Ingrid and the Wolf

Ingrid and the Wolf, by Andre Alods;
Tundra Books: Toronto, zoos; $8.95

When I first looked at the book cover, I imagined how uneventful it would be. But I guess the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover," is true. As soon as I read the first page, I felt like there was some invisible glue that held it to my hands. I just couldn't put it down.

There were two things that drew me to this book. One was the courage that an eleven-year-old girl named Ingrid showed. The second one was the never-broken promise that was made to Gabor (a special wolf) even after Countess Liliane (Ingrid's grandmother) forbade her to ever go down to the labyrinth (the place where Gabor lived) again. I am very impressed. Who knew a girl just eleven years old could have such a strong soul? Sometimes I think of her as a saint. I would really want to be friends with her if she was a real person.

In the real world, I think keeping promises all the time is very hard, but I also believe that it is important. I can really understand the pressure that was put on Ingrid when she found out that she might have to break her promise with Gabor. Ingrid is like a role model for me. I will try to keep my promises to people under all circumstances.

As much as I love this book and wish for it to go on and on, never ending, I have my fears as well. I feel sorry for Gabor, who will die now that he is out of the labyrinth, a place where he was born to never age a single day I hope with all my heart that if this book continues, some magic would work on Gabor and he would never become old and die, living as long as Ingrid lived, being her companion forever.

When I first read about Gabor, my thoughts wandered to the time when I saw a video about a dog named Lassie. It risked its own life seeking revenge on the person that had killed its owner. Now that I think of it, Lassie and Gabor aren't all that different. Both have a lot of faith and are always putting others ahead of themselves. I dream about having trusted companions like them every day I imagine that it will be a collie dog, like Lassie. But the only pet that my mom allows so far is my guinea pig, Rusty.

This book not only includes tons of adventures but also many unsolved mysteries and... well, just plain mysterious things! For example, there is a pale green book that can turn to salt and a mysterious servant named Laszlo who can only talk when you hit him every two hours.

Though, if not for these tragedies (and mysteries), the book would be only half as exciting and adventurous. I mean, who would want to listen to a story that was of a girl that lived in a normal family, who went to visit her grandma, a countess, whom she had never seen before. At her grandma's house, she met a nice wolf. There, they became good friends and had a happy life together ever since.

Do you think that the book would have been this boring? No! Ingrid and the Wolf is actually a story that just about spellbinds you, as Andre Alexis has changed the dull bones of this book into the most vivid scene anyone could create in one's mind.