molly_s_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
309804490's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
aliciafromtheashes's review against another edition
4.0
Full review to come. Easily one of my top books this year.
Updated: 7/22/22
I was drawn into this one based on the premise. A female reporter during the lead up to World War II. In Berlin. At the heart of Nazi Germany. Sign me up. And it was… well …
I wanted a bit more from the main plots, but the subplots were intriguing enough to keep me going. This was my first Mandy Robotham. I'll be giving at least one of her others a shot.
Prose: 3 / 5
I make it absolutely no secret that I'm choosy when it comes to prose, so take the three stars with a grain of salt because there really are some solid sentences in this one.
Characters: 2 / 5
I wanted so much from Georgie. There was so much room for growth with her, but unfortunately, she never quite made it to the finish line for me. Which is a shame, because I really enjoyed most of the side characters. Bill, Rod, the Amsels, Sam, and, of course, Max… I even liked Frida. Until I didn't. I should have expected one of them to turn and I did, but I thought it would be Margot. Anyway, all in all the characters get 2 out of 5 stars simply because the side characters outshined the main character and it's her story.
Style: 4 / 5
Of all the elements I look for in a book, this is the one that has me deciding to come back for one of Mandy Robotham's other novels. Her writing style is lovely. She somehow manages to keep things simple while also being so descriptive it's as though the scene jumps to life around you. And we all know how much I love a good metaphor, of which she uses many.
Plot: 3 / 5
Much like with the characters, I think the subplots outshined the main story. Whereas I really wanted this gripping tale of Georgie coming into her own as a writer, I found myself more interested in the fate of the Amsels. Or when Kasper was going to see through her very thin veil of lies. Or how long it would be before she realized that she was obviously in love with Max. Still worth reading. Just prepare to be more interested in those than in Georgie's journey in journalism.
Overall it wasn't terrible and I quite enjoyed it. I made nearly 100 pages of notes when I finally got around to transferring my notes from my Kindle to an actual notebook, so clearly I was engaged at the time of reading. I give 4 / 5 overall.
Updated: 7/22/22
I was drawn into this one based on the premise. A female reporter during the lead up to World War II. In Berlin. At the heart of Nazi Germany. Sign me up. And it was… well …
I wanted a bit more from the main plots, but the subplots were intriguing enough to keep me going. This was my first Mandy Robotham. I'll be giving at least one of her others a shot.
Prose: 3 / 5
I make it absolutely no secret that I'm choosy when it comes to prose, so take the three stars with a grain of salt because there really are some solid sentences in this one.
Characters: 2 / 5
I wanted so much from Georgie. There was so much room for growth with her, but unfortunately, she never quite made it to the finish line for me. Which is a shame, because I really enjoyed most of the side characters. Bill, Rod, the Amsels, Sam, and, of course, Max… I even liked Frida. Until I didn't. I should have expected one of them to turn and I did, but I thought it would be Margot. Anyway, all in all the characters get 2 out of 5 stars simply because the side characters outshined the main character and it's her story.
Style: 4 / 5
Of all the elements I look for in a book, this is the one that has me deciding to come back for one of Mandy Robotham's other novels. Her writing style is lovely. She somehow manages to keep things simple while also being so descriptive it's as though the scene jumps to life around you. And we all know how much I love a good metaphor, of which she uses many.
Plot: 3 / 5
Much like with the characters, I think the subplots outshined the main story. Whereas I really wanted this gripping tale of Georgie coming into her own as a writer, I found myself more interested in the fate of the Amsels. Or when Kasper was going to see through her very thin veil of lies. Or how long it would be before she realized that she was obviously in love with Max. Still worth reading. Just prepare to be more interested in those than in Georgie's journey in journalism.
