Reviews tagging 'Antisemitism'

All the Broken Places by John Boyne

19 reviews

avidreader5678's review

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Torture, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Sexism and Vomit

cday13's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Antisemitism, War, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, and Suicidal thoughts

chile16's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, and Drug use

sassyykassie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Body horror, Antisemitism, Blood, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Genocide, Alcoholism, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Death of parent

kpitsker's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Suicide attempt, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Suicide

gabi_m16's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Antisemitism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Murder, Genocide, Grief, Child abuse, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail

j_e_nnnn's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Antisemitism

nightmaresandfairytales's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Torture, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Deportation, Dementia, Hate crime, Infidelity, Sexual content, Child abuse, Alcoholism, War, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Genocide

claires1300's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 As a follow on from The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, I found this book a reflective puzzle of Gretel's (Bruno's older sister) post war struggle as she bounces from country to country to evade her past.
It certainly managed to evoke emotion and make you feel for her character as a slightly obtuse child who was clearly vaguely aware of the happenings at the concentration camp and her father's involvement but also treated horribly by people who discovered her part like she was just as culpable as the executioners, a tall task from a 12 year old girl.

This book, in truth, probably could have not been written to little detriment of The Boy in Striped Pyjamas as is focused on basically hiding from the immense 'guilt' she feels yet continuing a life of little friends, interactions and meticulous planning to the point of obsession yet is understandable in her ripe age of a 90 odd year old woman that she would be set in her ways and reflective to an intense amount.

It is interesting that she is given the role of

an executioner in murdering her neighbour's husband

like a poetic justification that justice will not be served as domestic abuse or any form of hidden crime like the Nazis with the hidden sympathisers disappearing after the war and her relationship with her next door neighbour  being

her long lost daughter

feels decidedly too planned and perfect. Also, I fail to see how giving Heidi a life where she is struggling with dementia at 60 and has had such a comfortable existence bankrolled by her parents is a good idea in the book's graces. I feel the choice of names in the book feels grandiose at times as well as she mocks Oberon but then her son is called Caden which feels unusual also.

While her quest of facing her demons and dealing with having a relationship with a younger boy similar to her brother is interesting to read and interpret, I can also understand how it can be triggering for readers as well with the suicide attempt and victimising of herself making the Nazis appear somewhat capable of redemption. It feels topical as reports of French resistance murders post 1945 have been unearthed calling into question ethics on the side of the Allies and whether it is justified to harbour resentment and punish anyone heavily involved and indoctrinated by a regime that killed so many or forgiveness should be given to women and children especially? Boyne himself seems to point to the idea of sympathising with those indoctrinated but it is questionable to what extent people should be given leniency and could be triggering for those who have suffered with racism or antisemitism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Suicide attempt, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Antisemitism

gymjam_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A must read for anyone who read and enjoyed The Boy in the Striped Pajamas!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Antisemitism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Child death, Gaslighting, and Grief

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, War, Murder, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt