Reviews

Good-bye Marianne: A Story of Growing Up in Nazi Germany by Irene N. Watts

jwinchell's review against another edition

3.0

The text and the art are spare, which is in keeping with the tragedy and loneliness of the time. And while Marianne's story is compelling--I'd be hard-pressed to find a Holocaust narrative that didn't move me in some way--I found this was sorely lacking. An author's note would have been nice, or even an end note about the historical context of Kindertransport.

tobyyy's review against another edition

4.0

Good book, but incredibly sad for a children's fiction. I guess that's understandable given the topic - Kindertransport, the traveling of Jewish children/orphans to England from Germany in 1938 and 1939 - but still, I almost teared up reading parts of it. Ms. Watts wrote clearly about Marianne's experiences, so that the reader could almost feel them for him- or herself, which is also understandable given that Ms. Watts lived through this time and was part of the Kindertransport.

Definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to a very quick, very interesting read about Kindertransport, something that I had not heard of until I read this book.

daralek's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

amdame1's review

4.0

Another compelling yet heart-breaking story about the Holocaust. This one is about 11 year old Marianne who is forced to leave home due to the Nazi attempt to kill all the Jews. Marianne is forced to look at friendships and relationships in a new light during these rapidly changing, trying circumstances. Well written and well-illustrated - but the abrupt ending left me hanging and feeling like something important had been left out.

wcs53's review

4.0

We bought this little graphic novel in a recent book sale at our local library. It's described as being 'a heartbreaking story of loss and love', which basically it is, being the story of a young Jewish girl growing up in Germany just before the outbreak of World War II. It's aimed at a younger audience, so it doesn't have too many of the more raw elements that other stories based on events during this time have. Having said that, there is enough drawn and written to show the sadness and pain of the times so that a younger person could understand what is going on and how wrong it all was. It's a well-drawn and written story. The art has a certain bleakness, which adds to what the story is all about. It would be a good starter for starting a conversation about the holocaust with children.