Overall it wasn't terrible and I quite enjoyed it. I made nearly 100 pages of notes when I finally got around to transferring my notes from my Kindle to an actual notebook, so clearly I was engaged at the time of reading. I give 4 / 5 overall.
denae1234's review against another edition
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
jaded618's review against another edition
3.0
This novel was an interesting read as it focused on a reporter being in Berlin the year leading up to the start of the war. As you are reading, you can see the tone of the book changing and getting darker and more intense as things progress.
Georgie Young is a reporter of of London, who due to her prior work and her fluency in German, has earned the post as a foreign correspondence in Berlin to follow and report on Hitler's rise and the changes in Germany. As a reporter, she expects to find stories to cover, but the stories she finds she isn't ready for. As the country moves towards war and Jewish people are being mistreated and taken away, she makes the effort to save a family close to her. In doing so, puts herself and others in the path of destruction.
I enjoyed reading this book. Georgie was a strong and likeable female lead and her story was interesting. I only rated 3 Stars because I felt there were alot of little stories unraveling in the background that seemed to become important and fade away so quickly.
The ending was tied together well with the rest of the story and it provided closure on many things brought up while reading.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Georgie Young is a reporter of of London, who due to her prior work and her fluency in German, has earned the post as a foreign correspondence in Berlin to follow and report on Hitler's rise and the changes in Germany. As a reporter, she expects to find stories to cover, but the stories she finds she isn't ready for. As the country moves towards war and Jewish people are being mistreated and taken away, she makes the effort to save a family close to her. In doing so, puts herself and others in the path of destruction.
I enjoyed reading this book. Georgie was a strong and likeable female lead and her story was interesting. I only rated 3 Stars because I felt there were alot of little stories unraveling in the background that seemed to become important and fade away so quickly.
The ending was tied together well with the rest of the story and it provided closure on many things brought up while reading.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
randis_bogreol's review against another edition
4.0
denne bog handler om de sidste par år af 2 verdenskrig i Frankrig. Hovedpersonen hedder Nancy Wake også kalder "Den hvide mus" hun er en frygtløs frihedskæmper der kæmper mod nazisterne, mens de i Frankrig venter på de allierede styrker kommer frem.
Nancy bor i byen Marseille i et stort hus, sammen med sin mand Henri. Henri var en meget velstående Fransk industrimand, så Nancy mangler ikke noget i dagligdagen, de har både tjenestepige til at sørger for alt det huslige og Gardner til at ordne haven. og da Nancy begynder at arbejde for modstandsbevægelsen hjælper Henri til økonomisk, da han selv nærer et hvidglødende had til Tyskerne og bruger glædeligt halvdelen af sin løn til at hjælpe Nancy i hendes arbejde.
Men da Gestapo kommer for tæt på Nancy og det arbejde hun ligger i modstandsbevægelsen bliver hun nød til at flygte ud af landet. Hun flygter igennem det besatte Frankrig over Pyrenæerne og vider til England, Det er ikke småting Nancy skal igennem før hun omsider kan sætte sine fødder på engelsk jord. da Nancy ankommer til London får hun igen skabt forbindelser til modstandsbevægelsen og kommer i skarp træning til igen at kunne betræde det besatte Frankrig igen.
I mens Nancy er flygter, bliver hendes elskede mand Henri taget til fange af Gestapo og afhørt under de grusomste forhold, de ville have ham til at fortælle hvor Nancy befinder sig, og hvilken rolle han selv har haft i det hele, da de kan se i hans papir at han hver måned har givet halvdelen af sin indtægt til modstandsbevægelsen, han holder tæt og det får fatale følger ikke kun for Nancy men også for ham selv..
Nancy er en stærk og viljestærk kvinde og i de allieredes øjne er hun en frygtløs frihedskvinde, en legende inden for specialstyrkerne, en kvinde forud for sin tid, og hun skyr ingen midler for at opnå det hun gerne vil og hun kæmper til det lykkes.
Mine egne ord. Det er første gang jeg læser noget fra dem der har skrevet Befrielsen, men det var ikke en skuffelse tværtimod.
