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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Such a great premise, but the characters never quite came alive for me, and the writing felt a little stiff. I wanted to see how it would all resolve, but of course things are left hanging for the sequel, and I'm not quite that invested. Still, a fascinating look at 1930s Munich, which I don't know much about.
3.5**
When Hailey from Haileyinbookland described this book as following Hitler's (fictional) niece, I was sold! I NEEDED to read it.
I have always been a fan of learning about the Holocaust & World War 2. I always found the topic interesting, as well as WW1. While I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, I enjoyed this book.
It's clear by the bibliography in the back of this novel that Anne Blankman put a lot of work and research into this novel, weaving together facts and fiction. Blankman did such a great job as portraying Hitler as how his people saw him before he came to reign, in such a terrifying way. She made him seem so likeable, charming and loving (which is how his people saw him before his reign of terror - no one could believe their beloved Hitler would be a psycho). I also enjoyed learning more about Hitler's past - I feel like that is not talked about and it's interesting to see that and how it played a role in his reign (no spoilers here).
There was a romance in this novel, but it was on the back burner which I liked. Anne Blankman focused more on the events of the time era, instead of focusing on the romance and fiction. I also wanted to punch Reinhard in the face and every time he was mentioned I found myself so aggravated.
I gave this three stars not just because it's not my genre of choice, but also because I felt that it was slow and took some time to get into the conflict and plot. I understand why it was written that way, as it reflects the time period and educates you and if it jumped right into conflict, it definitely wouldn't have the same long-lasting effects. Overall, I am glad I took a chance on this book and I look forward to picking up the sequel [b: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke|22838220|Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog, #2)|Anne Blankman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1413217141l/22838220._SX50_.jpg|42391521]
Hitler was creepy as hell man. I mean, I already knew he was a psychopath but this made me realize how inhumane he was.
When Hailey from Haileyinbookland described this book as following Hitler's (fictional) niece, I was sold! I NEEDED to read it.
I have always been a fan of learning about the Holocaust & World War 2. I always found the topic interesting, as well as WW1. While I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, I enjoyed this book.
It's clear by the bibliography in the back of this novel that Anne Blankman put a lot of work and research into this novel, weaving together facts and fiction. Blankman did such a great job as portraying Hitler as how his people saw him before he came to reign, in such a terrifying way. She made him seem so likeable, charming and loving (which is how his people saw him before his reign of terror - no one could believe their beloved Hitler would be a psycho). I also enjoyed learning more about Hitler's past - I feel like that is not talked about and it's interesting to see that and how it played a role in his reign (no spoilers here).
There was a romance in this novel, but it was on the back burner which I liked. Anne Blankman focused more on the events of the time era, instead of focusing on the romance and fiction. I also wanted to punch Reinhard in the face and every time he was mentioned I found myself so aggravated.
I gave this three stars not just because it's not my genre of choice, but also because I felt that it was slow and took some time to get into the conflict and plot. I understand why it was written that way, as it reflects the time period and educates you and if it jumped right into conflict, it definitely wouldn't have the same long-lasting effects. Overall, I am glad I took a chance on this book and I look forward to picking up the sequel [b: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke|22838220|Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog, #2)|Anne Blankman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1413217141l/22838220._SX50_.jpg|42391521]
Hitler was creepy as hell man. I mean, I already knew he was a psychopath but this made me realize how inhumane he was.
Imagine a world in which everything you thought you knew was wrong; picture a world where solid things figuratively become air, and the absolutes to which you’ve anchored your life prove to be anything but absolutes. That describes life for young Gretchen Muller. She isn’t really Adolf Hitler’s niece, but her dad died in an act of saving Hitler’s life before he came to power back when he was an upstart painter turned politician. So because of her dad’s act of bravery, Gretchen is pampered and cared for by Hitler on his meteoric rise to the top.
But things change in a disturbing way for the young woman, a Nazi through and through, until Daniel Cohen enters her life. He’s a reporter for an anti-Nazi newspaper, and Daniel has evidence that indicates that Gretchen’s dad’s death isn’t what it seemed to have been.
Indeed, she and Daniel meet when her psychopathic brother and a group of his friends are about to do severe physical harm to Cohen, and Gretchen involuntarily begs them to stop. She, too, has the same feelings of revulsion to the hated Jew that her brother has, but if he’s so subhuman, why do his cries of pain sound so human?
