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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
(I just read this book for the third time. It is absolutely incredible, and I still recommend it to everyone.)
Because this book is brand new and has an awesome cover, it caught my eye at the library. Truth be told, I looked at this book because I thought it was another goofy YA romance, and wanted to be amused by a peek at its absurdities. I read the plot premise, and saw that this was not another bizarre paranormal fantasy, but was historical fiction about a girl growing up in Hitler's shadow in 1930s Munich. Even though I knew nothing about it, the time period and story appealed to me enough that I went out on a limb and checked it out. (Yes, I'm a librarian in the making... My wild side appears when I play Scrabble, and I live on the edge when I check out books without reading reviews first.)
I enjoyed this novel more than I have enjoyed fiction in a long time. It was surprisingly well-written, especially for a debut novel, and had great vocabulary words all throughout, which was one thing that won me over in my cursory glance through the book at the library. The characters are well-drawn and endearing, and instead of idly sitting back to watch the story unfold, I grew truly afraid for them. I read lots of good books, but only occasionally find those which grip me and don't let me go. Several times, I even forgot to breathe, because the danger and risk in this story were so tangible and real.
The imaginative elements in the story were well-done, fitting right into the reality of history. It was exciting to see how much of the story was true, and to learn even more about history through a memorable novel. The author's note in the back gave great information about what was true and what she made up, and she gave book recommendations for further reading, which I will definitely check out. I learned a lot from this book, but never found it dry or boring. This was not a historical treatise, but a grand story pulling in so many true elements that I kept gaining more information about one of my chief interests.
One thing I greatly appreciated was how none of the scenes were superfluous. Especially in YA romance, there tend to be whole sections of the book that seem to have nothing to do with anything, just to fit in more hormonal contemplation, angst, and drama. Here, it was not so. If anything, the romance took a backseat to the plot, slowly developing in a more natural way. Although there are some slightly implausible aspects, overall it was good, and the story unfolded page by page, with no unnecessary parts. Every scene added something to the plot or characters, and there were no dull, irrelevant portions where I started wondering if I should check Facebook. Even when the moment was not riveting, it was all part of the unfolding story, and I was impressed by the good pacing.
The character development was also natural and well-paced, and I was pleased to see that this book avoided two of my main pet peeves: anachronistic thinking and immediate fundamental change.
We've all read those Civil War stories where the main character is not only against slavery, but has twenty-first century views on race relations. Authors often put modern sensibilities into the heads of characters immersed in completely different cultures, and despite the fact that no one thought that way until the historical event was hindsight, authors present these characters as the sane ones in a messed-up society. The extremely anachronistic perceptions in such stories cheapen the historical value of a novel, and make the character's idealistic speeches seem quite laughable.
In any genre, you can find characters whose views radically change without sufficient time or provocation. This always grates on me, because no one ever reorients their worldview in a day. Such changes happen over time, and although some significant trauma or major event could cause a sudden turn-around, it is absurd for characters to just change at the whim of an author. Something has to drive the change, and the reader must see it incrementally happening.
This book avoided both pitfalls, presenting the perfect Aryan girl dazzled by Hitler and convinced that he knows what’s best. She was not the person standing up to defend Jews, but just like everyone else, found them repulsive and believed the lies. It was realistic, and her thoughts made sense in the historical context. Then, as she got to know the Jewish reporter who becomes a love interest, her views began to change, but there was no emotional moment of truth. It was a slow process. The plot of the story drove the change forward, each unfolding element bringing her closer to the truth, until her eyes were opened. It was all rational and realistic, and I really enjoyed it.
My one substantial complain about this book, quite simply, is that since I discovered this book a few months after publication, I will have to wait for the sequel!
Because this book is brand new and has an awesome cover, it caught my eye at the library. Truth be told, I looked at this book because I thought it was another goofy YA romance, and wanted to be amused by a peek at its absurdities. I read the plot premise, and saw that this was not another bizarre paranormal fantasy, but was historical fiction about a girl growing up in Hitler's shadow in 1930s Munich. Even though I knew nothing about it, the time period and story appealed to me enough that I went out on a limb and checked it out. (Yes, I'm a librarian in the making... My wild side appears when I play Scrabble, and I live on the edge when I check out books without reading reviews first.)
I enjoyed this novel more than I have enjoyed fiction in a long time. It was surprisingly well-written, especially for a debut novel, and had great vocabulary words all throughout, which was one thing that won me over in my cursory glance through the book at the library. The characters are well-drawn and endearing, and instead of idly sitting back to watch the story unfold, I grew truly afraid for them. I read lots of good books, but only occasionally find those which grip me and don't let me go. Several times, I even forgot to breathe, because the danger and risk in this story were so tangible and real.
The imaginative elements in the story were well-done, fitting right into the reality of history. It was exciting to see how much of the story was true, and to learn even more about history through a memorable novel. The author's note in the back gave great information about what was true and what she made up, and she gave book recommendations for further reading, which I will definitely check out. I learned a lot from this book, but never found it dry or boring. This was not a historical treatise, but a grand story pulling in so many true elements that I kept gaining more information about one of my chief interests.