Det skal ikke være nogle hemmelighed, at jeg altid har interesseret mig for 2 verdenskrig. Siden barnsben har jeg altid syndes det er et meget interessant emne og De grusomheder der skete dengang, er en rigtig vigtig historie som aldrig må glemmes.
De årgang som var tættest på de uhyggeligheder der skete den gang, er ved at være gået borte og det samme er den historie de kan fortælle, så nu er det ekstra vigtig at vi der stadig kan fortælle om de uhyrligheder gør det..
jeg kom til at holde rigtig meget at Nancy, jo mere jeg kom igennem bogen. Hun krøb ligesom ind under huden på mig. jeg var igennem hele følelsesregistret, både sorg, glæde og frygt, jeg sad flere gange til langt ud på natten og læste, da jeg ikke kunne ligge bogen og bare lige skulle have en side mere, der er et godt flow og man kan se den røde tråd igennem det hele bogen.
ville jeg anbefale bogen til andre?? Ja det vil jeg, hvis du interesser dig for 2 verdenskrig og modstandsbevægelsen er denne bog lige noget for dig,
Nancy bor i byen Marseille i et stort hus, sammen med sin mand Henri. Henri var en meget velstående Fransk industrimand, så Nancy mangler ikke noget i dagligdagen, de har både tjenestepige til at sørger for alt det huslige og Gardner til at ordne haven. og da Nancy begynder at arbejde for modstandsbevægelsen hjælper Henri til økonomisk, da han selv nærer et hvidglødende had til Tyskerne og bruger glædeligt halvdelen af sin løn til at hjælpe Nancy i hendes arbejde.
Men da Gestapo kommer for tæt på Nancy og det arbejde hun ligger i modstandsbevægelsen bliver hun nød til at flygte ud af landet. Hun flygter igennem det besatte Frankrig over Pyrenæerne og vider til England, Det er ikke småting Nancy skal igennem før hun omsider kan sætte sine fødder på engelsk jord. da Nancy ankommer til London får hun igen skabt forbindelser til modstandsbevægelsen og kommer i skarp træning til igen at kunne betræde det besatte Frankrig igen.
I mens Nancy er flygter, bliver hendes elskede mand Henri taget til fange af Gestapo og afhørt under de grusomste forhold, de ville have ham til at fortælle hvor Nancy befinder sig, og hvilken rolle han selv har haft i det hele, da de kan se i hans papir at han hver måned har givet halvdelen af sin indtægt til modstandsbevægelsen, han holder tæt og det får fatale følger ikke kun for Nancy men også for ham selv..
Nancy er en stærk og viljestærk kvinde og i de allieredes øjne er hun en frygtløs frihedskvinde, en legende inden for specialstyrkerne, en kvinde forud for sin tid, og hun skyr ingen midler for at opnå det hun gerne vil og hun kæmper til det lykkes.
Mine egne ord. Det er første gang jeg læser noget fra dem der har skrevet Befrielsen, men det var ikke en skuffelse tværtimod.
Det skal ikke være nogle hemmelighed, at jeg altid har interesseret mig for 2 verdenskrig. Siden barnsben har jeg altid syndes det er et meget interessant emne og De grusomheder der skete dengang, er en rigtig vigtig historie som aldrig må glemmes.
De årgang som var tættest på de uhyggeligheder der skete den gang, er ved at være gået borte og det samme er den historie de kan fortælle, så nu er det ekstra vigtig at vi der stadig kan fortælle om de uhyrligheder gør det..
jeg kom til at holde rigtig meget at Nancy, jo mere jeg kom igennem bogen. Hun krøb ligesom ind under huden på mig. jeg var igennem hele følelsesregistret, både sorg, glæde og frygt, jeg sad flere gange til langt ud på natten og læste, da jeg ikke kunne ligge bogen og bare lige skulle have en side mere, der er et godt flow og man kan se den røde tråd igennem det hele bogen.
