Two Wolves' is this gripping middle-grade novel by Tristan Bancks that totally caught me off guard with how deep it goes. The story follows Ben Silver, a 13-year-old kid whose life flips upside down when his parents suddenly drag him on this chaotic 'road trip'—except it's not a vacation. It's a getaway after his dad robs a bank! The tension is unreal because Ben's torn between loyalty to his family and knowing what they're doing is wrong. The title comes from this Cherokee parable about two wolves inside us (good vs. evil), which mirrors Ben's internal struggle throughout their desperate run from the law.
What really hooked me was how Bancks makes you feel Ben's panic and confusion—like when they're hiding in this creepy abandoned cabin, or when Ben starts questioning everything he thought he knew about his dad. There's this one scene where Ben secretly Googles news about the robbery, and the weight of his family's actions hits him like a ton of bricks. It's not just a chase story; it makes you wonder what you'd do in his shoes. The ending leaves you thinking for days about morality, family bonds, and whether 'doing the right thing' is ever black and white.