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jess_mango's review against another edition
3.0
There are a ton of World War II historical fiction novels out there and I've read quite a few myself. The Vanishing Sky is another novel set during WWII except this one is told from the perspective of a German family, the Hubers. The family is comprised of Etta & Josef and their sons Max and Georg. It's 1945 and Max has returned home from the front. He is quiet and off from his normal behavior. He spends a lot of time walking by himself through town and hanging out in the cemetery. He talks about bones a lot and how he had to collect bones. Meanwhile, younger son Georg, who had been at a Hitler Youth academy is sent out into the field with a troop of young soldiers. At one point, while in a transport vehicle and the rest of his group is sleeping, Georg jumps from the vehicle and begins the long journey towards home.
This novel is heart-wrenching. It shows the impact of WWII from a perspective we don't often see. You can feel Etta's worry for her family, in particular, Max. There is a lot of despair in this novel, which is what one would expect from a story of young soldiers who had seen battle. Including the whole family in the story added impact. I didn't quite connect with any of these characters as much as I'd hoped. I found myself putting it down to clear my brain.
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This novel is heart-wrenching. It shows the impact of WWII from a perspective we don't often see. You can feel Etta's worry for her family, in particular, Max. There is a lot of despair in this novel, which is what one would expect from a story of young soldiers who had seen battle. Including the whole family in the story added impact. I didn't quite connect with any of these characters as much as I'd hoped. I found myself putting it down to clear my brain.
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
rpych2's review against another edition
2.0
There’s a lot of very ambitious plots for books, and this was certainly one of them. But I don’t think you’ll ever be able to convince me to be sympathetic towards any characters that fought for the Nazis in WWII. It was well written so I’ll round up to 2 stars, but even though the message is not every German knew what was going on, I don’t think it was handled in the right way.
carlylottsofbookz's review against another edition
3.0
This is the story of a German family In WW2. A mom who would sacrifice herself to save her children. An older son turned crazy by the war. A father with dementia. A young son who is (rightfully) terrified and being pushed to fight.
kiwikazz's review against another edition
4.0
A novel about the toll of the last years of WW2 on a German family. Etta, the mom is a hero with her unwavering love. Probably more a 3 1/2 stars for me
jazpb's review against another edition
3.0
Perhaps I read this book at the wrong time. If I waited a few years, I may have found it better. On its own merit, I mostly enjoyed the story and the characters. The writing is lovely. The problem is that it's another WWII historical fiction in the ever-growing sea of WWII historical fictions. I think it's safe to say that another wasn't necessary, especially when there are better ones out there. For that alone, I gave it a biased lower rating. I would like to read another book by Binder that isn't WWII. I'm sure her skill would translate better with a different subject.
supergirls_2008's review against another edition
2.0
Odd writing style. Very flowery and flows freely between present, past, and imagined occurrences.
One thing I thought was interesting was how the young German boys in 1945 believed all the propaganda and thought Hitler had masterminded the retreat and losing was actually part of his plan to win. It reminded me of far right conspiracy nuts in 2021
One thing I thought was interesting was how the young German boys in 1945 believed all the propaganda and thought Hitler had masterminded the retreat and losing was actually part of his plan to win. It reminded me of far right conspiracy nuts in 2021
jillbo89's review against another edition
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Hate crime, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, War, and Antisemitism
jordanthebiblipohile's review against another edition
4.0
Overall: ☆☆☆☆ (3.6)
Writing style: ☆☆☆☆
Entertainment :☆☆☆
Characters:☆☆☆
Plot:☆☆☆☆
Ending:☆☆☆☆
Writing style: ☆☆☆☆
Entertainment :☆☆☆
Characters:☆☆☆
Plot:☆☆☆☆
Ending:☆☆☆☆
mgwalker8's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5