Scan barcode
dandi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
aprater's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the twists and turns and the pretense of the pretend. The ending felt a little rushed, there was so much detail in the beginning, I really wanted it in the end too.
erincharp's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great read! Sarah, a Jewish girl during WWII, meets up with a British spy following the death of her mother. Although he's reluctant to take her in at first, she saves his life leaving the two inextricably tied. As Sarah looks Aryan, he convinces her to work as a spy in a Nazi-run boarding school. Very engaging plot and I loved that the plot shied away from the usual "teenage war love" genre.
eokamoto's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
writingwwolves's review against another edition
5.0
I knew this was going to be a good read, but I had no idea how good; my heart raced for the majority of the story & my emotions were a wreck throughout. Orphan Monster Spy is a dark but addictive read that totally consumed me; if you like historical fiction with a bit of bite, this book is for you.
Trigger Warnings: this book contains graphic violence, discussions of sexual assault, child abuse, antisemitic behaviour & attitudes as well as war talk.
Extended Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-2wq
I was sent an ARC of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Trigger Warnings: this book contains graphic violence, discussions of sexual assault, child abuse, antisemitic behaviour & attitudes as well as war talk.
Extended Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-2wq
I was sent an ARC of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.
olliewheaton's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
smoxen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Pedophilia
ap088's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ssham92's review against another edition
4.0
Whew!
This book was a roller coaster. Despite having a WWII setting, this book was different than any other WWII book I have read. First, the opening of the story starts out with a bang. Um, maybe not the right use of word, but I'll go on. In this book, Sarah, our main character, is a Jewish orphan, who meets a man is involved in a spy operation. She is sent to a boarding school. Her mission is to be friends with a girl whose father is a scientist and creating something that is potentially life threatening. The main plot of the book is whether she succeeds or not.
The writing is really good. I'm shocked this is a debut book, because Matt Killeen can write really well. On top of that, he did a ton of research for this book, and it showed. Sarah was an excellent protagonist. She was smart, but also vulnerable and naive. Her character made sense, and she wasn't the bad ass, not afraid of anything female character, which I enjoyed. This book gets really really dark, and touches on heavy issues. There were parts where I was cringing, because of what was happening. This book had a lot of layers. In the end of the book, the author added some great commentary to the story about WWII and his book. Overall, this book was an excellent and unique read. I recommend this book for historical fiction, spy fiction , and WWII literature fans.
This book was a roller coaster. Despite having a WWII setting, this book was different than any other WWII book I have read. First, the opening of the story starts out with a bang. Um, maybe not the right use of word, but I'll go on. In this book, Sarah, our main character, is a Jewish orphan, who meets a man is involved in a spy operation. She is sent to a boarding school. Her mission is to be friends with a girl whose father is a scientist and creating something that is potentially life threatening. The main plot of the book is whether she succeeds or not.
The writing is really good. I'm shocked this is a debut book, because Matt Killeen can write really well. On top of that, he did a ton of research for this book, and it showed. Sarah was an excellent protagonist. She was smart, but also vulnerable and naive. Her character made sense, and she wasn't the bad ass, not afraid of anything female character, which I enjoyed. This book gets really really dark, and touches on heavy issues. There were parts where I was cringing, because of what was happening. This book had a lot of layers. In the end of the book, the author added some great commentary to the story about WWII and his book. Overall, this book was an excellent and unique read. I recommend this book for historical fiction, spy fiction , and WWII literature fans.
kbfrantom's review against another edition
4.0
15 year old Sarah is alone after her mother is shot at a checkpoint and hasn't seen her father in years. Without any choices, she meets a man who is kind to her. She finds out he is a spy and since she looks more like a blonde Nazi than a Jew, he sets her up as a spy at a girls boarding school. Her assignment is to get close to Elsa, whose father is working on a bomb. There are troubling scenes involving teachers and other students humiliating and inflicting pain on others as well as some abuse. It was a suspenseful read and I like how the author's notes at the end discussed how some of the book was based in fact.