Along Came a Wolf (The Yellow Hoods #1) by Adam Dreece | A Book Review

I got this book a few months back through Twitter and have forgotten about it. I was reminded when the author sent me a follow-up email. Sorry Mr. Dreece for the delay, finally here it is.  This book has gotten a lot of attention. This has been rated five stars and have been called readers' favorite. It was also a finalist for 2015 International Authors Network for Book of the Year.

I just love stories with heroes that are underestimated. Heroes that are looked down because of their size and youth. They are often viewed as lacking. The heroes of this book are no stranger. They are three twelve-year olds--Tee, Elly and Richy. This trio has a fascination for adventure, fun and discovery. Most fortunate of all, they get to try Nicolas Klaus' amazing inventions. Nicolas Klaus is Tee's grandpa. He and Tee are very close and they talk a lot. Their conversations are what I love most about this book. 

The book started with Tee rolling down the hill in a fast-moving contraption and right from there, the story was all excitement, laughter and gets more interesting as it progresses. Each chapter is entitled with references to Little Red Riding Hood. There were also references to other fairy tales that we grew up with. The references were often amusing and hilarious. My favorite was the love team of Eg and Bakon. I was laughing out loud when I came upon this. The cutest and most delicious name for a couple. Brangelina and KathNiel couldn't hold a candle to it. It was also very amusing to note that the villains were outwitted by these three smart kids. In the end, the good won and prevailed against the bad guys. This book also reminded me of my favorite movie The Three Ninjas. These three youngsters were like the three brothers --Rocky, Colt and Tomtom. They won over guns and muscles by sheer wit and teamwork.

One other thing that fascinated me about this story were the contraptions and inventions of Nicolas. They were really awe-inspiring and I really had fun picturing how they look like. Aside from the smart dialogues, this book also reminded me of the fun things I did and the games I played and mastered when I was a kid. They were so incomparable to the toys and the kind of fun kids have these days. The games involved a lot of physical exertion, coordination and strategy. Just like what the trio here were always up to. Oh, what fun times they were.

I give this book 5/5 cute yellow sweat shirt with hoods. I am looking forward to more adventures with the yellow hoods. I am rooting for these three to continue defeating the villains and for Grandpa Nicolas to share more of his inventions to the world. Thank you, Adam Reece for this story. This is a very nice start to a very wonderful series.

...rules are fine to guide you, but not to keep us from doing the right thing.

- Adam Dreece, Along Came a Wolf -