Scan barcode
Reviews
De neînvins. O poveste despre supraviețuire (ediția YA) by Claudia Roxana Olteanu, Laura Hillenbrand
jimothyj's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, War, Death, Vomit, and Domestic abuse
_reading_with_kate_'s review against another edition
Was delighted to hear the voice of Richard Gilmore when I hit play.
novaturient_bibliophile's review against another edition
3.75
I had to read this book for English class and then write a review on it, so here it is:
Unbroken: An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive is a biographical novel about war and survival written by Laura Hillenbrand. It is the abridged young adult version of the similarly named book and has been adapted into a major motion picture. Hillenbrand is most well known for writing Seabiscuit: An American Legend, which tells the story of the racehorse of the same name; she has also written a plethora of nonfiction essays which have appeared in notable magazines and publications. In Unbroken, Hillenbrand introduces readers to Louie Zamperini, who had a rough childhood full of drinking, mischief, and violence until he turned to running. Running took Zamperini to the Olympics, and he placed 8th in a race that he had only run 4 times before. As a young adult, Zamperini enlisted in the military and was stationed in Hawaii as an airman after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Later on, he was in a horrific plane crash which led to him being adrift at sea for nearly fifty days; after this, he underwent even more suffering when he was captured by the Japanese and then tortured. The book reveals how Zamperini dealt with all of this strife and pain throughout the course of his life; the author conveys Zamperini’s perseverance and resilience despite great hardship. This book is one that should be read by people as it teaches about the horrors of war, but—more importantly—how those horrors can be overcome.
Unbroken tells the story of Zamperini’s life in chronological order, mainly focusing on him but also sprinkling in some sections that shed light on important historical context and the perspectives of other characters. This book is action packed and very literal, for the most part, but it also contains moments of powerful narration with insight to characters’ inner thoughts and psychological happenings. Perhaps the most impactful quote of the book is when Pete, Louie Zamperini’s older brother, told him, “A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain” (Hillenbrand 36). The influence that this quote had on Zamperini can clearly be seen in his character and actions throughout the book, but it is also just a powerful message geared towards anyone who is struggling to persevere in their life. The author’s purpose of writing this book could be looked at in three different ways: to inform readers about Louie Zamperini’s struggle and survival, to persuade readers to turn away from the type of violence and hatred shown in the book, and to inspire readers to persevere and forgive others. These purposes are accomplished by showing Zamperini’s reactions to various events in his life, many of them including gory details which show the horrors of war. However, the ending of the story is very optimistic and full of hope, which would encourage readers. Despite Unbroken being a depressing, gruesome, and dark book, it contains many inspirational moments. Zamperini’s actions can definitely be learned from; in other words, society should be more like him.
This specific version of Unbroken is geared towards a slightly younger audience than the original, as it was “adapted for young adults”. It is an easy and very accessible read, so it can be read by pretty much anyone who wants to. This is a good book for people who do not like reading; it is not particularly complex, but still has enough depth and emotion to be moving, and it is action packed and--surprisingly--contains humor despite being a serious book overall. Anyone can learn something from this book, whether it is details about WWII that they had never encountered before or lessons on perseverance that they will begin to use in their own life. Everyone who can be encountered is struggling with something and has some sort of burden to overcome, and this book gives real life examples of how to overcome those burdens. It is also a matter of “those who do not know the past are doomed to repeat it”; by reading this book, people will learn about the horrors of WWII and hopefully will become more aware of similar violence happening in the world today. Basically, Unbroken can teach many lessons to the people who read it, and that group of people is in no way exclusive.
