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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Something totally different than the last book I read, and kind of just something totally different for me. This book is set in Germany, after the first World War and right before the second. It follows Gretchen Muller, a 17 year old girl who's father was part of Hitler's inner circle before he died.
Although I have read historical fiction, I don't generally read about this era. I thought the idea of the story was neat and that's what drew me to it.
My favorite part of this story, was the fact that Gretchen - a staid National Socialist - stands up for a Jew and then eventually they fall in love. Yes, yes, I know that part is cheesy but I liked it!
I do want to read the second book but I have SO many books on my shelf that it might end up being a bit before I can get to it.
Although I have read historical fiction, I don't generally read about this era. I thought the idea of the story was neat and that's what drew me to it.
My favorite part of this story, was the fact that Gretchen - a staid National Socialist - stands up for a Jew and then eventually they fall in love. Yes, yes, I know that part is cheesy but I liked it!
I do want to read the second book but I have SO many books on my shelf that it might end up being a bit before I can get to it.
This is NOT your typical WWII book. Told from the unique perspective of Hitler's niece (is she truly a historical figure?), Gretchen recounts her tale of of investigating her father's murder against the backdrop of Hitler's rise to power. Her "Uncle Dolf" seems compassionate - a substitute father figure who takes her under his wing - until she uncovers the inevitable clues that he is a classic psychopath. Her brother shares the same characteristics, and she eventually - painfully - realizes that they both are suited too well for the Nazi party.
The brief psychoanalysis of the Fuhrer is fascinating, and you get a glimpse of Hitler that typically is never touched on. The author has certainly done her research, especially into Hitler's experiences and reputation during WWI. I love the fact that this young Gretchen wants to help the mentally ill and become a psychiatrist herself so that one day she could help those like her brother, and her uncle, and perhaps make a small difference in the world. I also love the fact that the author delved into the mother's guilt, that somehow she felt responsible for making her son the way he was, and that by not holding him enough when she was pregnant with his sister, she was ultimately making a monster. Again, this psychological twist was mesmerizing and so different from what I normally read in the WWII genre.
Yet the author doesn't stop there in this winding, suspenseful masterpiece. She allows this young German girl protagonist to buck the Aryan trend and fall in love with a Jewish reporter. A bit cheesy in a few spots, but nonetheless you feel the beauty of fresh, unfettered love in the midst of an ugly time. Blankman does a fantastic job in dissolving stereotypes of both races, and makes you realize that all people are capable of strength, courage, and above all, love.
I know there is a second book in this series, which I am really looking forward to reading. Thanks to the author for giving the world such a riveting read.
The brief psychoanalysis of the Fuhrer is fascinating, and you get a glimpse of Hitler that typically is never touched on. The author has certainly done her research, especially into Hitler's experiences and reputation during WWI. I love the fact that this young Gretchen wants to help the mentally ill and become a psychiatrist herself so that one day she could help those like her brother, and her uncle, and perhaps make a small difference in the world. I also love the fact that the author delved into the mother's guilt, that somehow she felt responsible for making her son the way he was, and that by not holding him enough when she was pregnant with his sister, she was ultimately making a monster. Again, this psychological twist was mesmerizing and so different from what I normally read in the WWII genre.
Yet the author doesn't stop there in this winding, suspenseful masterpiece. She allows this young German girl protagonist to buck the Aryan trend and fall in love with a Jewish reporter. A bit cheesy in a few spots, but nonetheless you feel the beauty of fresh, unfettered love in the midst of an ugly time. Blankman does a fantastic job in dissolving stereotypes of both races, and makes you realize that all people are capable of strength, courage, and above all, love.
I know there is a second book in this series, which I am really looking forward to reading. Thanks to the author for giving the world such a riveting read.
If Nazi Germany is something you're interested. You will love this, whether or not you're sceptical about the plot. I can't say the plot of the story is anything special, it's not and I would have preferred for it to have taken a different turn, but regardless of that, this is still an amazing book that's worth the read! Although I did have some issues with the book, more on that later, I enjoyed reading it.