One thing I greatly appreciated was how none of the scenes were superfluous. Especially in YA romance, there tend to be whole sections of the book that seem to have nothing to do with anything, just to fit in more hormonal contemplation, angst, and drama. Here, it was not so. If anything, the romance took a backseat to the plot, slowly developing in a more natural way. Although there are some slightly implausible aspects, overall it was good, and the story unfolded page by page, with no unnecessary parts. Every scene added something to the plot or characters, and there were no dull, irrelevant portions where I started wondering if I should check Facebook. Even when the moment was not riveting, it was all part of the unfolding story, and I was impressed by the good pacing.
The character development was also natural and well-paced, and I was pleased to see that this book avoided two of my main pet peeves: anachronistic thinking and immediate fundamental change.
We've all read those Civil War stories where the main character is not only against slavery, but has twenty-first century views on race relations. Authors often put modern sensibilities into the heads of characters immersed in completely different cultures, and despite the fact that no one thought that way until the historical event was hindsight, authors present these characters as the sane ones in a messed-up society. The extremely anachronistic perceptions in such stories cheapen the historical value of a novel, and make the character's idealistic speeches seem quite laughable.
In any genre, you can find characters whose views radically change without sufficient time or provocation. This always grates on me, because no one ever reorients their worldview in a day. Such changes happen over time, and although some significant trauma or major event could cause a sudden turn-around, it is absurd for characters to just change at the whim of an author. Something has to drive the change, and the reader must see it incrementally happening.
This book avoided both pitfalls, presenting the perfect Aryan girl dazzled by Hitler and convinced that he knows what’s best. She was not the person standing up to defend Jews, but just like everyone else, found them repulsive and believed the lies. It was realistic, and her thoughts made sense in the historical context. Then, as she got to know the Jewish reporter who becomes a love interest, her views began to change, but there was no emotional moment of truth. It was a slow process. The plot of the story drove the change forward, each unfolding element bringing her closer to the truth, until her eyes were opened. It was all rational and realistic, and I really enjoyed it.
My one substantial complain about this book, quite simply, is that since I discovered this book a few months after publication, I will have to wait for the sequel!
I really liked this story. It's the 1st in a series and I'm not sure when the next will be published...oh how I hate waiting. I look forward to finding out what happens to Gretchen and Daniel. I think we all know what eventually happens to Hitler. The only problem I had with the story is how fast Gretchen was able to go from a darling in the Nazi party to realizing the evil that was sweeping over Munich and soon the rest of Germany.
very average, no strong feelings. i dont wanna read the next books but i still do want to know what happens
This is one of those books I thought I would like better than I did. The premise seemed right up my alley, but I just couldn't connect with it the way I wanted. The writing is good, the story line is good, I just couldn't get attached to it, so for that reason 4 out of 5 stars. I would still recommend it though for people that like historical fiction.
This book was good, allowed you to picture what it would of been like back then in Germany before WW2 started.
It was interesting to find out that most of the characters in the book were in fact real only a few were made up for the point of the story. It was nice to know the authors research at the end. I think this really added to the book.
I enjoyed this book, I just wanted to keep reading it. It really gripped you and drew you in. The writing was very clear, it allowed you to picture exactly what was happening but also the environment around it. You could picture the boarding house, Hilters house and his summer house to name a few. Being able to imagine the scene is inportant to me in a book.
If you want a book where you can find out more about what happened before WW2 and also the people who were around this is the book for you.if you just want an interesting story that will let your imagination run wild, this is also the book for you.
4 stars
It was interesting to find out that most of the characters in the book were in fact real only a few were made up for the point of the story. It was nice to know the authors research at the end. I think this really added to the book.
I enjoyed this book, I just wanted to keep reading it. It really gripped you and drew you in. The writing was very clear, it allowed you to picture exactly what was happening but also the environment around it. You could picture the boarding house, Hilters house and his summer house to name a few. Being able to imagine the scene is inportant to me in a book.
If you want a book where you can find out more about what happened before WW2 and also the people who were around this is the book for you.if you just want an interesting story that will let your imagination run wild, this is also the book for you.
4 stars
Such an interesting read! I've always been facinated with WWII history and this was a unique look into the fearsome world of Hitler. I've always loved historical fiction and this was a good read in that aera, blending history into a fantastic tale. It was fascinating and terrfying. Although it was slow at times and maybe a bit emtoionally detached, I still was very enthralled by this novel and am excited to see what the sequel has in store!
Another great World War 2 story. This is a story of an unknown Jew's friendship with a pure blood German girl. She is adored by Hitler, abused by her brother and loved by her friends. She is also intrigued by the Jewish boy who seems to be following her.
I love how this book has both historical elements and a love interest.
I love how this book has both historical elements and a love interest.
I loved this book and I started out uncertain that I was going to. Historical fiction usually isn't my thing (okay. Truth time. I picked it up because the cover is gorgeous), but this one was fascinating. It made the days preceding Hitler's reign present and important. Gretchen was a character I could love, root for and worry about. I stayed up far too late one night reading it in an attempt to get to a good 'pause' then raced to find out what happened (unfortunately finishing it much too quickly). Now I have to wait two months to get the sequel! In any case, this book was a very pleasant surprise and I'm excited to see what's up with the characters as things play out.
Excellent! A wonderful, thrilling novel of pre-war Berlin as Hitler came to power. The audiobook narration was amazing and added authenticity. Though this was a YA novel, it was deep enough for adults to enjoy too. The characters, especially Daniel and Gretchen, were nuanced and intriguing. I don't know if Gretchen was a real part of hitler's life but it was an interesting aspect to consider.