Unbroken is comprised of many strengths and weaknesses, although it definitely contains more of the former than the latter. The psychological insight during events added a significant amount of depth to the book, specifically through this quote about dignity: “Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen” (Hillenbrand 141). The concept of dignity and its necessity to life is frequently addressed during Zamperini’s time as a Japanese POW. Without this insight, the book would have been hollow and much less interesting. The book also contained a healthy mix of resilience and optimism contrasted against fear and despair, which made it well-rounded, not overbearing, and nicely balanced. The personalities of various characters were displayed expertly, both through Zamperini’s eyes and the eyes of an onlooker or historian. However, despite all of its positive attributes, Unbroken did have some weaknesses. The ending felt a bit stunted and not as thoroughly written as the rest of the book, and without having sufficient background knowledge, readers can find themselves not understanding the historical context of the situation. It would be interesting, for sure, to read the unabridged version and compare it to this one. Would it be better and address some of these concerns, or not? This book was easy to read in terms of the lexicon used and the lengths of chapters, and there were many photographs included. However, in terms of the subject matter, the book was more difficult to grapple with, as it was frequently dark, depressing, and gory.
To sum everything up, Unbroken teaches readers about strength, perseverance, and resilience; it expresses how difficult situations can be pushed through and overcome. The final judgment call on the book is this: it was definitely worth reading, as it is a short book that includes a significant amount of subject matter and moments to learn from. It teaches information that is not widely known, and reinforces subjects and morals that are widely known. Even though there is a movie, after having watched it, the book is clearly better and is much more well-rounded. So, do not just watch the movie, read the book as well. The major takeaways from this book are the horrors that Louie faced, first and foremost, but also how he pushed through those horrors. It also contains many moral messages, such as forgiveness and strength, that everyone should apply to their lives. Basically, do yourself a favor and go read Unbroken.
Unbroken: An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive is a biographical novel about war and survival written by Laura Hillenbrand. It is the abridged young adult version of the similarly named book and has been adapted into a major motion picture. Hillenbrand is most well known for writing Seabiscuit: An American Legend, which tells the story of the racehorse of the same name; she has also written a plethora of nonfiction essays which have appeared in notable magazines and publications. In Unbroken, Hillenbrand introduces readers to Louie Zamperini, who had a rough childhood full of drinking, mischief, and violence until he turned to running. Running took Zamperini to the Olympics, and he placed 8th in a race that he had only run 4 times before. As a young adult, Zamperini enlisted in the military and was stationed in Hawaii as an airman after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Later on, he was in a horrific plane crash which led to him being adrift at sea for nearly fifty days; after this, he underwent even more suffering when he was captured by the Japanese and then tortured. The book reveals how Zamperini dealt with all of this strife and pain throughout the course of his life; the author conveys Zamperini’s perseverance and resilience despite great hardship. This book is one that should be read by people as it teaches about the horrors of war, but—more importantly—how those horrors can be overcome.
Unbroken tells the story of Zamperini’s life in chronological order, mainly focusing on him but also sprinkling in some sections that shed light on important historical context and the perspectives of other characters. This book is action packed and very literal, for the most part, but it also contains moments of powerful narration with insight to characters’ inner thoughts and psychological happenings. Perhaps the most impactful quote of the book is when Pete, Louie Zamperini’s older brother, told him, “A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain” (Hillenbrand 36). The influence that this quote had on Zamperini can clearly be seen in his character and actions throughout the book, but it is also just a powerful message geared towards anyone who is struggling to persevere in their life. The author’s purpose of writing this book could be looked at in three different ways: to inform readers about Louie Zamperini’s struggle and survival, to persuade readers to turn away from the type of violence and hatred shown in the book, and to inspire readers to persevere and forgive others. These purposes are accomplished by showing Zamperini’s reactions to various events in his life, many of them including gory details which show the horrors of war. However, the ending of the story is very optimistic and full of hope, which would encourage readers. Despite Unbroken being a depressing, gruesome, and dark book, it contains many inspirational moments. Zamperini’s actions can definitely be learned from; in other words, society should be more like him.