Full review on my blog!
http://originalbooker.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/prisoner-of-night-and-fog-anne-blankman.html
Full review on my blog!
http://originalbooker.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/prisoner-of-night-and-fog-anne-blankman.html
You might notice that I'm reading historical fiction again, so yay me! I've been all about fantasy for the last three years (!!) so it's time I'm getting back into it. A year ago, I tried to read this book, but I'm not sure I got past the first chapter. I'm sure I just wasn't in the mood, because this time I got hooked straight away.
I learnt a lot thanks to this book, which I'm so pleased about. In the historical fiction genre, there are tons of World War II novels, but this one was set before Hitler was even chancellor, which I found unique and interesting. Of course, I know about Hitler becoming chancellor and then during World War II, a few facts here and there, but it's about it. Since this novel was set in 1931, I learnt a lot about what happened to Hitler before he became the one we know about. I liked that the author featured some historical figures as her characters, they felt more alive, but because I read some of their biographies on Wikipedia, I was spoiled for two twists (my bad).
This book also focused on psychology and what a psychopath was. It's not the happiest of subjects, but I'm still glad I got to learn some more about it. It was also really interesting to see how people believed in Hitler, but didn't really thought about what he proposed for their country. For example, Gretchen was close to him but she hadn't realized what Hitler planned to do with the Jews until Daniel told her. We also got the whole process of her fighting back Hitler's ideas, when she had been raised believing them.
I really enjoyed to read about the characters, but I don't feel like they were particularly memorable, unfortunately. I was invested into their story while I read but now that I'm typing and it's been a week and a half... I don't remember a lot about them. The romance between the characters was cute and helped Gretchen realize that Jews are human just like everyone else, despite what Hitler taught her. The mystery about her father's death was interesting, even if the identity of the murderer was predictable... But not the motive, at first. I still liked the tension during the book, because I kept being anxious something bad would happen.
Overall, it was a really good historical fiction novel, that I found gripping and true to this time period. I liked the author's writing and it was a strong debut novel. However, I would have liked to have more connection to the characters and a bigger mystery around Gretchen's father death.
I learnt a lot thanks to this book, which I'm so pleased about. In the historical fiction genre, there are tons of World War II novels, but this one was set before Hitler was even chancellor, which I found unique and interesting. Of course, I know about Hitler becoming chancellor and then during World War II, a few facts here and there, but it's about it. Since this novel was set in 1931, I learnt a lot about what happened to Hitler before he became the one we know about. I liked that the author featured some historical figures as her characters, they felt more alive, but because I read some of their biographies on Wikipedia, I was spoiled for two twists (my bad).
This book also focused on psychology and what a psychopath was. It's not the happiest of subjects, but I'm still glad I got to learn some more about it. It was also really interesting to see how people believed in Hitler, but didn't really thought about what he proposed for their country. For example, Gretchen was close to him but she hadn't realized what Hitler planned to do with the Jews until Daniel told her. We also got the whole process of her fighting back Hitler's ideas, when she had been raised believing them.
I really enjoyed to read about the characters, but I don't feel like they were particularly memorable, unfortunately. I was invested into their story while I read but now that I'm typing and it's been a week and a half... I don't remember a lot about them. The romance between the characters was cute and helped Gretchen realize that Jews are human just like everyone else, despite what Hitler taught her. The mystery about her father's death was interesting, even if the identity of the murderer was predictable... But not the motive, at first. I still liked the tension during the book, because I kept being anxious something bad would happen.
Overall, it was a really good historical fiction novel, that I found gripping and true to this time period. I liked the author's writing and it was a strong debut novel. However, I would have liked to have more connection to the characters and a bigger mystery around Gretchen's father death.
I received a copy of this ebook via Netgalley, from the publishers at Headline, in exchange for a full review. Thank you so much Headline and Anna Blankman because honestly? I REALLY enjoyed this book.
Further disclaimer: long review is long because the history geek came roaring out of me like a phoenix from the ashes because YAY HISTORICAL DEBATES WOO.
