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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
World War II is a time period that I am extremely interested in, so when I heard about Prisoner of Night and Fog, a novel about the "niece" of Adolf Hitler, I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed.
The novel transports you back into 1930s Germany. The setting is so well described it felt as if I was actually there. It really was a scary time in history, and the tension, especially toward the end, felt extremely real.
The mystery aspect of the novel was what I found to be the most interesting. I wish this book was marketed as more than just a romance between a German girl and a Jewish boy, because the mystery aspect was such a large portion of the book! I did love Grectchen and Daniel's relationship, but it was not the main focus of the book. About the mystery...The fact that Hitler killed Gretchen's dad was not suprising necessarily, but the way it played out and the way Gretchen told Hitler she knew was really probably my favorite part.
I also loved the sections that actually had Hitler in them. It was really unsettling to have Hitler referred to as "Uncle Dolf" and have him refer to Gretchen as "little sunshine" knowing what type of person he is in retrospect. There were so many times where I was thinking out all of the ways they could have planned out Hitler's death, but I had to keep reminding myself that Hitler obviously doesn't die in 1931. I sort of wish this was an alternate history type of book because here we don't fully get the satisfaction of seeing the antagonist "lose" (the second book takes place in 1933, and I doubt it will go all the way until 1945 when Hitler dies...).
This novel is also incredibly well researched. All except a handful of the characters were actual people, as described in the author's note at the end of the book, and the book includes a selected bibliography as well.
All in all, I am extremely excited to read the sequel to Prisoner of Night and Fog. Due to the sad nature of World War II/Holocaust stories, I do not have high hopes for a happy ending, but it will be impossible for me to not read it. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction!
The novel transports you back into 1930s Germany. The setting is so well described it felt as if I was actually there. It really was a scary time in history, and the tension, especially toward the end, felt extremely real.
The mystery aspect of the novel was what I found to be the most interesting. I wish this book was marketed as more than just a romance between a German girl and a Jewish boy, because the mystery aspect was such a large portion of the book! I did love Grectchen and Daniel's relationship, but it was not the main focus of the book. About the mystery...
I also loved the sections that actually had Hitler in them. It was really unsettling to have Hitler referred to as "Uncle Dolf" and have him refer to Gretchen as "little sunshine" knowing what type of person he is in retrospect. There were so many times where I was thinking out all of the ways they could have planned out Hitler's death, but I had to keep reminding myself that Hitler obviously doesn't die in 1931. I sort of wish this was an alternate history type of book because here we don't fully get the satisfaction of seeing the antagonist "lose" (the second book takes place in 1933, and I doubt it will go all the way until 1945 when Hitler dies...).
This novel is also incredibly well researched. All except a handful of the characters were actual people, as described in the author's note at the end of the book, and the book includes a selected bibliography as well.
All in all, I am extremely excited to read the sequel to Prisoner of Night and Fog. Due to the sad nature of World War II/Holocaust stories, I do not have high hopes for a happy ending, but it will be impossible for me to not read it. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction!
I LOVE THIS BOOK.
no exaggeration, it is one of the best books i've read all year, and i'm sorry i waited to read it. however, i think there was a real purpose to the wait, as the parallels between the present day cultural and political climate of America and the cultural and political climate of 1930s Munich are eerily similar. this novel made me think. the amount of research that Anne Blankman put into this book is remarkable, and i believe it paid off because i've never read anything like it. tbh, i have gotten burnt out on WWII literature. this is not WWII lit. this is Hitler's rise to power through the eyes of a young woman in his inner circle, and it is fascinating.
not only that, through the novel Gretchen moves from a state of total indoctrination regarding antisemitism to realizing the wrong of that viewpoint and moving to change. it's not done overnight, nor is it a eureka immediate moment. it takes time and this shift is so well developed. there are places in the novel where this shift and Gretchen's internal dialogue is VERY. CLEARLY. SPELLED. OUT. YOU CANNOT. MISTAKE. HER. THINKING. on the one hand, it was bothersome, but on the other i really appreciated it, because this is a YA novel, and oftentimes YA readers need these important concepts spelled out to help form their own critical thinking skills.
Daniel is everything, full stop.
i appreciated the family dynamics and complexities so much. although i don't deal with Gretchen's family trauma myself, I think Anne Blankman does a superb job of putting the reader in an empathetic position for her father's trauma, her brother's trauma, and her own in reaction and response to the environment in which she lives.
i have read a few reviews that the German was unnecessary and incorrect. I can't speak to that. The German included did make me wish that I was listening to it as an audiobook because it stopped the flow in my reading as I attempted to correctly pronounce and understand the German terms and phrases.
