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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
This book contains Hitler, Antisemitism (clearly not supported by the author), grooming and what felt like it might've been leading up to a rape scene , suicide, two psychopathy diagnoses (one in relation to a child), and probably more things.
The first book I read by Anne Blankman was Traitor Angels, and I really enjoyed it, so I didn't understand why a lot of reviews I read were disappointed. Now I understand. This book was amazing and I could not stop reading until it was over and now it's the evening and I won't have gotten a chance to study much and it doesn't even matter except that I know I can't start book 2 until at least tomorrow evening and it's killing me.
This book had so much tension and I was completely immersed in this specific picture of this specific year in Germany. I'm no historian, but the environment feels accurate.
A thing about this being historical fiction is that you kind of know what's going to happen? Like however much Gretchen realises or how bravely Daniel reports, the Nazis are still gonna come to power and the holocaust is still going to happen. You do not know how hard I was wishing that this would deviate and someone would just bonk Hitler in the head and that would be that (like that would somehow change the fate of the millions who died in real life).
One thing that kind of rubbed me a little was the MC's older brother. He did horrible things, and he was canonically a psychopath. He was diagnosed with this at ten years old, which sure, I'm sure they did that in the 30s, and when the MC learned of this she was kind of like "you let us live in the same house?". Now this is a reaction you can't really object to because, like I said, the brother is horrible, and the mother never did a thing to protect the MC from him when he killed her cat and physically beat her. Yes, this mother really should've protected her daughter, or at least taken the steps to do so once she saw how injured and scared her daughter was afterward rather than hoping to brush it under the rug. But I don't know, the fact that a ten year old could just be inherently bad bumps up against my worldview uncomfortably, mental illness or not. I guess it's fairer to say that he was inherently dangerous. Oh, and the fact that they're freaking out about Hitler's "psychopath" diagnosis like that makes him worse. Like nothing can make Hitler worse, guys, Ok? Like the genocide is definitely worse (I know genocide is in the future on this timeline). But also I understand this because while it isn't fair to say it makes him worse, it *is* fair to say that a potential diagnosis of that sort could help people recontextualize their relationships with him and his actions on a whole so that they finally understand that HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT YOU. So I don't know about that part but I am tentatively ok with it.
I recommend this book to pretty much anybody.
Spoiler
(no rape occurred within the confines of this story)The first book I read by Anne Blankman was Traitor Angels, and I really enjoyed it, so I didn't understand why a lot of reviews I read were disappointed. Now I understand. This book was amazing and I could not stop reading until it was over and now it's the evening and I won't have gotten a chance to study much and it doesn't even matter except that I know I can't start book 2 until at least tomorrow evening and it's killing me.
This book had so much tension and I was completely immersed in this specific picture of this specific year in Germany. I'm no historian, but the environment feels accurate.
A thing about this being historical fiction is that you kind of know what's going to happen? Like however much Gretchen realises or how bravely Daniel reports, the Nazis are still gonna come to power and the holocaust is still going to happen. You do not know how hard I was wishing that this would deviate and someone would just bonk Hitler in the head and that would be that (like that would somehow change the fate of the millions who died in real life).
One thing that kind of rubbed me a little was the MC's older brother. He did horrible things, and he was canonically a psychopath. He was diagnosed with this at ten years old, which sure, I'm sure they did that in the 30s, and when the MC learned of this she was kind of like "you let us live in the same house?". Now this is a reaction you can't really object to because, like I said, the brother is horrible, and the mother never did a thing to protect the MC from him when he killed her cat and physically beat her. Yes, this mother really should've protected her daughter, or at least taken the steps to do so once she saw how injured and scared her daughter was afterward rather than hoping to brush it under the rug. But I don't know, the fact that a ten year old could just be inherently bad bumps up against my worldview uncomfortably, mental illness or not. I guess it's fairer to say that he was inherently dangerous. Oh, and the fact that they're freaking out about Hitler's "psychopath" diagnosis like that makes him worse. Like nothing can make Hitler worse, guys, Ok? Like the genocide is definitely worse (I know genocide is in the future on this timeline). But also I understand this because while it isn't fair to say it makes him worse, it *is* fair to say that a potential diagnosis of that sort could help people recontextualize their relationships with him and his actions on a whole so that they finally understand that HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT YOU. So I don't know about that part but I am tentatively ok with it.
I recommend this book to pretty much anybody.
I was so excited to read this. I have always loved historical fiction and this was no exception. Especially with my german heritage it was a bit of a history lesson. It had such an interesting point of view to. Anne Blankman definitely put lots of work into this book. Researching the history of Germany and Hitler. She even snuck in a bit of German terminology in. Seeing Gretchen's point of view of 'Uncle Dolf' was super cool. Most of the book was based on real events with fictional characters. Fast paced and full of suspense and action. This book was impossible to put down and I can't wait to read the next (Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke).
