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xsymphonica's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lbpleva's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jamanji's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I enjoyed reading this book every step of the way. The writing is masterful and the author’s ability to manipulate the plot and intertwine two seemingly unrelated lives into one is remarkable.
**SPOILER ALERT**
I did not expect the ending, especially Werner’s death. it was surprising and abrupt that one of the main characters was killed in one simple sentence. The irony of his death at the hands of German machinery when he himself was a slave to German machinery was not lost on me. I did obviously hope for a happy ending for Marie and Werner (why didn’t he just take off his damn uniform), but I guess it’s more poetic this way.
**SPOILER ALERT**
I did not expect the ending, especially Werner’s death. it was surprising and abrupt that one of the main characters was killed in one simple sentence. The irony of his death at the hands of German machinery when he himself was a slave to German machinery was not lost on me. I did obviously hope for a happy ending for Marie and Werner (why didn’t he just take off his damn uniform), but I guess it’s more poetic this way.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Excrement, Sexual assault, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, War, Rape, Antisemitism, Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Murder, Kidnapping, Genocide, Death, and Cancer
drsmwalker's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
jackpep's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful book that shines most in its descriptive but concise language and in its nuanced characters. There was a ton of research put into this book and it really shows. The biggest negative for the book was that the ending felt overextended for a few characters and far too short for others, making it feel lopsided and heavy. Otherwise, this is a near-perfect novel.
chelseamguy's review against another edition
5.0
This book had so many beautiful moments! I loved the writing and the story, the way it was all woven together (like life feels to be).
biliboc_diana_simona's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
boo_biscuits's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
phoebe_the_titan_of_prophecy's review against another edition
4.0
i did not like this ending. the rest of the book was fairly decent but the end... it's not that it was sad, i didn't cry or anything it was that werner freaking stepped on a land mine(on purpose, if it was on accident i would have laughed).
alternate ending .
werner escapes the hole finds marie, on the way out of the city she stops at the grotto, throws the sea of flames into the water, gets her eyesight back, sees werner, falls in love and they live happily ever after. every one would have loved to see that.
the truly sad thing is this was loosely based on a true story. also, fredrik my man how did you manage to get beat up by a hose? that takes skill to be that bad.
any i would recommend if you like sad things.
alternate ending .
werner escapes the hole finds marie, on the way out of the city she stops at the grotto, throws the sea of flames into the water, gets her eyesight back, sees werner, falls in love and they live happily ever after. every one would have loved to see that.
the truly sad thing is this was loosely based on a true story. also, fredrik my man how did you manage to get beat up by a hose? that takes skill to be that bad.
any i would recommend if you like sad things.