All in all, 25/10. So happy to move onto the sequel!
SPEAKING OF SEQUEL: Blankman does an amazing job of encouraging readers to pick up the sequel without requiring them to do so. her ending was tidy, and i appreciated that. as such, i think this would be a great novel for the middle school/high school curriculum to learn about early WWII and the charismatic nature of Hitler, his ability to promote antisemitism as a way of life, and the culture of Jews in Munich in the early 1930s.
no exaggeration, it is one of the best books i've read all year, and i'm sorry i waited to read it. however, i think there was a real purpose to the wait, as the parallels between the present day cultural and political climate of America and the cultural and political climate of 1930s Munich are eerily similar. this novel made me think. the amount of research that Anne Blankman put into this book is remarkable, and i believe it paid off because i've never read anything like it. tbh, i have gotten burnt out on WWII literature. this is not WWII lit. this is Hitler's rise to power through the eyes of a young woman in his inner circle, and it is fascinating.
not only that, through the novel Gretchen moves from a state of total indoctrination regarding antisemitism to realizing the wrong of that viewpoint and moving to change. it's not done overnight, nor is it a eureka immediate moment. it takes time and this shift is so well developed. there are places in the novel where this shift and Gretchen's internal dialogue is VERY. CLEARLY. SPELLED. OUT. YOU CANNOT. MISTAKE. HER. THINKING. on the one hand, it was bothersome, but on the other i really appreciated it, because this is a YA novel, and oftentimes YA readers need these important concepts spelled out to help form their own critical thinking skills.
Daniel is everything, full stop.
i appreciated the family dynamics and complexities so much. although i don't deal with Gretchen's family trauma myself, I think Anne Blankman does a superb job of putting the reader in an empathetic position for her father's trauma, her brother's trauma, and her own in reaction and response to the environment in which she lives.
i have read a few reviews that the German was unnecessary and incorrect. I can't speak to that. The German included did make me wish that I was listening to it as an audiobook because it stopped the flow in my reading as I attempted to correctly pronounce and understand the German terms and phrases.
All in all, 25/10. So happy to move onto the sequel!
SPEAKING OF SEQUEL: Blankman does an amazing job of encouraging readers to pick up the sequel without requiring them to do so. her ending was tidy, and i appreciated that. as such, i think this would be a great novel for the middle school/high school curriculum to learn about early WWII and the charismatic nature of Hitler, his ability to promote antisemitism as a way of life, and the culture of Jews in Munich in the early 1930s.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Regrettably, I have not been having the best of luck as of late when it comes to finding a good book to read. But thankfully the end of my dry spell came in the form of Anne Blankman’s debut novel “Prisoner of Night and Fog”.
Blankman’s book follows the life of Gretchen Müller, a seventeen year old girl living in 1931 Munich, Germany. Gretchen has grown up under the Nationalist Society Party, under the careful eye of Uncle Dolf who is none other than Adolf Hitler himself. Hitler has ensured the safety of the Müller family through the years because Gretchen’s father sacrificed his life for Hitler’s. Müller, like so many Hitler Youths, follows her “uncle’s” every command.
As the book progresses, she meets fearless Jewish journalist Daniel Cohen, who claims that Gretchen’s father was murdered by an unknown comrade and is not a war martyr. This revelation sets the rest of the plot in motion as the two work together to uncover one of the biggest scandals of the year.
I found it almost refreshing that Blankman decided to write this story pre-Holocaust because I feel as though many writers focus on Hitler and the Nazi Regime during that terrible time but not really on before and how Hitler really came to power; at least not in works of fiction this is not really represented. Blankman delves unashamedly into the psyche of the Nazi Party, not shying away from any details. She describes Hitler’s insanity with cringe inducing accuracy and the glaring truth that such a man was allowed to control a whole nation.
As a reader, I am normally the kind of person who can sense what the author is going to throw at you, what roads they’re going to take and put the characters through. This, however, was not the case with “Prisoner of Night and Fog”. This historical thriller kept me guessing until the very end. Blankman’s novel threw a smorgasbord of twists and turns that left my head spinning.