I don’t read much historical fiction from the 1930s or 40s, but I’ve heard good things about this book so I decided to pick it up. It was a fast paced read that I really enjoyed. At first I didn’t like Gretchen very much because she was so naive, but as the story progressed and she realized the truth about Hitler, I liked her more. The psychological elements were interesting as well. There was a lot of excitement and tense moments. The romance was a liiiiittle lackluster, mostly because it didn’t seem like Daniel was in the book all that much. But that’s my only real complaint. This was seriously good.
Представьте себе такой сценарий: Мюнхен 1932-ого года. Германия до сих пор не может отойти от проигрыша в Первой мировой войне. Началась борьба за сферы влияния. Вы шестнадцатилетняя девушка, чей отец героически погиб за идеалы партии, живёте с братом и матерью. Матери до вас нет никакого дела, а брат, будучи по природе довольно агрессивным, вот-вот сорвётся и поднимет на вас руку. Вы чувствуете себя никому не нужной и словно никто во всём мире вас не понимает. Хотя нет, есть один такой человек. Тот, кто был рядом после смерти отца и фактически заменил его. Ваш дорожайший дядя Дольф всегда поддержит и поймёт. Ну и что, что он безгранично верен идеалам партии и подстрекает насилие против евреев? У всех людей свои странности! Не возникает сомнений, что именно Адольф Гитлер поднимет Германию с колен!
Именно так живёт Гретхен Мюллер, и жизнь её довольно скучна. Вплоть до того момента пока она не встречает амбициозного еврейского журналиста Дэниела Коэна. И разумеется, в душе несчастной поселяются сомнения. Да и смерть отца оказывается более запутанной, чем она думала изначально.
Это Young Adult про Гитлера и его приближённых. Много ли вы знаете подростковых книг про данный период? Вот и я не знаю. Единственное, что приходит в голову - "Волк за Волком" Райан Гродин, но там соль в другом. В "Заложнице Ночи и Тумана" фюрер является хоть и антагонистом, но всё-таки полноценным персонажем, в то время, как в дилогии г-жи Гродин он скорее символ режима.
За отношениями Гретхен и Гитлера было действительно интересно наблюдать. Читатель сразу понимает, что Гитлер самым гадким образом манипулирует наивной девочкой, чисто из цели поднять собственную самооценку.
Тем не менее, мы также понимаем, почему Гретхен на эту манипуляцию ведётся. Близких у неё нет. Она не чувствует себя в безопасности в родном доме из-за брата, который готов избить её за любой проступок. Мать вовсе её не слышит и яростно защищает дорогого сыночка. Естественно, она готова броситься в объятья любого, кто проявит хоть толику внимания. А посему, когда Гретхен окончательно разочаровывается в человеке, которого боготворила, тебе действительно больно за неё. Трудно порывать отношения с человеком, который был такой важной частью твоей жизни.
Можно как угодно относиться к Адольфу Гитлеру, но нельзя не признать, что он был личностью довольно завораживающей. Что делало его столь притягательным и харизматичным? Что привлекало его последователей? Довольно интересно было видеть его глазами девушки, что выросла под его влиянием, и как фасад любящего родителя потихоньку рушится. Ещё мне понравилось, что объяснить его личность Гретхен пыталась с помощью популярных на тот момент теорий психологии Зигмунда Фрейда. Это очередной показатель, насколько хорошо г-жа Блэнкман изучила тему. Две страницы библиографии в конце это подтверждают. В книге много обсуждений психопатов и того, как они себя ведут. Многие психологи пытались налепить на фюрера ярлык, но это довольно сложно сделать даже сейчас.
Стоит признать, что я крайне переживала за любовную линию Гретхен и Дэниела. Не в том смысле, что на пути к счастливому концу их ждало куча испытаний и моральных дилемм. А в том, как с этой линией справиться автор. Романов про то, как угнетатель влюбляется в представителя угнетаемой группы много. Но так как они завязаны на избавлении от предрассудков, нередко создаётся ощущение, что угнетатель перестаёт им быть просто потому что его любовный интерес относиться к данной группе. Невольно назревает вопрос: а что будет, если пара расстанется? Хоть любовь и великая сила, расизм, национализм и прочие "-измы" она не исцеляет. К счастью, мои опасения не подтвердились. Хоть Гретхен и вбивали с детства ненависть к евреям, особого негатива она к ним не испытывает. Её арка заключается не в том, чтобы начать видеть в евреях людей, а в том, чтобы перестать испытывать угрызения совести из-за того, что она не может провести подобное деление в голове. И это тоже имеет место быть. Потому что, давайте признаем честно, если бы линия Гретхен была историей избавляющейся от предрассудков расистски, то это было бы интереснее в какой-то мере, но тогда героине особо сопереживать не вышло бы. А это было бы плохим шагом, ведь помимо неё в книге почти нет других интересных положительных персонажей.
