Into the Mouth of the Wolf

Part thriller, part queer romance, Into the Mouth of the Wolf is a stunning, CBCA Notable YA novel from the award-winning author of Amelia Westlake.

★ SHORTLISTED for Children's Book Council of Australia
★ SHORTLISTED for DANZ Young Adult Book Award

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

‘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 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

'This is a lot of fun: it’s got romance, mystery, high-stakes thriller elements, and a heartfelt sense of good old adolescent ennui in the face of a world that feels like it’s falling apart. Into the Mouth of the Wolf was an unexpected ride in a lot of ways, and I’m glad I picked it up.' – The Afictionado

'Peopled with a large cast of unique, wholly realistic characters, Gough’s third novel has elements of dystopia, eco-thriller and romance, all bound together in a fast-paced, exciting mystery. I highly recommend this fascinating Australian novel for readers aged 11+.' – Angela Crocombe, Readings

'Everything about this book is sublime – the writing, that cover, that title, the characters, the story – I loved every minute of it. I don't want to give any spoilers – so all I will say is this – get your hands on a copy of it as soon as possible and hide away from the world so you can lose yourself in the world of Into The Mouth of the Wolf. Highly Recommended.' – Forest Hill College Library

'Into the Mouth of the Wolf is amongst other things a clever and funny queer coming of age story where 'going into the mouth of the wolf' is necessary in both romantic and life/death situations. A tightly structured, bingeable book that will keep the YA reader up late at night.' – ReadPlus

'Exploring themes of climate change and environmental responsibility, family dynamics, first loves and friendship Into the Mouth of the Wolf is part mystery, part queer romance and part dystopian cli-fi ... Compelling and readable and well worth picking up.' – Cecile Shanahan, CBCA Reading Time

Erin Gough is a Sydney-based writer whose award-winning novels for young adults have been published internationally. Her first novel, The Flywheel, won the Hardie Grant Ampersand Prize, and her second, Amelia Westlake,was winner of the Readings Young Adult Book Prize and the NSW Premier's Ethel Turner Prize for Young Adult Fiction. Erin’s short fiction has appeared in journals and anthologies including The Griffith Review, Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories, and Best Australian Stories. Into the Mouth of the Wolf is her third novel.

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