ville jeg anbefale bogen til andre?? Ja det vil jeg, hvis du interesser dig for 2 verdenskrig og modstandsbevægelsen er denne bog lige noget for dig,
booksare42's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you, Harper Collins Canada, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Even though I didn’t know much about The Berlin Girl before picking it up, I was excited to read it because of the period that it takes place in. The Berlin Girl takes place in Berlin during the lead up to the outbreak of WWII. This is a period that I learned a lot about in University, and I loved reading about it in this book. It was one of those books where I struggled to put it down once I got into it, and I became attached to the characters. If you’re a fan of Historical Fiction that takes place around WWII, this is a must-read book.
My favourite thing about this book is the period that it takes place in. I find the lead up to World War Two to be fascinating, and I spent a lot of time in University learning about Germany in the late 1930s. I thought this book did an excellent job showing the building tension in Berlin as September 1, 1939, got closer and closer. You could feel the distrust between neighbours, the increased paranoia that people were listening, and the increased danger as Germany edged closer to war. It was very clear that the author did a lot of research while writing this book, making it even more enjoyable for me.
The other thing that I loved about this book was Georgie Young and Max Spender. I loved everything about Georgie, especially how determined she was to make it in a male-dominated industry. I loved her wit and how fiery she could get when defending herself and her journalistic decisions. I also loved how much she cared for the people around her and the extremes she was willing to go to to help people. To a certain extent, Max Spender was the opposite of Georgie, but I liked how they balanced each other out.
I also became attached to some of the secondary characters in this book. I loved the press pack and the camaraderie between them. I also loved the Amsel family, and it broke my heart reading about them having their rights stripped away because they were Jewish.
I enjoyed reading about Georgie and Max trying to uncover some of the hidden horrors of Nazi Germany. I spent a good portion of the book on the edge of my seat, not knowing what would happen to them as they dug deeper and deeper. It also didn’t help that I knew what Georgie and Max would discover before they did, which made parts of the book a bit stressful to read.
Overall, this book made me feel a lot of emotions, and I absolutely loved it. I will definitely be checking out the other books by Mandy Robotham, and I’m excited to get to them.
Even though I didn’t know much about The Berlin Girl before picking it up, I was excited to read it because of the period that it takes place in. The Berlin Girl takes place in Berlin during the lead up to the outbreak of WWII. This is a period that I learned a lot about in University, and I loved reading about it in this book. It was one of those books where I struggled to put it down once I got into it, and I became attached to the characters. If you’re a fan of Historical Fiction that takes place around WWII, this is a must-read book.
My favourite thing about this book is the period that it takes place in. I find the lead up to World War Two to be fascinating, and I spent a lot of time in University learning about Germany in the late 1930s. I thought this book did an excellent job showing the building tension in Berlin as September 1, 1939, got closer and closer. You could feel the distrust between neighbours, the increased paranoia that people were listening, and the increased danger as Germany edged closer to war. It was very clear that the author did a lot of research while writing this book, making it even more enjoyable for me.
The other thing that I loved about this book was Georgie Young and Max Spender. I loved everything about Georgie, especially how determined she was to make it in a male-dominated industry. I loved her wit and how fiery she could get when defending herself and her journalistic decisions. I also loved how much she cared for the people around her and the extremes she was willing to go to to help people. To a certain extent, Max Spender was the opposite of Georgie, but I liked how they balanced each other out.
I also became attached to some of the secondary characters in this book. I loved the press pack and the camaraderie between them. I also loved the Amsel family, and it broke my heart reading about them having their rights stripped away because they were Jewish.
I enjoyed reading about Georgie and Max trying to uncover some of the hidden horrors of Nazi Germany. I spent a good portion of the book on the edge of my seat, not knowing what would happen to them as they dug deeper and deeper. It also didn’t help that I knew what Georgie and Max would discover before they did, which made parts of the book a bit stressful to read.
