Reviews

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

sumayyaha's review against another edition

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5.0

Rating - 5 Stars

That ending kind of shocked me. I had thought that the young German boy would just be killed and that would simply be the sad part that everyone talked about. However, it was much more sad and disturbing if you really think about it.

lissi_k's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad

4.5

reader4evr's review against another edition

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2.0

This is the last historical fiction/WWII novel I want to read for a while. They are always so depressing and never end happy. The only really good part of this book was the ending which was the saddest too.

I listened to this on audiobook and I was surprised the narrator of the story wasn't younger.

Bruno was a very annoying character. I know he is 12 yrs old but gosh he was so full of himself and hardly thought of anyone besides himself.

I might recommend this book to a student that likes historical fiction but I'm not sure because I've read better ones.

nansap's review against another edition

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dark reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

bjlongchamps's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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

4.5

lisamchuk's review against another edition

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4.0

A moving Holocaust story with a predictable ending, but a good message, if that's even possible

cdjdhj's review against another edition

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4.0

Written from the viewpoint of 9-year-old Bruno, this book is a story of friendship, betrayal and loyalty during one of the worst times in history in one of the worst places on earth. It is a quick, yet moving read. Highly recommended!

librarybookbosomed's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

neilazaara's review

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

This was quite honestly heartbreaking. It was short and to the point.
It’s a great introduction to the horror of concentration camps for younger readers without having all the horror on page. Reading from the naive and innocent POV of a child on the outside really brings a different perspective to a horrifying time in history that has been revisited in books over and over again. It’s different and it doesn’t need to have everything spelled out for it to have a lasting impact.

Overall, I really recommend it if you want a different type of storytelling and a different POV around concentration camps.

jaifman's review against another edition

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2.0

Vaya por delante que entiendo que este libro guste a la gente en general.

Perp a mi la mezcla niños-nazis-campos de concentración- bestseller ya me hacía torcer un poco el gesto. Y lamentablemente era más o menos lo que esperaba. Sensiblería a raudales, poca sutilidad y una calidad literaria que tampoco es para echar cohetes. Creo que con la premisa de la novela podría haberse hecho algo bastante mejor, más crudo y sin tanto dramatismo de opereta. Más bien verdadero dramatismo del que se te agarra a la garganta. Pero claro, tampoco habría vendido tanto.

Al menos es un libro muy corto, por lo que si te gusta pues genial, y si no te gusta pues no pierdes excesivo tiempo.