Reviews

Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II by Adam Gidwitz

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jessicanock's review

adventurous informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This would make a fantastic middle school read aloud. Gidwitz touches on many players and incidents of the World War 2 era, some that will hopefully be familiar to students (kindertransport, Kristallnacht, propaganda, Winston Churchill) and some that probably won't (bullying of Jewish refugees in Britain, the Montagu family, Ian Fleming, Charles Cholmondeley, fear of communism, The Blitz). There's also a great deal of world culture in here, including British customs and language and Jewish folklore and practices.
The kobold and dybbuk bring humor, and the spies bring action and intrigue.

There are some great opportunities for critical thinking and discussion. Max is repeatedly accused of being a Nazi or German enemy by British people who hate Jewish Londoners, preach racial superiority and don't grasp the irony. He also finds out that Britain has its own history of colonization/propaganda/war while claiming to be the good guys.

If I had known this was a duology, I might have held off. Now I have to wait, ugh.

hckilgour's review

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3.0

So I found it very interesting of how many grains of truth were included in this book. Of course it’s fictionalized, but it did give the story a level of credibility.

Max as a character is fun. He’s smart and witty and not afraid to use his brain. Yet he’s a kid and by no means is perfect.

The kobolds were an interesting touch as they added wit and comedic relief to the story. However I don’t think they really added much to the book or really had a purpose.

Going in I thought this was a standalone. I’m by no means upset it isn’t, but I’d did lead to come confusion while I was reading.