Overall, this book made me feel a lot of emotions, and I absolutely loved it. I will definitely be checking out the other books by Mandy Robotham, and I’m excited to get to them.
rozanne_visagie's review against another edition
5.0
Reviewed from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Avon Books UK via Netgalley for an honest review
Book: The Berlin Girl by Mandy Robotham
Published: 29 October 2020
Genre: General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
My Rating: ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
This is the third book by Mandy Robotham that I have read and it’s fantastic!
Georgina (Georgie) Young is a woman in a man’s world, determined to show everyone that she can do it too. We are taken to Berlin, Germany, in 1938 where Georgie is a reporter sent to Berlin to report under the name George Young for the London based newspaper, the Chronicle. She is part of the foreign press and needs to report about the events happening in Berlin, news about the Führer, Adolf Hitler. What he does, what he plans and anything about the Reich. When Georgie arrives in Berlin, the streets are decorated with Nazi insignia and an ombre feeling of domination vibrated through the air.
Before going to Berlin Georgie sits at a bar in the London Ritz feeling awkward and willing the Summer Media Ball to be over. A glamorous event for correspondents, reporters, photographers and editors. While watching everyone enjoying themselves, a man comes up to Georgie and starts making small talk. She later finds out he is a reporter for the Telegraph. After a dismissal she puts the man out of her mind, never to see him again. Or so she thought.
After a few weeks, Georgie finds herself on a plane to Berlin, alongside the reporter from the Telegraph known as Max Spender. They were assigned to Berlin, together. Having a rocky start from the get-go, Georgie and Max’s relationship as fellow reporters are moulded by the horrendous events and scenes they witness. Soon realising that the Berlin she visited in 1936 to report about the Olympics has been replaced by a city filled with Nazi propaganda, fear and a hatred for Jews. Both Georgie and Max report to their different newspapers, but as they convene with the press pack at the Adlon, they soon discover the dark and sinister ongoing’s in Berlin. When the names of Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler, Rudolf Hess, Frederik Graf and Adolf Hitler are mentioned, a storm is coming.
With the sudden and mysterious death of a fellow reporter, Paul Adamson, and rumours about a camp (Sachsenhausen) where Jews were taken, proving to be true, Georgie and Max team up together to help a Jewish family, Rubin and Sara Amsel with their 2 children to escape the claws of the Nazis.
What I liked about the book was that the story has a good flow to it. The author has the ability to let the trauma, sadness and pain jump off the pages and straight into the reader’s heart. It’s not the feeling of ‘I feel what the character is feeling’. It is more than that. The author sits us down in the living room of Rubin and Sara Amsel when Georgie and Max arrive there to support them after they had to send their 2 children to England for safety. The author sits us down with Georgie, Max and Rubin when he reads the devastating letters from his brother-in-law Elias, that is held in the camp Sachsenhausen.
My favourite character is the main character, Georgie Young. She doesn’t give up in a time of crisis and pain, even when being emotionally overwhelmed at times. Instead, she uses it to fuel the fire inside of her to seek justice for the people that are treated unfairly. The characters felt real and believable. This book had me on the edge of my seat and kept me guessing.
Overall the book was fantastic, but I felt the ending happened too quickly. From 1946 to 1994 in just a few pages. But aside from that, I enjoyed the story and can’t wait for Mandy Robotham’s next work. She makes historical fiction enjoyable and never disappoints. This piece of historical fiction made me realise that that which causes us pain can be used to achieve goodness, even in the long run.
I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys historical fiction.
If you’ve enjoyed The Tattooist of Auschwitz or Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris, you will certainly love this book!
Add The Berlin Girl to your Goodreads list.
Other books by Mandy Robotham
[b:The German Midwife|43011720|The German Midwife|Mandy Robotham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543558692l/43011720._SY75_.jpg|65821768]
[b:The Secret Messenger|52762957|The Secret Messenger|Mandy Robotham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570442407l/52762957._SX50_SY75_.jpg|70900370]
Thank you to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.