I would recommend this book to any historical fiction fan who is interested in reading a thriller that chronicles one of Germany’s darkest moments. However, only for teens and mature audiences would I recommend reading this as there were some violent scenes and a few scenes in the book that even made me a little uncomfortable. That aside, I was very satisfied with this novel and shocked that it was Blankman’s debut novel, no less. Her writing takes on the voice of someone who is not new to the writing scene.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent
Let's be real, if you lived in the reign of Hitler and you grew up with Hitler as your "Uncle Dolf" you would not be this open to a Jew's opinion. Sure she was disgusted by him at the beginning but it was like she flipped a switch and her feelings change so quickly that you would have gotten whiplash. Also for knowing this guy for like a week she has suddenly decided that he understands her better than anyone even thouh she can't even read his facial expressions half the time. I just wasn't really that impressed with this book.
4.5 stars. An excellent read that drew me in from the beginning.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Slow-burn historical fictions, when done right, are so good. Anne Blankman exposes a new side of the Nazi elite beyond what is learned in the classroom, and it's fascinating. And although Gretchen and Daniel are fictitious characters, their storylines are well-integrated into the rest of the narrative. Mired in the next phase of Hitler's rise to power, the next book is sure to bring a different flavor to this series. I'm excited.
Originally posted on:> http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/the-prisoner-of-night-and-fog-by-anne.html
This was a brilliantly crafted story about living in Germany during Hitler's rise to power from the view point of seventeen year old Gretchen. Gretchen is known as Hitler's favourite and calls her 'My Sunshine' and she affectionately calls him Uncle Dolf. But there are dark secrets surrounding Hitler and the Nazi regime that Gretchen cannot even begin to comprehend. As the secrets start to unravel, Gretchen starts to realise that the affectionate 'Uncle Dolf' title does not go so well...
I really really wish I had had this book to read whilst I was studying History at sixth form as it definitely would have helped with my understanding. The research that has gone into this books is impeccable. Even though this is obviously a work of fiction, the historical research mixes together with the fiction element so that at times I had to remind myself that Gretchen's story didn't actually happen; it was that well written.
The Prisoner of Night and Fog makes for some compelling reading. Even though we know the outcome of Hilter's rise to power, I found myself hoping that he would be able to be stopped. Once Gretchen makes contact with Daniel we see how the clouds that Hitler has covered Gretchen's eyes with about the Jews begin to evaporate and she begins to see the real Hitler. As Gretchen's life begins to become more dangerous, I could feel my heart pounding. You cannot not get completely involved.
What is even more brilliant about this is that there is more to come! I will definitely be immersing myself in Gretchen's world as soon as I can and following Hitler's story in his rise to power.
A compelling, emotional and a must read for all Young Adult readers!
This was a brilliantly crafted story about living in Germany during Hitler's rise to power from the view point of seventeen year old Gretchen. Gretchen is known as Hitler's favourite and calls her 'My Sunshine' and she affectionately calls him Uncle Dolf. But there are dark secrets surrounding Hitler and the Nazi regime that Gretchen cannot even begin to comprehend. As the secrets start to unravel, Gretchen starts to realise that the affectionate 'Uncle Dolf' title does not go so well...
I really really wish I had had this book to read whilst I was studying History at sixth form as it definitely would have helped with my understanding. The research that has gone into this books is impeccable. Even though this is obviously a work of fiction, the historical research mixes together with the fiction element so that at times I had to remind myself that Gretchen's story didn't actually happen; it was that well written.
The Prisoner of Night and Fog makes for some compelling reading. Even though we know the outcome of Hilter's rise to power, I found myself hoping that he would be able to be stopped. Once Gretchen makes contact with Daniel we see how the clouds that Hitler has covered Gretchen's eyes with about the Jews begin to evaporate and she begins to see the real Hitler. As Gretchen's life begins to become more dangerous, I could feel my heart pounding. You cannot not get completely involved.
What is even more brilliant about this is that there is more to come! I will definitely be immersing myself in Gretchen's world as soon as I can and following Hitler's story in his rise to power.
A compelling, emotional and a must read for all Young Adult readers!
This may just be one of my new favorite books…I just loved this story so much!
The thing that made me really fall in love with this book was the crazy amount of fact it had woven throughout the story. The main premise of this story is for Gretchen to figure out what happened to her father when he died. And as she went along from various people to hear their account of the events, she gets real facts about Hitler’s life, heard from real people that actually lived and knew Hitler. And it’s amazing how that was able to all be put in one huge story line, that isn’t even that far off from an event that actually happened. The entire author’s note with the history just kept blowing my mind – the way Anne Blankman was able to pull so many different influences, anecdotes, people together from Hitler’s life and put them in one story was incredible. In most historical novels, there is so much liberty taken with the story that it’s hard to even call it ‘historical fiction.’ But this was one of the best I’ve read in a very long time and I would really suggest it!