Несмотря на великолепное развитие героини и прочие достоинства, "Заложница Ночи и Тумана" обладает рядом недостатков. Несмотря на всю сложность персонажа Гретхен, то же, к сожалению, нельзя сказать про её любовного интереса Дэниела. Рейнхард, брат Гретхен, являющийся домашним тираном, и то интереснее Дэниела. Мать Гретхен намного интереснее Дэниела, а ведь у неё сцен семь в общей сложности. За Дэниела обидно, потому что его история как журналиста-еврея в стране, где на него могли напасть без каких-либо последствий, могла бы быть очень любопытной и не менее сильной. Я не понимаю, почему они влюбились друг в друга. Автор хорошо прописала как они стали товарищами, но дальше органично развить эту линию у неё не вышло. Дэниел внезапно решает помочь Гретхен раскрыть убийство отца, а потом влюбляется, причём настолько быстро и неожиданно, что в это просто не вериться. Тем более, когда любовь настолько сильна, что онрешил сбежать с ней в Англию и бросить свою семью. Но судя по аннотации сиквела, это решение ещё сыграет свою роль. Так что я очень надеюсь, что Дэниел ещё удивит меня.
Особым сюжетом книга также не может похвастаться. Понять, что на самом деле случилось с отцом Гретхен достаточно легко, стоит лишь аннотацию прочесть. Однако, стоит отметить, что хоть понять, что случилось довольно легко, причины, приведшие к этому, действительно удивили. Опять же, основной фокус Энн Блэнкман ставит на отношениях Гретхен с Гитлером и том, как они рушатся. Но от этого страдает динамика повествования, и я могу понять, почему некоторым "Заложница Ночи и Тумана" покажется скучной. Не то чтобы в ней вообще нет экшна, просто львиная доля страниц уделена рефлексии и самокопанию главной героини. Тут уж, как говориться, на вкус и цвет.
"Заложница Ночи и Тумана" совсем немного не дотянула до пяти баллов, но она определённо уникальна и надолго оседает в памяти.
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Именно так живёт Гретхен Мюллер, и жизнь её довольно скучна. Вплоть до того момента пока она не встречает амбициозного еврейского журналиста Дэниела Коэна. И разумеется, в душе несчастной поселяются сомнения. Да и смерть отца оказывается более запутанной, чем она думала изначально.
Это Young Adult про Гитлера и его приближённых. Много ли вы знаете подростковых книг про данный период? Вот и я не знаю. Единственное, что приходит в голову - "Волк за Волком" Райан Гродин, но там соль в другом. В "Заложнице Ночи и Тумана" фюрер является хоть и антагонистом, но всё-таки полноценным персонажем, в то время, как в дилогии г-жи Гродин он скорее символ режима.
За отношениями Гретхен и Гитлера было действительно интересно наблюдать. Читатель сразу понимает, что Гитлер самым гадким образом манипулирует наивной девочкой, чисто из цели поднять собственную самооценку.
Нет ничего более приятного, чем воспитывать молодую девушку восемнадцати или двадцати лет, податливую, как воск.
Тем не менее, мы также понимаем, почему Гретхен на эту манипуляцию ведётся. Близких у неё нет. Она не чувствует себя в безопасности в родном доме из-за брата, который готов избить её за любой проступок. Мать вовсе её не слышит и яростно защищает дорогого сыночка. Естественно, она готова броситься в объятья любого, кто проявит хоть толику внимания. А посему, когда Гретхен окончательно разочаровывается в человеке, которого боготворила, тебе действительно больно за неё. Трудно порывать отношения с человеком, который был такой важной частью твоей жизни.
Можно как угодно относиться к Адольфу Гитлеру, но нельзя не признать, что он был личностью довольно завораживающей. Что делало его столь притягательным и харизматичным? Что привлекало его последователей? Довольно интересно было видеть его глазами девушки, что выросла под его влиянием, и как фасад любящего родителя потихоньку рушится. Ещё мне понравилось, что объяснить его личность Гретхен пыталась с помощью популярных на тот момент теорий психологии Зигмунда Фрейда. Это очередной показатель, насколько хорошо г-жа Блэнкман изучила тему. Две страницы библиографии в конце это подтверждают. В книге много обсуждений психопатов и того, как они себя ведут. Многие психологи пытались налепить на фюрера ярлык, но это довольно сложно сделать даже сейчас.