The story follows a girl named Gretchen Muller, who has grown up during the rise of Germany’s Nazi Regime. Not only that, she has basically been a main feature at the side of Adolf Hitler, who she fondly knows as “Uncle Dolf”. Her father was a friend of Hitler’s during The Great War, and actually saved Hitler from taking a bullet during a protest, which is why Gretchen and her family- her mother and her psychopathic SS brother Reinhard, have been looked after by Hitler and his hierarchy for the last decade or so. But it turns out that this is not exactly true, and Gretchen begins to discover that there is a very dark side to Hitler’s political movement. Everything she has been raised to believe yet not question comes under the microscope, and Gretchen’s world turns upside down as she realises that millions of people are about to be “expelled from Germany”.
I got swept up in this book. I immediately became attached to Gretchen as a character and her plight to find out what the hell happened to her father. I felt so bad for her when she started to discover what the real mission of the Nazis in fact was, and just what “Uncle Dolf” was suggesting in his politics. I always wonder what happened to those children who were born and raised as this political party came to power, and I always felt quite bad for them. They couldn’t really have known the desperation and the poverty that Germany suffered after the First World War, nor could they remember a time “before” Nazi politics- likely because they were never taught it, because all they were raised to believe, but not question, was the “purity of the German Aryan Race” and all that crap. So imagine you’ve been raised with that “knowledge” since you were a baby, and then suddenly your country loses the war and you find out that your country is responsible for absolutely huge, terrifying war crimes against humanity- and that everything you have been taught and have learnt is completely wrong? I wonder about how much stress that must place on a person’s character and mentality, and in that light, I have always pitied those “children of the Nazi party”.
I really enjoyed Gretchen’s character but I also enjoyed that the author did not make out Hitler to be “evil”. Instead, it portrays him through Gretchen’s perspective, as someone who always looked at him as if he were family, who eventually understands what he says- and is terrified by his words and meanings.
The scariest thing about Hitler, is not that many people consider him inherently “Evil”, but it is that it proves that in the darkest of times, a good* politician- can bring out the worst in a nation, and even worse: can get away with mass murder. I mean if you want a modern day example of this, you only have to look at North Korea and the millions of citizens who are missing for what we would consider to be minor issues. Yet when you mention this in daily conversation, people shrug or laugh it off with a joke.
*note: “Good” here does not mean “nice/kind/helpful”, but actually means “Effective and Persuasive”;
Blankman uses Gretchen’s perspective to show not only Gretchen’s world changing, but also Hitler’s psychopathic personality, and how he could alter his attitudes in seconds- as we know well from many documentaries. While including the fact that Hitler suffered from Shell Shock in the first world war, which may have acted as a trigger for many of his mannerisms, painting Hitler not as an “evil devil” but rather as a Human consequence of a four year war which left Europe, and most of it’s people, in ruins and bitter. As someone who has recently explored the issues of mental health in the armed forces for her masters dissertation, I could completely appreciate this.
The thing about people who do horrific things is that we wish we could separate them from ourselves and claim they “are not human” aka “they are not like us”. Actually, they are only human.
This book, like I said, sweeps you up in the mystery of what exactly happened that night, at the protest where Gretchen’s father “saved” Hitler, and the consequences of those actions.
The only thing I didn’t really care for, of course, was the romance between Gretchen and Daniel. I just felt like it tried to distract the reader from the main focus of the book, which would have been fine without that element. The romance was rushed, and it just didn’t feel very believable to me. I didn’t really feel it was needed and that the book should have stayed focussed on Gretchen’s understanding of what exactly was going on in Germany. Not every Young Adult book needs a romance. I did have a couple of moments where I rolled my eyes, but for the most part- it was intense, it was well written, and I will be reading future works of this author as a result.
I really recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books set in WW2, generally. I actually enjoyed this book so much that I plan to buy myself a physical copy in the future.
Prisoner of Night and Fog is released in the UK on the 22nd April 2014.
For more of my reviews, please visit thebookheap
http://thebookheap.wordpress.com
Further disclaimer: long review is long because the history geek came roaring out of me like a phoenix from the ashes because YAY HISTORICAL DEBATES WOO.
