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emufranklin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Not many authors can capture the inside of a child's head like this book did.
bonnieinpv's review against another edition
5.0
A well-written story from the POV of a true innocent. Although appropriate for children, i'd be cautious sharing it with the sensitive tween/pre-teen like my daughter. I'll wait another year or two. But when I do, it will be a perfect conversation continuer (we already read Number the Stars) about the atrocities of the Jewish holocaust.
acwill422's review against another edition
2.0
I love WW2 Historical fiction, but this was not good. It felt completely unrealistic. As a third grade teacher, I spend a lot of time with 9 year olds, so Bruno unawareness was unbelievable. Also, the possibility of Shmuel and Bruno meeting and talking through a fence at Auschwitz is highly unlikely. I recommend passing on this one.
bermudaonion's review against another edition
4.0
Bruno and his family lived in Berlin during World War II. His father was an officer in the Army. Bruno was a typical nine-year old - his life revolved around family, friends and school. When he found Maria, his family’s maid, packing up his belongings one day, he discovered that his family was moving. Bruno was very unhappy at “Out-With” (as Bruno called it) at first. His sister Gretel was three years older than him and they really didn’t get along that well, so he had no one to play with. His father was working and his mother was distant.
From his bedroom window, Bruno could see Auschwitz concentration camp and all the people in it and couldn’t understand why they had to stay on their side of the fence and he had to stay on his. He decided to go exploring one day and encountered a young Polish boy, Shmuel, on the other side of the fence who shares his birthday. The boys struck up an unlikely friendship and met almost daily to talk.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne is a great book that will really make you think and leave you teary-eyed and sad. It’s about blind ambition and prejudices and how both can cloud our judgement and affect everyone around us. I didn’t see the ending coming and it left me feeling shocked. It’s written at a Young Adult level, but I’m not sure I would classify it as a Young Adult novel. Some knowledge of Nazi Germany is required in order to truly understand the book.
From his bedroom window, Bruno could see Auschwitz concentration camp and all the people in it and couldn’t understand why they had to stay on their side of the fence and he had to stay on his. He decided to go exploring one day and encountered a young Polish boy, Shmuel, on the other side of the fence who shares his birthday. The boys struck up an unlikely friendship and met almost daily to talk.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne is a great book that will really make you think and leave you teary-eyed and sad. It’s about blind ambition and prejudices and how both can cloud our judgement and affect everyone around us. I didn’t see the ending coming and it left me feeling shocked. It’s written at a Young Adult level, but I’m not sure I would classify it as a Young Adult novel. Some knowledge of Nazi Germany is required in order to truly understand the book.
jessicasouth's review against another edition
4.0
Another book I wanted to read before I saw the movie.
The movie and book were very similar.
Quick read. Makes you think about your actions as a human being.
The movie and book were very similar.
Quick read. Makes you think about your actions as a human being.
thomas_edmund's review against another edition
4.0
The Boy in Striped Pj's is a short fable about the son of a German Commandant who befriends another similarily aged Jewish boy incarcerated in Auschwitz (which he refers to as out-with)
The narration builds tension well, despite the main character being oblivious, we are made well aware of the danger, particularily for the Jewish servants of the boy's family.
My main concern of the book, is that it is too short. I realise its an attempt to be a simple story or fable, but there was so much potential to develop the characters. Instead the story ends abruptly, in an ironic but slightly too forced event which left me dissapointed.
Also a problem was the unneeded last chapter with a last sentence which left me a little WTF? Was is intended to be more irony, sarcasm? Or what.
One can't help feel a jaded sense of that the Boy in Striped Pj's is just another book attempting to evoke emotions from the holocaust, but its not bad. It won't take long to read, so well worth it.
The narration builds tension well, despite the main character being oblivious, we are made well aware of the danger, particularily for the Jewish servants of the boy's family.
My main concern of the book, is that it is too short. I realise its an attempt to be a simple story or fable, but there was so much potential to develop the characters. Instead the story ends abruptly, in an ironic but slightly too forced event which left me dissapointed.
Also a problem was the unneeded last chapter with a last sentence which left me a little WTF? Was is intended to be more irony, sarcasm? Or what.
One can't help feel a jaded sense of that the Boy in Striped Pj's is just another book attempting to evoke emotions from the holocaust, but its not bad. It won't take long to read, so well worth it.
lu_23's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
saleen's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0