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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
A really compelling WWII story! Rosenberg has always been a great storyteller, and even though this is his first historical fiction story, he does a fantastic job with historical accuracy and creating an intriguing and inspiring story about Jewish protagonist, Jacob Wiez.
Gripping, not cause of author's writing, but by the actual plot it was based on. Seemed preachy at bits. Overall, an okay read for someone who knows nothing about WW2.
I'm very conflicted about this book. On one hand, it's an important story about people escaping Auschwitz to tell the world what was happening, only to be ignored. On the other hand, the writing is a bit juvenile, and I was annoyed with the main character, Jacob, on more than one occasion. Some of the story seemed a bit....I hate to say dramatic, but that's the only word I can think of to describe those sections. But I chose to round up my stars to 4, because we need reminded frequently about where hate can lead us.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Going into any book about The Holocaust you know your in for an emotional roller-coaster. The Auschwitz Escape follows the fictional tale of Jacob Weisz a German Jew who ends up in the worst of all of the death camps, Auschwitz. The novel is beautifully written. It keeps a very steady pace while taking the necessary time to build up characters and give us even more to cry about later.
Like many other books on The Holocaust, this will absolutely pull a few tears out of anyone that reads it. The brutality of these camps and all that the Jews had to endure were horrific. It's a tough read and there were a few days that I just couldn't get myself to listen to the book. There are some scenes during Jake's time at Auschwitz that are a level of brutality that is hard to even listen to.
For all the excellent writing there were some plot elements that get in the way from this being a truly stellar book. The last quarter of the book turns Jake away from the character we read about for the first three quarters of the book and makes him more of an action hero. It didn't fit his character nor his personality which made it seem out of place. There were also a few times where things seemed to work out to perfectly for Jake just to help move the story forward.
All in all I would still highly recommend this novel. Even with its few faults this is still one of the best novels I've read in 2014. Not to mention the last couple of chapters were a beautiful way to finish off what is a great story.
Like many other books on The Holocaust, this will absolutely pull a few tears out of anyone that reads it. The brutality of these camps and all that the Jews had to endure were horrific. It's a tough read and there were a few days that I just couldn't get myself to listen to the book. There are some scenes during Jake's time at Auschwitz that are a level of brutality that is hard to even listen to.
For all the excellent writing there were some plot elements that get in the way from this being a truly stellar book. The last quarter of the book turns Jake away from the character we read about for the first three quarters of the book and makes him more of an action hero. It didn't fit his character nor his personality which made it seem out of place. There were also a few times where things seemed to work out to perfectly for Jake just to help move the story forward.
All in all I would still highly recommend this novel. Even with its few faults this is still one of the best novels I've read in 2014. Not to mention the last couple of chapters were a beautiful way to finish off what is a great story.
An emotionally impacting, riveting story based on the true horrors of Auschwitz, and the few men (though the ones in the story are fictional) who escaped the death camp. Not an easy read, but a good one. 4.5 stars
dark
emotional
inspiring