Reviews

Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen

rekadarnb's review against another edition

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3.0

I don’t know whether to hate it or love it.

dogmomirene's review against another edition

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4.0

The opening scene grabbed me and I had to keep listening to find out what Sarah would do next. Her inner monologue was beautifully and effectively executed for the audiobook version making me feel even more sympathy for her as she transformed from orphan to monster to spy.

The scenes where she infiltrated the Nazi boarding school waned a bit for me. The politics of the mean girls did not interest me beyond wondering where Sarah was going with building relationships in this school.

Once that ulterior motive was revealed, the true horror of this book set in. The violence that is suggested and outright described is truly disturbing. Even more, the resolutions left me wondering about a key point, which I still find haunting.

blueberryqueen's review against another edition

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

4.0

jenpaul13's review against another edition

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4.0

Surviving during a war in a country whose leaders would rather see you dead is a tremendous endeavor. For an orphan in Matt Killeen's Orphan Monster Spy, becoming a spy is her ticket to survival.

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Fifteen year old Sarah is recently orphaned after her mother was shot and killed at a checkpoint. As a Jewish girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, and her mother's lessons on play-acting, Sarah is able to trick her way to safety as she navigates Nazi occupied regions. When Sarah meets a man, whose accent she finds curious, her future takes on a new trajectory as she becomes a spy for him, as he just so happens to be a British spy with a mission he can't complete alone. In working with him, Sarah enrolls in an elite boarding school as Ursula, where her goal is to befriend the daughter of a top Nazi scientist working on an immensely dangerous bomb. As she learns about the school, the girls, and the higher ranking Nazi officials she's observing, Sarah comes to realize the constant danger surrounding her as she strives to survive.

A story of espionage with the perilous background of pre-World War II Nazi Germany, this engaging tale moves at a brisk pace as events unfold. The inclusion of German words or phrases throughout the novel was a good effort to include historical context to the well-researched story, but I found that the method of German word/English word in the text was cumbersome and pulled my attention from the story - even for those who don't read or speak German, contextual clues could have been used to offer the meaning without explicitly stating it. Though intriguing, and the basis of the novel's continued existence, I did find that there wasn't much developed reasoning behind Sarah's hasty agreement to work as a spy for a man she just met. It was an interesting tactic to have Sarah's thoughts function as an internal dialogue between her and her mother, who seems to have been coaching Sarah in her behavior for survival, as it offers a touch of psychological drama to the tension of spying and survival.

Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

megsbookishtwins's review against another edition

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5.0

Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. (I can't decide between a 4 or 5 stars so it's going in the middle).

When Sarah’s mother is killed at a checkpoint trying to get out of Nazi Germany, Sarah -a blue-eyed blonde Jewish girl- finds herself on the run from a government that wants her dead. Then she meets a strange man with a strange accent, a British spy. He enlists the help of Sarah because he needs her to do something he can’t do – infiltrate an elite Nazi boarding school. Sarah thinks she’s ready but nothing could have prepared her for the brutality of her classmates and she soon finds herself in a battle for her survival.

trigger warnings: abuse and attempted sexual assault

Orphan Monster Spy is a story about resistance, survival, abuse and fascism. I had a feeling I would love this, especially as Elizabeth Wein said it was ‘deeply disturbing and chillingly good’. To be fair, I hadn’t heard much about this until recently when I started seeing a bit of buzz on Twitter, but I did have some high expectations. I’ve always been a fan of historical fiction, so it plays right into my interests, especially concerning female spies during WW2. *screams about CODE NAME VERITY forever*.

There has been some positive talk about the Jewish representation, which is always good, especially because this is about a blue-eyed blonde Jewish girl and it takes place in Nazi Germany. Katherine Locke said she was ‘thrilled to see a Jewish girl who is the hero of her own story’, and appreciated the ‘sensitivity’ towards the portrayal of a Jewish girl in Nazi Germany.

I loved and admired Sarah so much. She was witty, fierce, determined, defiant, and angry. I was also a fan of the Captain and his relationship with Sarah. He consistently underestimated her intelligence and she constantly surprised him. It had a very father/daughter feel to it, which I liked.