Стоит признать, что я крайне переживала за любовную линию Гретхен и Дэниела. Не в том смысле, что на пути к счастливому концу их ждало куча испытаний и моральных дилемм. А в том, как с этой линией справиться автор. Романов про то, как угнетатель влюбляется в представителя угнетаемой группы много. Но так как они завязаны на избавлении от предрассудков, нередко создаётся ощущение, что угнетатель перестаёт им быть просто потому что его любовный интерес относиться к данной группе. Невольно назревает вопрос: а что будет, если пара расстанется? Хоть любовь и великая сила, расизм, национализм и прочие "-измы" она не исцеляет. К счастью, мои опасения не подтвердились. Хоть Гретхен и вбивали с детства ненависть к евреям, особого негатива она к ним не испытывает. Её арка заключается не в том, чтобы начать видеть в евреях людей, а в том, чтобы перестать испытывать угрызения совести из-за того, что она не может провести подобное деление в голове. И это тоже имеет место быть. Потому что, давайте признаем честно, если бы линия Гретхен была историей избавляющейся от предрассудков расистски, то это было бы интереснее в какой-то мере, но тогда героине особо сопереживать не вышло бы. А это было бы плохим шагом, ведь помимо неё в книге почти нет других интересных положительных персонажей.
Несмотря на великолепное развитие героини и прочие достоинства, "Заложница Ночи и Тумана" обладает рядом недостатков. Несмотря на всю сложность персонажа Гретхен, то же, к сожалению, нельзя сказать про её любовного интереса Дэниела. Рейнхард, брат Гретхен, являющийся домашним тираном, и то интереснее Дэниела. Мать Гретхен намного интереснее Дэниела, а ведь у неё сцен семь в общей сложности. За Дэниела обидно, потому что его история как журналиста-еврея в стране, где на него могли напасть без каких-либо последствий, могла бы быть очень любопытной и не менее сильной. Я не понимаю, почему они влюбились друг в друга. Автор хорошо прописала как они стали товарищами, но дальше органично развить эту линию у неё не вышло. Дэниел внезапно решает помочь Гретхен раскрыть убийство отца, а потом влюбляется, причём настолько быстро и неожиданно, что в это просто не вериться. Тем более, когда любовь настолько сильна, что он
Особым сюжетом книга также не может похвастаться. Понять, что на самом деле случилось с отцом Гретхен достаточно легко, стоит лишь аннотацию прочесть. Однако, стоит отметить, что хоть понять, что случилось довольно легко, причины, приведшие к этому, действительно удивили. Опять же, основной фокус Энн Блэнкман ставит на отношениях Гретхен с Гитлером и том, как они рушатся. Но от этого страдает динамика повествования, и я могу понять, почему некоторым "Заложница Ночи и Тумана" покажется скучной. Не то чтобы в ней вообще нет экшна, просто львиная доля страниц уделена рефлексии и самокопанию главной героини. Тут уж, как говориться, на вкус и цвет.
"Заложница Ночи и Тумана" совсем немного не дотянула до пяти баллов, но она определённо уникальна и надолго оседает в памяти.
Мои рецензии на: Серия "Заложница Ночи и Тумана" 1/2
2. Заговор Крови и Дыма
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*4.5* MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!
Wow! This was an absolute rollar coaster of emotions. Once again, this book took me a while to read but not because it was a bad book (it was amazing) but because of other commitments and Netflix binges... (oops)!
There are loads of things I adore about this book, one being the characters, Daniel and Reinhard in particular - hear me out, okay? Daniel was such a passionate and kind character and his unconditional love for Gretchen honestly made my heart melt. His dedication to her, his family and his job were wonderful and he was also incredibly intelligent. Reinhard, while he was a ruthless and cruel character, Blankman created such a wretched creature of a character that you almost want to feel sorry for him (until you remember what he did to that cat...). Regarding Gretchen, I found her frustrating at first but as the novel progressed I coul clearly see how she had developed as I character.
I found the mystery element to this novel to be very interesting and I am very glad that the romantic element did not swamp the rest of this hauntingly amazing novel.
The atmoshpere of this book was haunting and terrifying. The tension, fear and desperation of Munich during such a troubling time really shone through the pages and made me really feel sorry for Gretchen who was having to live in such an awful environment. Additionally, it is books like these that remind me why I adore historical fiction so much (it obviously helps that I am a self-confessed history geek). The historical content and descriptions of monumental events that I recognise from my GCSE history class really made this book stand out!