This review is also posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.com/2020/08/23/book-review-the-berlin-girl-by-mandy-robotham/
Book: The Berlin Girl by Mandy Robotham
Published: 29 October 2020
Genre: General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
My Rating: ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
This is the third book by Mandy Robotham that I have read and it’s fantastic!
Georgina (Georgie) Young is a woman in a man’s world, determined to show everyone that she can do it too. We are taken to Berlin, Germany, in 1938 where Georgie is a reporter sent to Berlin to report under the name George Young for the London based newspaper, the Chronicle. She is part of the foreign press and needs to report about the events happening in Berlin, news about the Führer, Adolf Hitler. What he does, what he plans and anything about the Reich. When Georgie arrives in Berlin, the streets are decorated with Nazi insignia and an ombre feeling of domination vibrated through the air.
Before going to Berlin Georgie sits at a bar in the London Ritz feeling awkward and willing the Summer Media Ball to be over. A glamorous event for correspondents, reporters, photographers and editors. While watching everyone enjoying themselves, a man comes up to Georgie and starts making small talk. She later finds out he is a reporter for the Telegraph. After a dismissal she puts the man out of her mind, never to see him again. Or so she thought.
After a few weeks, Georgie finds herself on a plane to Berlin, alongside the reporter from the Telegraph known as Max Spender. They were assigned to Berlin, together. Having a rocky start from the get-go, Georgie and Max’s relationship as fellow reporters are moulded by the horrendous events and scenes they witness. Soon realising that the Berlin she visited in 1936 to report about the Olympics has been replaced by a city filled with Nazi propaganda, fear and a hatred for Jews. Both Georgie and Max report to their different newspapers, but as they convene with the press pack at the Adlon, they soon discover the dark and sinister ongoing’s in Berlin. When the names of Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler, Rudolf Hess, Frederik Graf and Adolf Hitler are mentioned, a storm is coming.
With the sudden and mysterious death of a fellow reporter, Paul Adamson, and rumours about a camp (Sachsenhausen) where Jews were taken, proving to be true, Georgie and Max team up together to help a Jewish family, Rubin and Sara Amsel with their 2 children to escape the claws of the Nazis.
What I liked about the book was that the story has a good flow to it. The author has the ability to let the trauma, sadness and pain jump off the pages and straight into the reader’s heart. It’s not the feeling of ‘I feel what the character is feeling’. It is more than that. The author sits us down in the living room of Rubin and Sara Amsel when Georgie and Max arrive there to support them after they had to send their 2 children to England for safety. The author sits us down with Georgie, Max and Rubin when he reads the devastating letters from his brother-in-law Elias, that is held in the camp Sachsenhausen.
My favourite character is the main character, Georgie Young. She doesn’t give up in a time of crisis and pain, even when being emotionally overwhelmed at times. Instead, she uses it to fuel the fire inside of her to seek justice for the people that are treated unfairly. The characters felt real and believable. This book had me on the edge of my seat and kept me guessing.
Overall the book was fantastic, but I felt the ending happened too quickly. From 1946 to 1994 in just a few pages. But aside from that, I enjoyed the story and can’t wait for Mandy Robotham’s next work. She makes historical fiction enjoyable and never disappoints. This piece of historical fiction made me realise that that which causes us pain can be used to achieve goodness, even in the long run.
I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys historical fiction.
If you’ve enjoyed The Tattooist of Auschwitz or Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris, you will certainly love this book!
Add The Berlin Girl to your Goodreads list.
Other books by Mandy Robotham
[b:The German Midwife|43011720|The German Midwife|Mandy Robotham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543558692l/43011720._SY75_.jpg|65821768]
[b:The Secret Messenger|52762957|The Secret Messenger|Mandy Robotham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570442407l/52762957._SX50_SY75_.jpg|70900370]
Thank you to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.
This review is also posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.com/2020/08/23/book-review-the-berlin-girl-by-mandy-robotham/