Soon cracks and Fissures like that are flinging Gretchen’s life into conflict, and everything she once knew to be true is clearly false and ugly.
I swore years ago that I was done with Hollocaust books. But this one had been on my hard drive since 2015, and the book blogosphere hyped it rather well when it was new, so I pushed aside my hardened resolve and read this. What you need to understand about it is that it’s not a Holocaust book. It’s a well-crafted nicely written piece of fiction that looks hard at the undercurrents of Germany in the late 1920s and into the 1930s. There are eerie parallels to some circumstances in our day as we watch angry Americans on both sides of the aisle who are angry because they feel like no one in leadership listens. Then along comes a fix-it guy—a political handyman who promises to replace the old and the broken with shiny new things, and best of all, he’ll do it without asking the people to get involved from a civic perspective; all they need do is hate a specific group of people and blame that group for their hunger, their anger, etc.
As Gretchen and Daniel tentatively break down the personal barriers that will allow them to be a couple during a time in history when being a couple from their backgrounds seems impossible, you once again see how love and light can triumph over darkness and hate.
If you can get the audio version of this book, you truly should. British singer and actress Heather Wilds is Gretchen in every way possible. Her accents are magnificent, and she brings a European feel to the book that makes it even more memorable than it already is.
But things change in a disturbing way for the young woman, a Nazi through and through, until Daniel Cohen enters her life. He’s a reporter for an anti-Nazi newspaper, and Daniel has evidence that indicates that Gretchen’s dad’s death isn’t what it seemed to have been.
Indeed, she and Daniel meet when her psychopathic brother and a group of his friends are about to do severe physical harm to Cohen, and Gretchen involuntarily begs them to stop. She, too, has the same feelings of revulsion to the hated Jew that her brother has, but if he’s so subhuman, why do his cries of pain sound so human?
Soon cracks and Fissures like that are flinging Gretchen’s life into conflict, and everything she once knew to be true is clearly false and ugly.
I swore years ago that I was done with Hollocaust books. But this one had been on my hard drive since 2015, and the book blogosphere hyped it rather well when it was new, so I pushed aside my hardened resolve and read this. What you need to understand about it is that it’s not a Holocaust book. It’s a well-crafted nicely written piece of fiction that looks hard at the undercurrents of Germany in the late 1920s and into the 1930s. There are eerie parallels to some circumstances in our day as we watch angry Americans on both sides of the aisle who are angry because they feel like no one in leadership listens. Then along comes a fix-it guy—a political handyman who promises to replace the old and the broken with shiny new things, and best of all, he’ll do it without asking the people to get involved from a civic perspective; all they need do is hate a specific group of people and blame that group for their hunger, their anger, etc.
As Gretchen and Daniel tentatively break down the personal barriers that will allow them to be a couple during a time in history when being a couple from their backgrounds seems impossible, you once again see how love and light can triumph over darkness and hate.
If you can get the audio version of this book, you truly should. British singer and actress Heather Wilds is Gretchen in every way possible. Her accents are magnificent, and she brings a European feel to the book that makes it even more memorable than it already is.
Gretchen's father lost his life protecting a friend, a friend who has become so dear to her family that Gretchen calls him uncle and he absolutely dotes on her. Her 'uncle' is none other than Adolf Hitler and Gretchen has always obeyed his orders without thinking about them. Until she meets a Jewish reporter named Daniel who makes her start questioning the events of her father's death. She must decide if learning the truth about her father is worth giving up the safety of being her 'uncle' Dolf's little pet.
This was a highly impressive debut novel from Anne Blankman. There were so many facts about what was happening at this time in real life woven into the plot without it coming across as dry or simply stuffed in to seem impressive. It gave a great perspective on how easily it can be to get sucked in by someone who has firm beliefs and who's passionate and charismatic, make you believe you want what they want.
I love Gretchen as a character. The slow progression from her believing everything Hitler has taught her to discovering who she really is was well-written and believable. It wasn't instant, there were some slips backwards, and that was what made me believe it. She fought through everything that was trying to keep her an agreeable little girl and became a young woman with her own thoughts and her own beliefs.
The romance was sweet and I like that it never became the focus. The story was always Gretchen's journey and Daniel was someone who could help her discover herself and discover the truth about her father. He was supportive and caring and everything he needed to be for her.
