The Plot to Kill Hitler: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Unlikely Hero by Patricia McCormick

3.9 AVERAGE

ellebelle531's review

4.0
I didn’t know much about Dietrich Bonhoeffer before reading this, but McCormick gives a good overview of his life and the decisions that led to his death. While the chapters did have a rather annoying tendency to foreshadow, they were short and easy to understand and I appreciated the sidebars with background info on some of the historical events. There were some instances where I would have liked more background, but this overall I think this is a solid book. Content considerations: mentions of Nazi atrocities (not very detailed), assassination attempts, segregation. 13+

seebs's review against another edition

5.0
What I appreciated most about this novel was the inclusion of the citations and side bars which not only add verification to the research but expand upon the information presented providing greater understanding.

Readers of WWII, readers of “devoted” individuals, readers of truth seekers will love this novel.
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mallasaurus's review against another edition

5.0
dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced
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kim_moss's review against another edition

5.0
"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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imyourmausoleum's review

3.0
informative fast-paced
 Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born in Germany in 1906. His father was Karl Bonhoeffer, a noted critic of Sigmund Freud, and a psychiatrist. Bonhoeffer decided to pursue a career in theology, even studying abroad in the United States. He returned to Germany in 1931, where he was ordained. He was a firm anti-Nazi from the earliest days, being pretty outspoken about it, causing serious issues with the Nazi regime. He became involved in the underground German resistance movement. This book was less detailed than I would have liked, but did offer a decently broad overview about Bonhoeffer and his activities in the anti-Nazi movement. 
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huntergoebel's review against another edition

5.0
dark inspiring sad fast-paced
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haleypowell's review against another edition

4.0
"Bonhoeffer was critical of religious thinkers who believed that constant thought and reflection was a way to be closer to God; that sort of cerebral approach was what killed faith, he said. To be faithful, he wrote, a person had to be concerned less about himself and more about caring for his neighbor."

This is certainly a short and simple version of this story, but it is still well-written and gripping.

bradburylogic's review against another edition

4.0
challenging emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

phoenixknight's review against another edition

4.0
Easy to read for a nonfiction book. Really enjoyed but wish that it was a bit longer and had more information. I felt that some things were skimmed over too quickly. 
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greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

4.0
"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."

Before winning this book from the Scholastic Book Fair, I had never heard of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This book may be little, but it sure packed in the punches in terms of explaining Dietrich's life leading up to and through World War II. I am appalled at the number of world leaders who knew about the atrocities happening in Germany but did absolutely nothing to stop them. Yet I think about the number of heartbreaking situations that are still happening in our world and nothing is being done. Why must humanity turn a blind eye to these situations?

I always stop to think about what choices I would have made if I had lived in Nazi Germany. Would I have been as brave as Dietrich? It's a question we should all ask ourselves.