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lauren5114's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
abbygrace1011's review against another edition
4.0
Heartbroken is an understatement. Such a powerful story. Gave nightingale vibes but in a vastly different way. Highly recommend
annsbibliotherapy's review against another edition
4.0
Spoilers ahead.......
This book broke my heart, over and over and over again, and just when I thought it couldn't do it again.... it did. I have never wanted a 4.5 star rating as much as I do right now. It was well written, a bit slow at times but that's how life goes, one day you're crawling along barely making it through the day and then the next you're running for your life.
The big thing for me with this is that it drew me in, it wasn't a topic I normally would pick up, I'm grateful to my buddy reader for picking this one. I found myself re-reading the epilogue, I'd gotten so invested in the story that I totally forgot the majority of the book was a flashback, and normally that's really hit or miss for me, but with this one, it was beautifully done and had such sincerity to it that I kept going, one picture, that's all it takes to change generations of a family, and the relationship between Mother and Daughter.
Magda, Max, Heidi, and Lola, what an awkward quartet they were, but somehow it just worked. The dynamic between Max and his Mother and the girls, it just made sense in a strange kind of way, Magda had lost her husband and felt she'd lost her son, then these two wayward Jewish women show up needing help and she doesn't hesitate, she'd lost so much to the war and yet she still wanted to help, whenever and however she could, no matter what happened she just kept fighting.
The relationship between Heidi and Lola was one I could relate to, the idea of the sisters being on the same side yet miles apart at times seemed so genuine, it had love and jealousy and anger, all the things that would make them seem oh so real to readers.
I could see the blossoming relationship between Max and Lola well before they made the connection themselves, I was rooting for them through every hardship, when they lost Magda and Heidi I just kept hoping they'd at least end up with each other, when they lost Angelicka I was so worried she would turn them in and that would be it but no. She turned out to be the one person outside of the four of them that they could actually trust.
This book brought out so many emotions, happiness, dread, anger, devastation, I didn't know one book, or even one chapter of a book could evoke the emotional range this one did.
All in all, I went into this not really knowing what to expect, I put it down with tears in my eyes wondering how many people had lived the life described in this book, and how many of them had similar fates.
This book broke my heart, over and over and over again, and just when I thought it couldn't do it again.... it did. I have never wanted a 4.5 star rating as much as I do right now. It was well written, a bit slow at times but that's how life goes, one day you're crawling along barely making it through the day and then the next you're running for your life.
The big thing for me with this is that it drew me in, it wasn't a topic I normally would pick up, I'm grateful to my buddy reader for picking this one. I found myself re-reading the epilogue, I'd gotten so invested in the story that I totally forgot the majority of the book was a flashback, and normally that's really hit or miss for me, but with this one, it was beautifully done and had such sincerity to it that I kept going, one picture, that's all it takes to change generations of a family, and the relationship between Mother and Daughter.
Magda, Max, Heidi, and Lola, what an awkward quartet they were, but somehow it just worked. The dynamic between Max and his Mother and the girls, it just made sense in a strange kind of way, Magda had lost her husband and felt she'd lost her son, then these two wayward Jewish women show up needing help and she doesn't hesitate, she'd lost so much to the war and yet she still wanted to help, whenever and however she could, no matter what happened she just kept fighting.
The relationship between Heidi and Lola was one I could relate to, the idea of the sisters being on the same side yet miles apart at times seemed so genuine, it had love and jealousy and anger, all the things that would make them seem oh so real to readers.
I could see the blossoming relationship between Max and Lola well before they made the connection themselves, I was rooting for them through every hardship, when they lost Magda and Heidi I just kept hoping they'd at least end up with each other, when they lost Angelicka I was so worried she would turn them in and that would be it but no. She turned out to be the one person outside of the four of them that they could actually trust.
This book brought out so many emotions, happiness, dread, anger, devastation, I didn't know one book, or even one chapter of a book could evoke the emotional range this one did.
All in all, I went into this not really knowing what to expect, I put it down with tears in my eyes wondering how many people had lived the life described in this book, and how many of them had similar fates.
creaseinthespinebooks's review against another edition
4.0
Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A. wwll written WWII story filled with love,mstrength, courage and tragedy. Through specific descriptions this is not a lght read. It is a page turner story that makes the horrors of war very evident.
The book was engaging from the very beginning, i was hooked immediately, and felt so close to the characters that i felt as they suffered throughout the book. Even through all of this i still recommend.
My review are strictly written by me . Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers
A. wwll written WWII story filled with love,mstrength, courage and tragedy. Through specific descriptions this is not a lght read. It is a page turner story that makes the horrors of war very evident.
