7.38k reviews for:

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

John Boyne

3.92 AVERAGE

emmai's review against another edition

5.0

sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

clairechandler37's review against another edition

3.0

slow-paced

Loveable characters: No

cwatson1234's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

dy1007's review against another edition

5.0

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Excellent story told from the point of view of a 9 year old.

souymuilk's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

monj's review against another edition

2.0

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By far my least favorite example of Holocaust literature for young adults that I've come across. For one thing, if you don't have a thorough understanding of the events before reading the book, you are unlikely to make several key connections OR come out the other side having learned much about the Holocaust at all. It took me a sad amount of time to make the connection the author wanted between "Fury" and "Hitler" (in fact, it took Hitler showing up for dinner to make that click). And how many children are likely to make the Fuhrer connection unaided? Much less the Auschwitz/Out-With thing. Punning in English with German words is also just something that is not really clever and unnecessarily confusing. If you want genuine, emotion-inducing Holocaust literature, I suggest you look elsewhere. There's plenty of real memoirs of varying levels of detail out there, and also a plethora of better-done fiction.

mystic_faerie's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jodireinhardt's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

lonely_april's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

annewilbooks's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes