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miamia1's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Interesting learning about world war 2 from the point of view from Brussels.
lizzicyrus's review
5.0
I loved this preview and i was really excited that i had enough books, so i could get a copy. The book came on Wednesday and i was super excited to read it and i didn't put it down. The book has short characters which has a quote at the start of each of characters, i found this really useful as it gave some background and historical detail.
The book is a story about 2 friends who are trying to out run the Nazis, it is difficult to write any more without spoiling the book.
The author has a great style of writing, especially as the book is told from the view of 18 year old woman. The author is draws you in the characters life and emotional journery.
The ending does feel rushed, which is my only negative about the book.
The book is a story about 2 friends who are trying to out run the Nazis, it is difficult to write any more without spoiling the book.
The author has a great style of writing, especially as the book is told from the view of 18 year old woman. The author is draws you in the characters life and emotional journery.
The ending does feel rushed, which is my only negative about the book.
amysreading_nook's review
3.0
I feel really bad rating a book on this subject with a low rating, and honestly I considered giving this book two stars, but ultimately I feel like this was the only rating I could give it.
I don't know what it was about this book but I just couldn't connect at all to the characters or the story; it almost felt like the writing was quite clinical and there were no real emotions pouring through. The events of the book should read as horrific and terrifying but the characters never seem to be portrayed in a way that shows their emotions or the impact of the events on them. Simone is the daughter of a General and can see in him the horrors of war and yet she spends the first half of the book in complete denial about what is going on, and then because she is his daughter she essentially gets free passage and food everywhere she goes.
I think part of the problem is the structure of the book; we get flashbacks throughout the events of the book but they tend to happen in line with events that are happening at the time so it's both jarring trying to figure our when we are, but also disrupts the flow of events that should horrify you. And then there are random quotes in the book from true events or world leaders which again takes you out of the flow of the writing. It almost felt like the author really skimmed the events of the book and focused almost entirely on the girls friendship; which yes came across as very deep, but it meant that the book felt almost superficial? I think it spent so much time setting up about the girl's lives in Brussels, then we get a quick few chapters on them fleeing, and then it's Simone's life afterwards; so I think it was the pacing and the structure of the book that took me out of it.
I do think this book portrayed their friendship well and you can see the love and affection they have for one another but ultimately I just felt no emotional connection to the book, which I am disappointed about.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.
I don't know what it was about this book but I just couldn't connect at all to the characters or the story; it almost felt like the writing was quite clinical and there were no real emotions pouring through. The events of the book should read as horrific and terrifying but the characters never seem to be portrayed in a way that shows their emotions or the impact of the events on them. Simone is the daughter of a General and can see in him the horrors of war and yet she spends the first half of the book in complete denial about what is going on, and then because she is his daughter she essentially gets free passage and food everywhere she goes.
I think part of the problem is the structure of the book; we get flashbacks throughout the events of the book but they tend to happen in line with events that are happening at the time so it's both jarring trying to figure our when we are, but also disrupts the flow of events that should horrify you. And then there are random quotes in the book from true events or world leaders which again takes you out of the flow of the writing. It almost felt like the author really skimmed the events of the book and focused almost entirely on the girls friendship; which yes came across as very deep, but it meant that the book felt almost superficial? I think it spent so much time setting up about the girl's lives in Brussels, then we get a quick few chapters on them fleeing, and then it's Simone's life afterwards; so I think it was the pacing and the structure of the book that took me out of it.
I do think this book portrayed their friendship well and you can see the love and affection they have for one another but ultimately I just felt no emotional connection to the book, which I am disappointed about.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.
erincait's review
1.0
the most typical ww2 book ever. ive read the same sentences in 100 other ww2 books. stupid and shallow
wordsofclover's review
3.0
I received this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Simone Lyon is the daughter of a well-respected general and feels confident as German forces move closer to Belgium that war will never touch her home. However, it soon does and Simone is forced to flee Brussels with her best friend Hava, who is Jewish and therefore in terrible danger if enemy soldiers find them.
This book is well-written and seems well-researched. You can tell that the author really wanted to pay tribute to those who had fought, died and survived the war in how he wrote his story, and the story he really wanted to tell to readers. The friendship between the girls was really wonderful, and I never doubted the love and camaraderie they felt for each other. They were true sisters of the heart.
Unfortunately though, the story felt really lack-luster to me. I think it almost felt overdone in a way and everything the writer wanted us to feel and understand from the story was written plainly on the page and a lot of nuance was lost. There's absolutely nothing really wrong with the story - it just failed to light something inside of me that as a reader, I want to feel when reading a story. The start - particularly Simone's life in Brussels before the German invasion and the start of her friendship with Hava - was really dragged out, and then their fleeing from the Germans seemed to all be a blur.
The characters felt slightly wooden as well and lacked real personality that made them feel real - Simone was very much a Mary-Sue character and everything seemed to come very easily to her, while Hava was a manic pixie dream girl of some sort. The only real thing I felt from the girls was their teenage obsession with Hollywood actors and singers.
I just felt a bit bored of this book and I feel like there are ways the story may have been better. Just not one for me I think!
Simone Lyon is the daughter of a well-respected general and feels confident as German forces move closer to Belgium that war will never touch her home. However, it soon does and Simone is forced to flee Brussels with her best friend Hava, who is Jewish and therefore in terrible danger if enemy soldiers find them.
This book is well-written and seems well-researched. You can tell that the author really wanted to pay tribute to those who had fought, died and survived the war in how he wrote his story, and the story he really wanted to tell to readers. The friendship between the girls was really wonderful, and I never doubted the love and camaraderie they felt for each other. They were true sisters of the heart.
Unfortunately though, the story felt really lack-luster to me. I think it almost felt overdone in a way and everything the writer wanted us to feel and understand from the story was written plainly on the page and a lot of nuance was lost. There's absolutely nothing really wrong with the story - it just failed to light something inside of me that as a reader, I want to feel when reading a story. The start - particularly Simone's life in Brussels before the German invasion and the start of her friendship with Hava - was really dragged out, and then their fleeing from the Germans seemed to all be a blur.
The characters felt slightly wooden as well and lacked real personality that made them feel real - Simone was very much a Mary-Sue character and everything seemed to come very easily to her, while Hava was a manic pixie dream girl of some sort. The only real thing I felt from the girls was their teenage obsession with Hollywood actors and singers.
I just felt a bit bored of this book and I feel like there are ways the story may have been better. Just not one for me I think!
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