The Wolf Who Cried Boy is gut-wrenching; beautiful and vivid, but utterly gut-wrenching. Six-year-old Henry has superpowers. Or, rather, he wishes he had superpowers. If he did, he could help his mum and protect them both from the evil ‘Wolf King’, aka his father, from whom they’ve been running for five years, all across Australia. When they learn that Henry’s grandmother is ill, they risk travelling back to Brisbane, where the Wolf King lives, to see her again. Along the way, they meet both friend and foe, and Henry begins to question his reality – are his mum’s stories about who they are true, or not?

Mark Mupotsa-Russell handles serious discussions about domestic violence, homelessness, abuse of power, corruption within the police force, and more, all from a child’s perspective, with such care and virtuosity it is incredible. As the reader, you experience so much as you witness these characters try to survive – one minute you’re screaming at Henry not to do or say anything and the next instant you want to give him a big hug. Or to comfort and reassure Henry’s mum as the white lies she’s told to protect her son begin to fall apart.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading and reviewing Mupotsa-Russell’s debut last year, but this novel highlighted to me how nuanced and diverse his skills as a writer are. His stories on motherhood are a powerful and moving testament to the many ways mothers protect and sacrifice themselves for their children, carrying on the burden for their loved ones, even at the expense of not receiving gratitude or acknowledgement, even being prepared to be seen as the bad guy. He also perfectly conveys the vulnerability, wonder and curiosity of a child as Henry is put through many extreme situations, always trying to do what is right whilst simultaneously figuring out how complex that concept truly is. This book is tattooed on my mind as one of the best releases of the year for me.