The story follows a girl named Gretchen Muller, who has grown up during the rise of Germany’s Nazi Regime. Not only that, she has basically been a main feature at the side of Adolf Hitler, who she fondly knows as “Uncle Dolf”. Her father was a friend of Hitler’s during The Great War, and actually saved Hitler from taking a bullet during a protest, which is why Gretchen and her family- her mother and her psychopathic SS brother Reinhard, have been looked after by Hitler and his hierarchy for the last decade or so. But it turns out that this is not exactly true, and Gretchen begins to discover that there is a very dark side to Hitler’s political movement. Everything she has been raised to believe yet not question comes under the microscope, and Gretchen’s world turns upside down as she realises that millions of people are about to be “expelled from Germany”.
I got swept up in this book. I immediately became attached to Gretchen as a character and her plight to find out what the hell happened to her father. I felt so bad for her when she started to discover what the real mission of the Nazis in fact was, and just what “Uncle Dolf” was suggesting in his politics. I always wonder what happened to those children who were born and raised as this political party came to power, and I always felt quite bad for them. They couldn’t really have known the desperation and the poverty that Germany suffered after the First World War, nor could they remember a time “before” Nazi politics- likely because they were never taught it, because all they were raised to believe, but not question, was the “purity of the German Aryan Race” and all that crap. So imagine you’ve been raised with that “knowledge” since you were a baby, and then suddenly your country loses the war and you find out that your country is responsible for absolutely huge, terrifying war crimes against humanity- and that everything you have been taught and have learnt is completely wrong? I wonder about how much stress that must place on a person’s character and mentality, and in that light, I have always pitied those “children of the Nazi party”.
I really enjoyed Gretchen’s character but I also enjoyed that the author did not make out Hitler to be “evil”. Instead, it portrays him through Gretchen’s perspective, as someone who always looked at him as if he were family, who eventually understands what he says- and is terrified by his words and meanings.
The scariest thing about Hitler, is not that many people consider him inherently “Evil”, but it is that it proves that in the darkest of times, a good* politician- can bring out the worst in a nation, and even worse: can get away with mass murder. I mean if you want a modern day example of this, you only have to look at North Korea and the millions of citizens who are missing for what we would consider to be minor issues. Yet when you mention this in daily conversation, people shrug or laugh it off with a joke.
*note: “Good” here does not mean “nice/kind/helpful”, but actually means “Effective and Persuasive”;
Blankman uses Gretchen’s perspective to show not only Gretchen’s world changing, but also Hitler’s psychopathic personality, and how he could alter his attitudes in seconds- as we know well from many documentaries. While including the fact that Hitler suffered from Shell Shock in the first world war, which may have acted as a trigger for many of his mannerisms, painting Hitler not as an “evil devil” but rather as a Human consequence of a four year war which left Europe, and most of it’s people, in ruins and bitter. As someone who has recently explored the issues of mental health in the armed forces for her masters dissertation, I could completely appreciate this.
The thing about people who do horrific things is that we wish we could separate them from ourselves and claim they “are not human” aka “they are not like us”. Actually, they are only human.
This book, like I said, sweeps you up in the mystery of what exactly happened that night, at the protest where Gretchen’s father “saved” Hitler, and the consequences of those actions.
The only thing I didn’t really care for, of course, was the romance between Gretchen and Daniel. I just felt like it tried to distract the reader from the main focus of the book, which would have been fine without that element. The romance was rushed, and it just didn’t feel very believable to me. I didn’t really feel it was needed and that the book should have stayed focussed on Gretchen’s understanding of what exactly was going on in Germany. Not every Young Adult book needs a romance. I did have a couple of moments where I rolled my eyes, but for the most part- it was intense, it was well written, and I will be reading future works of this author as a result.
I really recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books set in WW2, generally. I actually enjoyed this book so much that I plan to buy myself a physical copy in the future.
Prisoner of Night and Fog is released in the UK on the 22nd April 2014.
For more of my reviews, please visit thebookheap
http://thebookheap.wordpress.com
3.5 stars
A meticulously researched and terrifying tale of Hitler's rise to power, although the romance felt a little sudden.
A meticulously researched and terrifying tale of Hitler's rise to power, although the romance felt a little sudden.
Prisoner of Night and Fog had a great premise. It could have been so much better but it was packed with insta-love and more focused on the murder of Gretchen's father than Adolf Hitler rising to power! I was so disappointed and did not feel attached to any of the characters at all.
Gretchen seemed very cookie cutter. She wasn't unique or an interesting character to read about. The only thing that made her readable is emotion. Her character was really only made up of emotion which is so frusterating because she could have interesting and diverse. She definitely fell flat for me.
The relationship was cringe-worthy. It was an insta-love mess that was extremely irritating. Daniel seemed sweet, but really he was just the one dimensional nice guy that did anything for the girl. Gretchen seemed so easily swayed to love this man when really she didn't know him that well. UGH!
I thought the plot was nice, but wasn't carried out well. It was extremely slow paced and not much happened until the end. I was bored and just trudging through the book.
Gretchen seemed very cookie cutter. She wasn't unique or an interesting character to read about. The only thing that made her readable is emotion. Her character was really only made up of emotion which is so frusterating because she could have interesting and diverse. She definitely fell flat for me.
The relationship was cringe-worthy. It was an insta-love mess that was extremely irritating. Daniel seemed sweet, but really he was just the one dimensional nice guy that did anything for the girl. Gretchen seemed so easily swayed to love this man when really she didn't know him that well. UGH!
I thought the plot was nice, but wasn't carried out well. It was extremely slow paced and not much happened until the end. I was bored and just trudging through the book.
Love this book!!! Action packed, fast-paced, not overly cheesy romance, totally unique viewing point from a protagonist who adored Hitler at first and finally realize what a devil he is.
I even cried when I reached the part where Reinhart has beaten Gretchen, feeling impossible when Gretchen's mom took his side. :(
I even cried when I reached the part where Reinhart has beaten Gretchen, feeling impossible when Gretchen's mom took his side. :(
Not sure why, but I had a really hard time getting into this one. But in the last third of the book the action really picked up, and the ending left me intrigued enough to want to read the sequel when it comes out.
3.5
Now my initial rating was 3.25 but it changed after I read the Author's Note. Being the history buff that I am, the proximity of the characters to Hitler himself attracted me to the story as well as repulsed me from it. See, the problem is, when I read of historical figures in fiction, I always question the reality of it and how it might change my perception of that particular person. So I felt irked throughout the whole novel. However, the copious amount of research on the setting and characters is evident. I just wasn't convinced until I read the Author's Note (which should have been at the beginning of the book!) about the research that went into the book and that only a few of the characters were fictional. Most of the events were true as well. Blankman just manipulated them to create a story which I now realise is brilliant.
With that aside, the book was just okay . I haven't read historical fiction in a long time so I enjoyed it. However, the story itself fell flat for me. I didn't have any emotional connection with the characters no matter how intense the situations were. The plot was also very predictable and almost boring. The only element that met my expectations was the setting. There was an eerie tension in the atmosphere from all the things that were happening that the author managed to capture magnificently. The feelings of different people (his family etc.) towards Hitler and his pre-WWII self really taught me the psychology behind his methods.
This book was more informative then I thought which got me thinking and doing some research of my own. But entertainment wise I found it to me just eh.
Now my initial rating was 3.25 but it changed after I read the Author's Note. Being the history buff that I am, the proximity of the characters to Hitler himself attracted me to the story as well as repulsed me from it. See, the problem is, when I read of historical figures in fiction, I always question the reality of it and how it might change my perception of that particular person. So I felt irked throughout the whole novel. However, the copious amount of research on the setting and characters is evident. I just wasn't convinced until I read the Author's Note (which should have been at the beginning of the book!) about the research that went into the book and that only a few of the characters were fictional. Most of the events were true as well. Blankman just manipulated them to create a story which I now realise is brilliant.
With that aside, the book was just okay . I haven't read historical fiction in a long time so I enjoyed it. However, the story itself fell flat for me. I didn't have any emotional connection with the characters no matter how intense the situations were. The plot was also very predictable and almost boring. The only element that met my expectations was the setting. There was an eerie tension in the atmosphere from all the things that were happening that the author managed to capture magnificently. The feelings of different people (his family etc.) towards Hitler and his pre-WWII self really taught me the psychology behind his methods.
This book was more informative then I thought which got me thinking and doing some research of my own. But entertainment wise I found it to me just eh.