However, you may have noticed that I have only rated this book a 4.5 out of 5 and, so far, my review seems to be describing a 5 star book. Unfortunately, I did find the first bit of this book to develop rather slowly. Also, I believe that Gretchen's acceptance of how twisted and sickening the policies of Hitler truly were came about far too quickly. After just a few meetings with Daniel she had begun to doubt everything she had been taught to belive over the past 17 years. This seems rather unrealistic considering she was practically treated like Hitlers daughter.
Overall, I utterly love this book and I am thoroughly looking forward to following Gretchen and Daniel on their next heart pounding and deadly adventure in the sequel.
Wow! This was an absolute rollar coaster of emotions. Once again, this book took me a while to read but not because it was a bad book (it was amazing) but because of other commitments and Netflix binges... (oops)!
There are loads of things I adore about this book, one being the characters, Daniel and Reinhard in particular - hear me out, okay? Daniel was such a passionate and kind character and his unconditional love for Gretchen honestly made my heart melt. His dedication to her, his family and his job were wonderful and he was also incredibly intelligent. Reinhard, while he was a ruthless and cruel character, Blankman created such a wretched creature of a character that you almost want to feel sorry for him (until you remember what he did to that cat...). Regarding Gretchen, I found her frustrating at first but as the novel progressed I coul clearly see how she had developed as I character.
I found the mystery element to this novel to be very interesting and I am very glad that the romantic element did not swamp the rest of this hauntingly amazing novel.
The atmoshpere of this book was haunting and terrifying. The tension, fear and desperation of Munich during such a troubling time really shone through the pages and made me really feel sorry for Gretchen who was having to live in such an awful environment. Additionally, it is books like these that remind me why I adore historical fiction so much (it obviously helps that I am a self-confessed history geek). The historical content and descriptions of monumental events that I recognise from my GCSE history class really made this book stand out!
However, you may have noticed that I have only rated this book a 4.5 out of 5 and, so far, my review seems to be describing a 5 star book. Unfortunately, I did find the first bit of this book to develop rather slowly. Also, I believe that Gretchen's acceptance of how twisted and sickening the policies of Hitler truly were came about far too quickly. After just a few meetings with Daniel she had begun to doubt everything she had been taught to belive over the past 17 years. This seems rather unrealistic considering she was practically treated like Hitlers daughter.
Overall, I utterly love this book and I am thoroughly looking forward to following Gretchen and Daniel on their next heart pounding and deadly adventure in the sequel.
2.5 stars a good concept but the execution was lacking. gretchen was a great main character but on the whole this wasn't for me. there was too much info dumping and the story was too predictable, the mystery aspect of the book was too predictable. in fact i had predicted who had killed gretchen's father within 30 pages of the book. there were also several errors regarding the use of german in this book, these kind of inaccuracies definitely shouldn't be there.
i can understand why a lot of people love this book but it wasn't for me and i will not be reading the second book.
i can understand why a lot of people love this book but it wasn't for me and i will not be reading the second book.
INITIAL THOUGHTS
Not totally sure what to expect, will it be similar to The Book Thief? Will it try to portray Adolph Hitler as a "good but misunderstood man" Will it be a realistic portrayal of one of the most hated men in history?
MY REVIEW
I received this book from the publishers in exchange for my honest review.
I felt drawn to the cover of this one. The young girl hurrying down a deserted road. The cover could fit as an image from the book when Gretchen is running to find Daniel. I immediately compared this book to The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, though this book is set slightly before in era than The Book Thief. This book is before Hitler actually cam into his true horrendous power. Although like The Book thief this book deals with the real "normal" Germans and how they were affected by Hitler.So at the beginning of the book Gretchen is still grieving her fathers death. Even though he is hailed as a hero, him being shot whilst shielding Hitler from bullets. In fact her father and Adolf Hitler were at one time close friends,brought together by the war. They served together and fought in the trenches together. They were separated from the other troops when the were attacked by gas. Hitler and Gretchen's father were sent to a special hospital, where a diagnosis was given that becomes an important part of this story.
So Gretchen has grown up as a niece figure to Adolf Hitler. Hitler has love only for his country, yet loves to surround himself with pretty young girls such as Gretchen, his own half cousin Geli and his favourite photographers assistant Eva...
The story tells how Gretchen becomes aware that her fathers death was not one of a martyr. Her father was shot both fro the front during the march and also in the back by someone in his own political party too, bit who? Gretchen also has an "odd" brother in fact like Hitler, her brother Reinhardt was also labelled a psychopath. So by now in the book we have met Adolf's niece (Gretchen) and nephew (Reinhardt). The nephew sounds like he strongly believes as Hitler does in persecuting the Jewish etc. Reinhardt seems to have no emotions at all he is so sadistic to his family. Gretchen seems to know it is wrong for the Jews to be persecuted but is scared to upset her uncle. As "Uncle Dolf" "protects" and has helped the family financially.
