Amelia Westlake.

★ SHORTLISTED: CBCA Award for Book of the Year for Older Readers
★ SHORTLISTED: DANZ Young Adult Book Award
★ LONGLISTED: Davitt Award for Young Adult Fiction

Dear Iris,

If all goes well I will be in touch by this evening. If you hear nothing, contact Glassy Bay International Travellers’ Hostel and ask after me. Use our real names.

Your Mama xxx

Iris lives on the run with her mother, Rohan. They’re travelling to escape the earthquakes, though of course that’s impossible. And they’re being followed. One day, Rohan insists Iris repeat the phrase in bocca al lupo: into the mouth of the wolf. The next day, Rohan's vanished, leaving no clues about where she’s gone besides a contact in an unknown town. Entirely alone and fearing the worst, Iris reaches out to a stranger for help.

When Lena gets Iris's message, she's busy panic-studying for year 12 and helping run her family’s hostel. She’s intrigued by Iris, and can’t deny there’s a spark between them – but she’s also worried. A dead body has just washed up at the beach in Glassy Bay. And Lena’s old best friend – who's just returned after an unexplained absence – seems to know something about it.

Missing people. Mysterious deaths. A growing attraction between two girls caught up in the search for the truth. Somehow, they’re all connected. But in order to find out how – and in order to even meet each other – Iris and Lena will have to go into the mouth of the wolf …

With shades of We Were Liars and Station Eleven, this extraordinary young-adult novel explores love and grief in an uncertain climate from one of Australia's most talented writers.

Read more from Erin Gough:

Amelia Westlake
The Flywheel

Industry Reviews

‘It is truly, completely unlike any other Aussie YA I've ever read. Into the Mouth of the Wolf is strange and thrilling, just-around-the-corner-real and deeply affecting too. My mind was bent, my heart was walloped. This extraordinary novel runs on a rocket fuel of greed and sacrifice, calamities and quiet moments, love and hope. I loved it so much!’ – Leanne Hall, award-winning author of The Gaps.

‘Into the Mouth of the Wolf is a gripping and immersive thrill ride examining the very best and worst of human nature – our impact on our environment and each other. This wild, action-packed murder-mystery will have you flipping pages desperate for answers, and it will regularly reward you with countless tasty aha! and what-the?! moments. Complex, imaginative, clever and compelling, this epic cli-fi tale underpinned by love and longing, hope and blind faith, will have you caught in its ravenous jaws until the very last page. Thoroughly enjoyed my ride!’ – Allayne Webster, author of Selfie

‘Into the Mouth of the Wolf is a nail-biting page turner about Iris, who lives in a dystopian near-future where the world is ravaged by constant earthquakes. Iris and her mum, Rohan, are on the run from powerful people who are tracking their every move. Then, one day, Rohan goes missing. Following Rohan's instructions, Iris contacts a stranger – Lena – and together they try to track down Rohan and unravel the mystery of the quakes. Unfortunately, however, it seems like both their lives might be in danger.
This is a thrilling read, tightly paced and a real page turner. Erin Gough has approached the topics of climate change and environmentalism with an originality, urgency, and passion that speak to the very real worries a lot of young people (and plenty of older ones too) have about the direction our planet is heading in. I stayed up late two nights in a row reading it!' – Alice Boyle, author of Dancing Barefoot

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