The first half of the book was a little slow but things picked up around the halfway mark, and tension really picked up in the last quarter. It was clear the author did her research before writing about this time and these events. Plenty of real events were mentions, real people were present, and there was an author's note and a bibliography packed with more information along with each part of the book containing a quote from Hitler.
This was a book that was hard to put down with lots of tension and action, great characters(both good and evil), and well-researched.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This was a highly impressive debut novel from Anne Blankman. There were so many facts about what was happening at this time in real life woven into the plot without it coming across as dry or simply stuffed in to seem impressive. It gave a great perspective on how easily it can be to get sucked in by someone who has firm beliefs and who's passionate and charismatic, make you believe you want what they want.
I love Gretchen as a character. The slow progression from her believing everything Hitler has taught her to discovering who she really is was well-written and believable. It wasn't instant, there were some slips backwards, and that was what made me believe it. She fought through everything that was trying to keep her an agreeable little girl and became a young woman with her own thoughts and her own beliefs.
The romance was sweet and I like that it never became the focus. The story was always Gretchen's journey and Daniel was someone who could help her discover herself and discover the truth about her father. He was supportive and caring and everything he needed to be for her.
The first half of the book was a little slow but things picked up around the halfway mark, and tension really picked up in the last quarter. It was clear the author did her research before writing about this time and these events. Plenty of real events were mentions, real people were present, and there was an author's note and a bibliography packed with more information along with each part of the book containing a quote from Hitler.
This was a book that was hard to put down with lots of tension and action, great characters(both good and evil), and well-researched.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of the better historical fictions that I have read. The plot of the book was very intriguing. I loved the concept and it was executed quite well. The story was very fast paced and had many twists and turns.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable book and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable book and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
I think I want to give this book more of a 2.5 star rating. I have mixed feelings about the book. On one hand, I loved reading this. On the other, I admit that the writing still was kind of, "Oh, well, thanks for telling me." So, let's break this down into categories.
My general reactions about reading: 4-stars
As I said before, I loved reading this book. I cannot tell you why, but something about it pulled me in and made me turn page after page. I was particularly interested in the real people that the characters were based on, so I frequently interrupted my reading to do some history research. I really like how the author included sources for readers to find more information. That was very kind of her. I may have to check out some of those books she recommended.
Daniel: 0.5-star
Here I am specifically signally out Daniel for a reason. To me, he seems whitewashed. The only reason I know he is Jewish is because he says, "I'm a Jew." I don't see any other references to Judaism or Jewish culture when Daniel is in the picture. It seems like someone who claims, "I'm Italian!" when he or she grew up in America, his or her family has been here for many generations, and the person follows more of an American culture than Italian. The person may have Italian genes, but culturally, the person is American. My point is...Daniel doesn't seem Jewish to me. Maybe that is the author's point, to make Daniel seem like any other German, but I wish there were more references to Jewish culture.
Love story: 1-star
If you like cheesy romance stories, then this love story deserves 5-stars. I do like the development of Gretchen and Daniel's relationship, but when they are actually together and actually in love...it is just too much. Their relationship starts off rocky and eventually grows a little over time, but one day she looks at him and says, "I'M TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH YOU IN EVERY WHICH WAY." Then I felt completely swallowed by a landslide of cheese. It is a very idealistic romance. It's not necessarily wrong; it's just not my preference.
Action (or things happening!): 5-stars
The plot keeps moving. Some things that happen make me think...WTF, but otherwise the scenes move pretty fast, and I like the pace.
Writing style: 1-star
I don't want to insult the author, but sometimes (by which, I mean a lot of the time) the writing does a lot of telling. This actually increases the pace of the book. However, sometimes it's nice to have a little bit more creative description of what's going on. I'm paraphrasing here, but basically a scene goes, "She turned around, and the general spun his gun in an arc. Then she ran." We hear a lot of her heartbeat. Poor heart...it must be extremely overworked. Some details are repeated frequently, and the way scenes are depicted seems limited. I realize writing is very hard to do, so I don't want to be too harsh. After all, I've never published a book, but as a reader, I expected a little bit more, especially given the ages of the characters, which reminds me.
Gretchen: 3-stars
I think Gretchen is a strong heroine because she tries her best to get involved. She may not do it in the smartest way, but I think she's also trying to find her path, which she may not exactly know at the end of the book. Well, she really doesn't know. That's why there's another book coming! Moving on, the thing that bothers me about Gretchen is that she acts young for her age. If I had to guess her age based on the book, I'd say she's around 14, but Gretchen is actually around 18-20, I believe. I get accused of acting like a kid a lot, so I can understand a character acting "young," but everything about Gretchen pretty much seems like a young teen instead of an older teen.
I don't think it's fair for me to rate this last bit, but the psychology kind of made me rolled my eyes. I know the author used the type of psychology that they used in book's historical time period, but it's definitely not the same in modern times anymore.
Overall, I'd like to say that even though I really enjoyed this book, based on the way I rated other books, I feel compelled to rate this one as a 2.5 book, mostly because of the simple writing style. However! I really am looking forward to the next book. I want to know what happens in Gretchen's future. I really hope she becomes a doctor.
My general reactions about reading: 4-stars
As I said before, I loved reading this book. I cannot tell you why, but something about it pulled me in and made me turn page after page. I was particularly interested in the real people that the characters were based on, so I frequently interrupted my reading to do some history research. I really like how the author included sources for readers to find more information. That was very kind of her. I may have to check out some of those books she recommended.
Daniel: 0.5-star
Here I am specifically signally out Daniel for a reason. To me, he seems whitewashed. The only reason I know he is Jewish is because he says, "I'm a Jew." I don't see any other references to Judaism or Jewish culture when Daniel is in the picture. It seems like someone who claims, "I'm Italian!" when he or she grew up in America, his or her family has been here for many generations, and the person follows more of an American culture than Italian. The person may have Italian genes, but culturally, the person is American. My point is...Daniel doesn't seem Jewish to me. Maybe that is the author's point, to make Daniel seem like any other German, but I wish there were more references to Jewish culture.
Love story: 1-star
If you like cheesy romance stories, then this love story deserves 5-stars. I do like the development of Gretchen and Daniel's relationship, but when they are actually together and actually in love...it is just too much. Their relationship starts off rocky and eventually grows a little over time, but one day she looks at him and says, "I'M TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH YOU IN EVERY WHICH WAY." Then I felt completely swallowed by a landslide of cheese. It is a very idealistic romance. It's not necessarily wrong; it's just not my preference.
Action (or things happening!): 5-stars
The plot keeps moving. Some things that happen make me think...WTF, but otherwise the scenes move pretty fast, and I like the pace.
Writing style: 1-star
I don't want to insult the author, but sometimes (by which, I mean a lot of the time) the writing does a lot of telling. This actually increases the pace of the book. However, sometimes it's nice to have a little bit more creative description of what's going on. I'm paraphrasing here, but basically a scene goes, "She turned around, and the general spun his gun in an arc. Then she ran." We hear a lot of her heartbeat. Poor heart...it must be extremely overworked. Some details are repeated frequently, and the way scenes are depicted seems limited. I realize writing is very hard to do, so I don't want to be too harsh. After all, I've never published a book, but as a reader, I expected a little bit more, especially given the ages of the characters, which reminds me.
Gretchen: 3-stars
I think Gretchen is a strong heroine because she tries her best to get involved. She may not do it in the smartest way, but I think she's also trying to find her path, which she may not exactly know at the end of the book. Well, she really doesn't know. That's why there's another book coming! Moving on, the thing that bothers me about Gretchen is that she acts young for her age. If I had to guess her age based on the book, I'd say she's around 14, but Gretchen is actually around 18-20, I believe. I get accused of acting like a kid a lot, so I can understand a character acting "young," but everything about Gretchen pretty much seems like a young teen instead of an older teen.
I don't think it's fair for me to rate this last bit, but the psychology kind of made me rolled my eyes. I know the author used the type of psychology that they used in book's historical time period, but it's definitely not the same in modern times anymore.
Overall, I'd like to say that even though I really enjoyed this book, based on the way I rated other books, I feel compelled to rate this one as a 2.5 book, mostly because of the simple writing style. However! I really am looking forward to the next book. I want to know what happens in Gretchen's future. I really hope she becomes a doctor.
This was... weird to read. The beginning, specifically. It was weird hearing the protagonist of a story say anti-semantic things. I am aware that I picked up a book that took place in the 1930s where the first people we meet are close to Adolf Hitler, but that doesn’t mean I won’t feel weird or uncomfortable hearing those things.