This specific version of Unbroken is geared towards a slightly younger audience than the original, as it was “adapted for young adults”. It is an easy and very accessible read, so it can be read by pretty much anyone who wants to. This is a good book for people who do not like reading; it is not particularly complex, but still has enough depth and emotion to be moving, and it is action packed and--surprisingly--contains humor despite being a serious book overall. Anyone can learn something from this book, whether it is details about WWII that they had never encountered before or lessons on perseverance that they will begin to use in their own life. Everyone who can be encountered is struggling with something and has some sort of burden to overcome, and this book gives real life examples of how to overcome those burdens. It is also a matter of “those who do not know the past are doomed to repeat it”; by reading this book, people will learn about the horrors of WWII and hopefully will become more aware of similar violence happening in the world today. Basically, Unbroken can teach many lessons to the people who read it, and that group of people is in no way exclusive.
Unbroken is comprised of many strengths and weaknesses, although it definitely contains more of the former than the latter. The psychological insight during events added a significant amount of depth to the book, specifically through this quote about dignity: “Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen” (Hillenbrand 141). The concept of dignity and its necessity to life is frequently addressed during Zamperini’s time as a Japanese POW. Without this insight, the book would have been hollow and much less interesting. The book also contained a healthy mix of resilience and optimism contrasted against fear and despair, which made it well-rounded, not overbearing, and nicely balanced. The personalities of various characters were displayed expertly, both through Zamperini’s eyes and the eyes of an onlooker or historian. However, despite all of its positive attributes, Unbroken did have some weaknesses. The ending felt a bit stunted and not as thoroughly written as the rest of the book, and without having sufficient background knowledge, readers can find themselves not understanding the historical context of the situation. It would be interesting, for sure, to read the unabridged version and compare it to this one. Would it be better and address some of these concerns, or not? This book was easy to read in terms of the lexicon used and the lengths of chapters, and there were many photographs included. However, in terms of the subject matter, the book was more difficult to grapple with, as it was frequently dark, depressing, and gory.
To sum everything up, Unbroken teaches readers about strength, perseverance, and resilience; it expresses how difficult situations can be pushed through and overcome. The final judgment call on the book is this: it was definitely worth reading, as it is a short book that includes a significant amount of subject matter and moments to learn from. It teaches information that is not widely known, and reinforces subjects and morals that are widely known. Even though there is a movie, after having watched it, the book is clearly better and is much more well-rounded. So, do not just watch the movie, read the book as well. The major takeaways from this book are the horrors that Louie faced, first and foremost, but also how he pushed through those horrors. It also contains many moral messages, such as forgiveness and strength, that everyone should apply to their lives. Basically, do yourself a favor and go read Unbroken.
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of our choices for a middle school summer read. I have not read the original or seen the movie, but I couldn't put this down. Louis Zamperini seems like such an unlikable pest in the beginning, but is transformed into a motivated and driven runner by his brother's influence. The importance of family and friends is stressed throughout the story as something that provides hope and inner strength in the face of impossible hardship.
It is incredible how much terror and abuse humans can survive at the hands of other people and still manage to forgive their abusers.
It is incredible how much terror and abuse humans can survive at the hands of other people and still manage to forgive their abusers.
sarahbowling6608's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. What an eye-opening book. I am glad I chose to read the young adult version because that was horrifying enough for me. I don't typically enjoy biographies but I devoured this one.
CC: a few swear words, stealing, torture, violence, death, PTSD, alcoholism, a few pictures of planes with pin-ups on them, pictures of emaciated POWs
CC: a few swear words, stealing, torture, violence, death, PTSD, alcoholism, a few pictures of planes with pin-ups on them, pictures of emaciated POWs
kkdemarco's review against another edition
4.0
I'm usually not a huge fan of nonfiction, but a student gave me this book and made me promise to read it, and so I did. I was pleasantly surprised when I really enjoyed it! Hillenbrand's writing is very captivating and informative at the same time. And Louis Zamperini simply seems like an amazing person.
seforana's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, War, Mental illness, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Drug use, Cannibalism, Death, Confinement, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Torture, and Violence
microwave_rice's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0