One of my other favorite things about this book, and the thing that made me want to read it when I saw it sitting on the shelves of Barnes and Noble, was Hitler. Hitler is a person that we all know as pure evil, and I had never read a book with him as a character before. And by character, I mean he has dialogue. And contributes to the plot line. The best part was that Gretchen was so involved with him. It would not be an easy task to write about such a terrible person, especially a real person, but he was done so well. He creeped me out so bad in so many scenes and I hated him. Like, a lot. And I think everyone would. Once again, the amount of research in this book was incredible. Also, Hitler could have died very early on in his career – why did that not happen? Like, so much would’ve changed…just so much. (See, I learned things from this book!) Anyway, this element was one of my favorites because it was so unique to this story. And if I had to guess, I would say he probably was exactly like written here.
Anyway, onto Gretchen. Gretchen was such a good character. She had her flaws, but also her strong points. She made mistakes too, but she did some things right. She felt like a normal person, tied up in the inner workings of the National Socialist Party. I loved seeing her deal with all the inner drama of this political party, most of which were real events (again, amazingly done!). Her friends and their fates were so interesting and unique. I really liked, well hated actually, her family situation and her abusive brother. He helped bring in the point about psychopaths and psychoanalysis, which was very popular at the time. I liked Dr. Waterhouse as well because he helped bring in the psychology aspect of Hitler’s reign, something I have always found very interesting. All of things about psychopaths was just so interesting. And, speaking of Gretchen, we must talk about Daniel! I loved Daniel so much. His relationship with Gretchen was so heart warming. It’s been a while since I read a really good relationship like that.
Once again, the plot was just so twisty and crazy! I loved hearing everything about Hitler and his National Socialist party. There was so much drama and mystery surrounding everything that made this book a really good read.
I highly suggest this book!
The thing that made me really fall in love with this book was the crazy amount of fact it had woven throughout the story. The main premise of this story is for Gretchen to figure out what happened to her father when he died. And as she went along from various people to hear their account of the events, she gets real facts about Hitler’s life, heard from real people that actually lived and knew Hitler. And it’s amazing how that was able to all be put in one huge story line, that isn’t even that far off from an event that actually happened. The entire author’s note with the history just kept blowing my mind – the way Anne Blankman was able to pull so many different influences, anecdotes, people together from Hitler’s life and put them in one story was incredible. In most historical novels, there is so much liberty taken with the story that it’s hard to even call it ‘historical fiction.’ But this was one of the best I’ve read in a very long time and I would really suggest it!
One of my other favorite things about this book, and the thing that made me want to read it when I saw it sitting on the shelves of Barnes and Noble, was Hitler. Hitler is a person that we all know as pure evil, and I had never read a book with him as a character before. And by character, I mean he has dialogue. And contributes to the plot line. The best part was that Gretchen was so involved with him. It would not be an easy task to write about such a terrible person, especially a real person, but he was done so well. He creeped me out so bad in so many scenes and I hated him. Like, a lot. And I think everyone would. Once again, the amount of research in this book was incredible. Also, Hitler could have died very early on in his career – why did that not happen? Like, so much would’ve changed…just so much. (See, I learned things from this book!) Anyway, this element was one of my favorites because it was so unique to this story. And if I had to guess, I would say he probably was exactly like written here.
Anyway, onto Gretchen. Gretchen was such a good character. She had her flaws, but also her strong points. She made mistakes too, but she did some things right. She felt like a normal person, tied up in the inner workings of the National Socialist Party. I loved seeing her deal with all the inner drama of this political party, most of which were real events (again, amazingly done!). Her friends and their fates were so interesting and unique. I really liked, well hated actually, her family situation and her abusive brother. He helped bring in the point about psychopaths and psychoanalysis, which was very popular at the time. I liked Dr. Waterhouse as well because he helped bring in the psychology aspect of Hitler’s reign, something I have always found very interesting. All of things about psychopaths was just so interesting. And, speaking of Gretchen, we must talk about Daniel! I loved Daniel so much. His relationship with Gretchen was so heart warming. It’s been a while since I read a really good relationship like that.
Once again, the plot was just so twisty and crazy! I loved hearing everything about Hitler and his National Socialist party. There was so much drama and mystery surrounding everything that made this book a really good read.
I highly suggest this book!