Orphan Monster Spy is an engaging, gripping, and intense read at times. The second half of the book was very suspenseful and you really rooted for Sarah. I loved the messages from Orphan Monster Spy. It warned against the rise of fascism, and the dangers associated, and also against fighting back.

Overall, Orphan Monster Spy is definitely a book I would recommend, especially if you enjoy historical fiction and WW2 books. I’d especially recommend to fans of Code Name Verity or The Book Thief.

juller's review against another edition

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5.0

The story has a strong protagonist, lots of action, and at times is intense.

anagram's review against another edition

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4.0

First of all: holy smokes. Like, dude. This book was just one hit after another after another, and boy, did it leave me reeling. I knew next to nothing about it going in--I put in on my reading list years ago and hadn't even known what to expect, but I'm definitely glad I read it.

- Things I Liked -

Sarah. At the beginning I expected her to be one of those protagonists where you're constantly told they're smart but never get to see them deliver, but I couldn't be further from the truth. Sarah is lightning smart and it shows, especially through her people-reading skills and clever escapes. The way her mind works isn't a secret from the reader, either, which I also liked: you get to solve every problem right along with her.

The exploration of morality within all the characters was also something I enjoyed.
SpoilerLike at the end of the book how we don't know whether the Captain willingly sent Sarah to a pedophile? And Sarah's realization that no one involved in the war is guiltless--they're all "monsters" in her words? The nurse, despite being against the Nazis, working at one of their elite schools? Super interesting.


But that's not saying enough about the plot itself! As I mentioned, this book is so fast-paced that it gave me whiplash in a really good way. The blurb honestly doesn't sell the completely heist-yness of the whole deal, and between Sarah infiltrating the school, getting in with Elsa and the others, and then stealing the notebook--it was a wild ride, to say the least. I think my heart was racing through the entire story.

I know this part is getting long, but the author's note at the end is worth mentioning. The research going into this, and the fact that this was almost completely historically accurate is a tremendous feat, and I would also like to thank Killeen for drawing attention to real-world issues like child caretakers, alcoholism, and sexual abuse.

- Things I Disliked-

The beginning of the book didn't do the rest of it justice, in my opinion. I didn't like Sarah at first, and I was confused as to how she had those overly-specific conversations with her dead mother in her head, and those two factors combined made it hard to get into. Obviously I was glad I kept reading, but less patient readers (including me, had I started this on a bad day) might be tempted to put it down before it gets good.

Also, I would have liked Sarah to be more immersed in Jewish culture. It was stated multiple times during the book that she wasn't "really Jewish", but it would have been interesting to see her really identify as a Jew and be more connected to her people.

- Wrap Up -

As long as you're not triggered by extreme violence, read this book!

the_alexeli's review against another edition

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3.0

Actual rating: 2.5/5 stars

This book was not at all what I had expected it to be. It was far more boarding school brats than espionage, and you could barely tell it was about World War II. I mean, yes there was mention of Hitler and Nazis and Jews everywhere, but the setting just didn't make you feel complete devastation and suffering of that time. It felt much more like Charlie's Angel's meets Mean Girls. I couldn't quite take it seriously.

deanwincherster67's review against another edition

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4.0

This is a great fast read. It’s a spy meets prep school meets mean girls. It was great and keep me reading all night. Highly recommend.

shelf_love's review against another edition

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4.0

A free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick book, but not an easy read in terms of the topics brought up. Sarah is struggling to survive as a blonde haired blue eyed Jewish girl in a Nazi Germany. As her mother and her flee from one town to the next to escape the Nazi parties her luck starts to slowly run out. Sarah's mother is killed and she is forced to survive on her own, with the help of another mysterious character. As the mysterious man spies on the German's she makes her way into his care and becomes one of the little "monsters" in order to get into the good graces of elite German families building bombs. I enjoyed the characters, the fast pace of the books. You are right there in the action. I did not overly care for the constant bad words, even if they were in German. I do not think the extent they are used was totally necessary? Maybe it was. The struggles feel real, the plot seemed plausible. Overall, an easy quick read that keeps you entertained and on the edge of your seat.