The first pivotal moment we see Gretchen with doubts about "Uncle Dolf's" political ways is when Reinhardt, his friend Kurt and Gretchen and her friend Eva are all in a car going to a local cafe to meet Hitler or Uncle Dolf as affectionately called at this point in the book. A dark figure runs across the road in front of the car. When Kurt & Reinhardt miss the man they slam their brakes on and chase the man who is a Jew down into an alley where they begin to beat him up. It is at that moment that Gretchen truly realises that the Jews Hitler wishes to remove from Germany are real living breathing people who like her family are just trying to survive. It seems like the scales or rose tinted glasses have fallen away from Gretchen's eyes and she is seeing Hitler for what he truly is and all that he stands for. She is herself flirting with danger trying to find out who killed her father and why which puts her in close contact with a jewish reporter." Gretchen becomes quite determined regardless of the risks to get to the bottom of how her father died and enlists the help of a local jewish reporter. Gretchen turns out to be a really good detective but gets herself in some life threatening situations but with Daniels help uncovers a lot of things too. So there is a little romance within the book, as well as betrayal, secrecy, with plenty of drama and suspense too.
The characters are well written and you end up feeling sorry for Hitlers half-niece Geli, seems to have it all, she lives in luxury in Hitlers apartments in a wealthy part of town and can go shopping and spending money without having to earn it. Geli, Gretchen & Eva are the young girls whom Hitler likes to be seen dining. Hitlers moods do change from one minute to the next. It's like he acts like an Uncle to Gretchen as if he truly cares about her yet when Reinhardt beats his sister Hitler instantly takes the Reinhardt's side. He say's something like Reinhardt is the man of the house you must learn to do as he wishes! So the man is not just racist but sexist too. Uncle Adolf is only happy playing Uncle when everything is going to plan.
So did I enjoy the book? Yes, I really did enjoy it and would make it comparable to The Book Thief. Would I recommend the book? Yes, it is YA aimed, more so than The Book thief I would say. Would I read another if this was the first in a series? If there was more to come about Gretchen and Daniel, yes I would want to read it. Having said that I think that this book also works really well as a standalone novel. Would I read other books by Anne Blankman? Yes, I would take a close look at anything written by this author as I really did enjoy her writing style and pace as well as the book content.
Not totally sure what to expect, will it be similar to The Book Thief? Will it try to portray Adolph Hitler as a "good but misunderstood man" Will it be a realistic portrayal of one of the most hated men in history?
MY REVIEW
I received this book from the publishers in exchange for my honest review.
I felt drawn to the cover of this one. The young girl hurrying down a deserted road. The cover could fit as an image from the book when Gretchen is running to find Daniel. I immediately compared this book to The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, though this book is set slightly before in era than The Book Thief. This book is before Hitler actually cam into his true horrendous power. Although like The Book thief this book deals with the real "normal" Germans and how they were affected by Hitler.So at the beginning of the book Gretchen is still grieving her fathers death. Even though he is hailed as a hero, him being shot whilst shielding Hitler from bullets. In fact her father and Adolf Hitler were at one time close friends,brought together by the war. They served together and fought in the trenches together. They were separated from the other troops when the were attacked by gas. Hitler and Gretchen's father were sent to a special hospital, where a diagnosis was given that becomes an important part of this story.
So Gretchen has grown up as a niece figure to Adolf Hitler. Hitler has love only for his country, yet loves to surround himself with pretty young girls such as Gretchen, his own half cousin Geli and his favourite photographers assistant Eva...
The story tells how Gretchen becomes aware that her fathers death was not one of a martyr. Her father was shot both fro the front during the march and also in the back by someone in his own political party too, bit who? Gretchen also has an "odd" brother in fact like Hitler, her brother Reinhardt was also labelled a psychopath. So by now in the book we have met Adolf's niece (Gretchen) and nephew (Reinhardt). The nephew sounds like he strongly believes as Hitler does in persecuting the Jewish etc. Reinhardt seems to have no emotions at all he is so sadistic to his family. Gretchen seems to know it is wrong for the Jews to be persecuted but is scared to upset her uncle. As "Uncle Dolf" "protects" and has helped the family financially.
