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bandysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is an interesting story based on two sisters being stuck on either side of the Berlin Wall. It does a good job of making the splitting of Germany and what follows easy to understand and engaging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Confinement
bookedbymadeline's review
emotional
mysterious
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? N/A
4.5
“Is everyone here trying to forget the misery of their daily lives? Or is this ‘misery’ only what the West imagines, a construct to create heroes and villains in the politicians’ Cold War?”
Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️ The Girl Behind the Wall by Mandy Robotham is a historical fiction novel about two sisters separated by the Berlin Wall during the 1960s. Robotham’s book was published July 6th so grab a copy if you enjoy historical fiction, especially those with a bit of suspense and at times heartbreak.
I really enjoyed the switching POVs between the twins, Karin and Jutta, as well as reading about their sides of East and West Berlin! The book started off slow at first but after the first 1/3 it got really good and held my attention more.
I enjoyed the author looking at the experiences of people on both sides of the wall and it painted a more complex picture of people on each side, instead of the usual “good” vs “bad.” The writing style and character developments were well done, I felt nervous and heartbroken for the sisters and other characters. It’s quite an emotional read and overall I liked reading about this part of history that I hadn’t seen much fiction before!
My only sort of complaint on this book is that I was very frustrated with the author’s use of socialism and communism. She would use them interchangeably (more so opting for socialism to replace communism), when it’s just plain communism. It’s important to make those distinctions and I know historical fiction takes liberties but why take creative license with something this simple?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Grief, Death, Medical content, Blood, and Gun violence
Minor: Death of parent and Animal death
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