I felt that the main plot wasn’t the death of Gretchen’s father, which was kind of a disappointment. Instead, it was mostly the protagonist learning that Hitler was a bad dude. I was excited to read a sort of mystery taking place during this time, but that’s not what I got.
I’ve read a decent amount of books with the setting of WW2 (WW2 historical fiction is one of my favorite genres), and I felt that this book wasn’t as interesting compared to the other books I’ve read with similar settings.
I felt that the main plot wasn’t the death of Gretchen’s father, which was kind of a disappointment. Instead, it was mostly the protagonist learning that Hitler was a bad dude. I was excited to read a sort of mystery taking place during this time, but that’s not what I got.
I’ve read a decent amount of books with the setting of WW2 (WW2 historical fiction is one of my favorite genres), and I felt that this book wasn’t as interesting compared to the other books I’ve read with similar settings.
very engaging story with an interesting premise that i think the author pulls off pretty well
Although [b:Prisoner of Night and Fog|17668473|Prisoner of Night and Fog (Prisoner of Night and Fog, #1)|Anne Blankman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395470671s/17668473.jpg|24664532] started out a bit slow for me, it really picked up and the author, [a:Anne Blankman|7012378|Anne Blankman|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1374190458p2/7012378.jpg], caught my interest as many of the historical figures came into play. This is a great book for those interested in this dark period of history and also for anyone into a good suspense / mystery with a budding love story.
I'll be checking out the next book from this author!
I'll be checking out the next book from this author!
Student Review:
Kaila rated it 4 of 5 stars
4.5 stars
Gretchen lives in Munich, Germany in 1930 and has a life just like every other seventeen year old girl - except for the fact that she is the beloved pet of none other than Adolf Hitler. Gretchen follows everything that her "Uncle Dolf" commands and is in the spotlight in the National Socialist Party. Then one day, Gretchen meets a Jewish reporter who leads her to believe that her father's death was actually a murder and that it wasn't to protect Adolf. Gretchen can't believe that that could actually have happened but is forced to reconsider the people she once thought of as friends. Drawn in by Daniel's charm and logic, Gretchen is forced to choose if she wants to stay in Hitler's good graces or if she wants to find out the truth about her father's death.
First off, I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At the beginning, it was kind of slow but after you got past the initial explanation of things, it really picked up and I couldn't put it down. I really loved Gretchen's and Daniel's characters and loved reading a book that was kind of on the inside of Hitler's Party instead of looking from the outside. You really saw Hitler in a new light, from the perspective of a girl who genuinely thought he was an amazing man. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, especially if you are interested in Hitler and the Nazi life.
I think that this book would be for anyone in 9th grade and up because younger students might not fully grasp the concept of what happened in Germany back then. The genre is historical fiction. The characters were developed amazingly; I thought that the author did a very good job with characterization. I personally loved this book and I would give it an "awesome" recommendation but if you aren't into history then this book might not be for you.
All in all, I really liked this book and it definitely deserves 4.5 stars
Kaila rated it 4 of 5 stars
4.5 stars
Gretchen lives in Munich, Germany in 1930 and has a life just like every other seventeen year old girl - except for the fact that she is the beloved pet of none other than Adolf Hitler. Gretchen follows everything that her "Uncle Dolf" commands and is in the spotlight in the National Socialist Party. Then one day, Gretchen meets a Jewish reporter who leads her to believe that her father's death was actually a murder and that it wasn't to protect Adolf. Gretchen can't believe that that could actually have happened but is forced to reconsider the people she once thought of as friends. Drawn in by Daniel's charm and logic, Gretchen is forced to choose if she wants to stay in Hitler's good graces or if she wants to find out the truth about her father's death.
First off, I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At the beginning, it was kind of slow but after you got past the initial explanation of things, it really picked up and I couldn't put it down. I really loved Gretchen's and Daniel's characters and loved reading a book that was kind of on the inside of Hitler's Party instead of looking from the outside. You really saw Hitler in a new light, from the perspective of a girl who genuinely thought he was an amazing man. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, especially if you are interested in Hitler and the Nazi life.
I think that this book would be for anyone in 9th grade and up because younger students might not fully grasp the concept of what happened in Germany back then. The genre is historical fiction. The characters were developed amazingly; I thought that the author did a very good job with characterization. I personally loved this book and I would give it an "awesome" recommendation but if you aren't into history then this book might not be for you.
All in all, I really liked this book and it definitely deserves 4.5 stars