The first pivotal moment we see Gretchen with doubts about "Uncle Dolf's" political ways is when Reinhardt, his friend Kurt and Gretchen and her friend Eva are all in a car going to a local cafe to meet Hitler or Uncle Dolf as affectionately called at this point in the book. A dark figure runs across the road in front of the car. When Kurt & Reinhardt miss the man they slam their brakes on and chase the man who is a Jew down into an alley where they begin to beat him up. It is at that moment that Gretchen truly realises that the Jews Hitler wishes to remove from Germany are real living breathing people who like her family are just trying to survive. It seems like the scales or rose tinted glasses have fallen away from Gretchen's eyes and she is seeing Hitler for what he truly is and all that he stands for. She is herself flirting with danger trying to find out who killed her father and why which puts her in close contact with a jewish reporter." Gretchen becomes quite determined regardless of the risks to get to the bottom of how her father died and enlists the help of a local jewish reporter. Gretchen turns out to be a really good detective but gets herself in some life threatening situations but with Daniels help uncovers a lot of things too. So there is a little romance within the book, as well as betrayal, secrecy, with plenty of drama and suspense too.
The characters are well written and you end up feeling sorry for Hitlers half-niece Geli, seems to have it all, she lives in luxury in Hitlers apartments in a wealthy part of town and can go shopping and spending money without having to earn it. Geli, Gretchen & Eva are the young girls whom Hitler likes to be seen dining. Hitlers moods do change from one minute to the next. It's like he acts like an Uncle to Gretchen as if he truly cares about her yet when Reinhardt beats his sister Hitler instantly takes the Reinhardt's side. He say's something like Reinhardt is the man of the house you must learn to do as he wishes! So the man is not just racist but sexist too. Uncle Adolf is only happy playing Uncle when everything is going to plan.
So did I enjoy the book? Yes, I really did enjoy it and would make it comparable to The Book Thief. Would I recommend the book? Yes, it is YA aimed, more so than The Book thief I would say. Would I read another if this was the first in a series? If there was more to come about Gretchen and Daniel, yes I would want to read it. Having said that I think that this book also works really well as a standalone novel. Would I read other books by Anne Blankman? Yes, I would take a close look at anything written by this author as I really did enjoy her writing style and pace as well as the book content.
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I've been on a fantasy kick recently, and felt like, as there is a limited supply of fantasy reads in the world, I needed to wean myself off this genre. I thought Prisoner of Night and Fog, a book heavily recommended by the co-blogger, Mari, could be the book for me.
I have a terrible confession: I was not particularly interested in this novel. I can't exactly say why-- maybe I wanted some more superpowers?-- and this is not Blankman's fault. I was simply not very invested in the story. This makes this tough to review, so I'll try to focus on smaller aspects of the novel and my impressions of those rather than the whole.
First of all, I was surprised at the kind of investigation Gretchen conducts. It was not what I was expecting, and to be very honest, it's not something I have much interest in. It was something new during Gretchen's time period, and it's something I have studied in perhaps one of the most boring classes I have ever taken (which, incidentally, could have affected my appreciation of the story). This investigation leads to a twist that I was a little surprised was the twist, because I didn't think this merited this kind of response. The actions felt disproportionate. Similarly, I liked the way Gretchen developed as she investigated. The fact that she was interested in certain subjects like healing others made her a well-fleshed out character. I could understand her investigation.
I think in general, I really liked Gretchen. She was an extremely well-written character with a past, a life outside of the story, and hopes and fears. I could picture Gretchen clearly as a friend, and she had a very specific voice and personality. Regardless of my apathy towards the story, I truly did root for Gretchen and I loved watching the ways she developed. She's different from many YA characters in the sense that she's soft. She's genuinely caring and sweet, and no one realizes just how brave she is, except for Daniel.
Blankman's description of Daniel and Gretchen gets better as the story progresses. Reading about Daniel's gorgeous eyes and his intensity, his desire to seek out the truth and his kindness, was adorable. Daniel also has a story and it's fun reading about him from Gretchen's perspective. I would like to know more about Daniel and I think perhaps there will be more about him in the sequel. In any case, I really liked him and thought he was a great match for Gretchen.
The most intriguing aspects of the story were the historical bits. Some events like the putsch were written about in detail. The setting is the in-between era as the National Socialists are gaining power. Gretchen, in the story, has access to Hitler and their relationship was obviously fascinating. I thought Gretchen, as the National Socialist golden girl, was interesting to follow because Blankman tried to show how someone could be enthralled by Hitler, despite the horrible things he was saying. She explored this through making Gretchen a sort of niece to Hitler, one he enjoyed immensely. They interacted and I thought these scenes were very well done.
Mari told me that she liked Prisoner of Night and Fog because of its historical accuracy. I can't say much about that because I have not researched this period extensively, but based on reading the acknowledgements and author's note, I am impressed with the level of detail put into Prisoner of Night and Fog. The way the story was weaved into real history, with most of the characters being real people, is impressive. I don't feel like either the historical aspects or the story suffered from this intertwining, and credit goes to Blankman for this.