The book was engaging from the very beginning, i was hooked immediately, and felt so close to the characters that i felt as they suffered throughout the book. Even through all of this i still recommend.
My review are strictly written by me . Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers
thisbookishcat's review
I'm genuinely upset that I didn't like this book more, because I really wanted to. I love historical fiction, especially stuff set during WW2, and I'm a sucker for a good love story, but oh no.
The writing in this novel left a lot to be desired.
Too much dialogue - less is often more.
None of the characters were endearing - sure Magda and Heidi were okay, but only because they were there to placate the hot heads apparently.
Our Romeo and Juliet were unrealistic - there's no way that at 15-year-old or what have you a young woman wouldn't know what's going on during WW2, she's young not stupid. I also don't believe that in a matter of a few days this soldier would become enamoured with her given what we know of what took place with the Hitler Youth, what with them not being warm at all towards each other, and considering they have like four brief interactions in the book by this point. Maybe at 50% into the book I would have bought it, but not this early on.
Overall, I wanted to enjoy myself because this seemed like it'd be right up my alley, but it fell short for me.
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The writing in this novel left a lot to be desired.
Too much dialogue - less is often more.
None of the characters were endearing - sure Magda and Heidi were okay, but only because they were there to placate the hot heads apparently.
Our Romeo and Juliet were unrealistic - there's no way that at 15-year-old or what have you a young woman wouldn't know what's going on during WW2, she's young not stupid. I also don't believe that in a matter of a few days this soldier would become enamoured with her given what we know of what took place with the Hitler Youth, what with them not being warm at all towards each other, and considering they have like four brief interactions in the book by this point. Maybe at 50% into the book I would have bought it, but not this early on.
Overall, I wanted to enjoy myself because this seemed like it'd be right up my alley, but it fell short for me.
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
schughes99's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 ⭐️
I loved this book until chapter 18. After what happened in chapter 18, the book just seemed to go downhill for me. I was very disappointed in how the book came to a close when Lola and Max were so close to being safe together, forever. I believe that the author wrote his death well, as I was going back and forth on whether or not he would survive, but it still greatly disappointed that after how much the two had grown together, the author killed Max off. After that, I didn’t have much interest in the book, and the following chapters and epilogue were very vague and dry. My attention was lost.
I loved this book until chapter 18. After what happened in chapter 18, the book just seemed to go downhill for me. I was very disappointed in how the book came to a close when Lola and Max were so close to being safe together, forever. I believe that the author wrote his death well, as I was going back and forth on whether or not he would survive, but it still greatly disappointed that after how much the two had grown together, the author killed Max off. After that, I didn’t have much interest in the book, and the following chapters and epilogue were very vague and dry. My attention was lost.
desiree808's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
losgiraffee's review against another edition
3.0
This book makes me wish I could give half stars because it hovered somewhere in between a 3 and 4 star read for me. To be 100% honest, I didn't like the beginning very much at all. I thought I was partly to blame because I started it as an audio book. I got about two hours in on listening to it and wondered if I just really didn't like the narration.
This was apparently not the case.
I started it completely over by reading it instead of listening to it and still didn't like it. I couldn't stand Lola. She was a whiny, spoiled, annoying girl that constantly put everyone in danger. Maybe this was supposed to give drama to the story but I was just annoyed. She was so annoying. So. Annoying. Ughhhh.
Buuuuut I have a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out) so I buckled in since I knew I had to finish the damn thing. I must admit...it didn't get much better early on. Max and Lola end up falling for each other for some weird reason and their relationship seems to be based on Lola being argumentative and annoying. Alright. Whatever.
Then the war catches up with them and this is when the book really found it's place. Or Lola was put in her place...either way it got better from there.
Once they went on the run, the pace picked up and the annoying dialogue went waaaay down. The ending was bittersweet if not technically a "happy ending." It was enough to ALMOST make me round up to 4 stars. But my god that beginning...
This was apparently not the case.
I started it completely over by reading it instead of listening to it and still didn't like it. I couldn't stand Lola. She was a whiny, spoiled, annoying girl that constantly put everyone in danger. Maybe this was supposed to give drama to the story but I was just annoyed. She was so annoying. So. Annoying. Ughhhh.
Buuuuut I have a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out) so I buckled in since I knew I had to finish the damn thing. I must admit...it didn't get much better early on. Max and Lola end up falling for each other for some weird reason and their relationship seems to be based on Lola being argumentative and annoying. Alright. Whatever.
Then the war catches up with them and this is when the book really found it's place. Or Lola was put in her place...either way it got better from there.
Once they went on the run, the pace picked up and the annoying dialogue went waaaay down. The ending was bittersweet if not technically a "happy ending." It was enough to ALMOST make me round up to 4 stars. But my god that beginning...