The last really interesting bit for me was the subtle feminism of Gretchen's story. Women have had it tough, and a strong substory was Gretchen, and the other girls' treatment in Germany in general, and within the Nationalist Socialist ideology. Gretchen faced a lot of injustice due to her sex, and she reacted against it. There were some scenes that were tough to read about because of lack of support Gretchen received. It's a tough life for Gretchen and I'm glad she had Daniel, someone that truly saw her strength. I'm also really happy that Blankman explored this in such detail.
In general, I thought Prisoner of Night and Fog was very well-written with a lot of excellent themes and development. A lot of thought was clearly put into the story, and that translated into some very compelling scenes. This wasn't the engrossing read I may have come looking for, but I would say it's among the better historicals and a series I probably will continue.
I've been on a fantasy kick recently, and felt like, as there is a limited supply of fantasy reads in the world, I needed to wean myself off this genre. I thought Prisoner of Night and Fog, a book heavily recommended by the co-blogger, Mari, could be the book for me.
I have a terrible confession: I was not particularly interested in this novel. I can't exactly say why-- maybe I wanted some more superpowers?-- and this is not Blankman's fault. I was simply not very invested in the story. This makes this tough to review, so I'll try to focus on smaller aspects of the novel and my impressions of those rather than the whole.
First of all, I was surprised at the kind of investigation Gretchen conducts. It was not what I was expecting, and to be very honest, it's not something I have much interest in. It was something new during Gretchen's time period, and it's something I have studied in perhaps one of the most boring classes I have ever taken (which, incidentally, could have affected my appreciation of the story). This investigation leads to a twist that I was a little surprised was the twist, because I didn't think this merited this kind of response. The actions felt disproportionate. Similarly, I liked the way Gretchen developed as she investigated. The fact that she was interested in certain subjects like healing others made her a well-fleshed out character. I could understand her investigation.
I think in general, I really liked Gretchen. She was an extremely well-written character with a past, a life outside of the story, and hopes and fears. I could picture Gretchen clearly as a friend, and she had a very specific voice and personality. Regardless of my apathy towards the story, I truly did root for Gretchen and I loved watching the ways she developed. She's different from many YA characters in the sense that she's soft. She's genuinely caring and sweet, and no one realizes just how brave she is, except for Daniel.
Blankman's description of Daniel and Gretchen gets better as the story progresses. Reading about Daniel's gorgeous eyes and his intensity, his desire to seek out the truth and his kindness, was adorable. Daniel also has a story and it's fun reading about him from Gretchen's perspective. I would like to know more about Daniel and I think perhaps there will be more about him in the sequel. In any case, I really liked him and thought he was a great match for Gretchen.
The most intriguing aspects of the story were the historical bits. Some events like the putsch were written about in detail. The setting is the in-between era as the National Socialists are gaining power. Gretchen, in the story, has access to Hitler and their relationship was obviously fascinating. I thought Gretchen, as the National Socialist golden girl, was interesting to follow because Blankman tried to show how someone could be enthralled by Hitler, despite the horrible things he was saying. She explored this through making Gretchen a sort of niece to Hitler, one he enjoyed immensely. They interacted and I thought these scenes were very well done.
Mari told me that she liked Prisoner of Night and Fog because of its historical accuracy. I can't say much about that because I have not researched this period extensively, but based on reading the acknowledgements and author's note, I am impressed with the level of detail put into Prisoner of Night and Fog. The way the story was weaved into real history, with most of the characters being real people, is impressive. I don't feel like either the historical aspects or the story suffered from this intertwining, and credit goes to Blankman for this.
The last really interesting bit for me was the subtle feminism of Gretchen's story. Women have had it tough, and a strong substory was Gretchen, and the other girls' treatment in Germany in general, and within the Nationalist Socialist ideology. Gretchen faced a lot of injustice due to her sex, and she reacted against it. There were some scenes that were tough to read about because of lack of support Gretchen received. It's a tough life for Gretchen and I'm glad she had Daniel, someone that truly saw her strength. I'm also really happy that Blankman explored this in such detail.
In general, I thought Prisoner of Night and Fog was very well-written with a lot of excellent themes and development. A lot of thought was clearly put into the story, and that translated into some very compelling scenes. This wasn't the engrossing read I may have come looking for, but I would say it's among the better historicals and a series I probably will continue.
This was such an awesome book! Loved the characters and the history, and things pushed my buttons some, what with her brother and Hitler, but yeah, really enjoyed this book, now to read more!