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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Those interested in Ukrainian history will want to pick this up. Plenty of suspense, war and gore. A historical fiction that had me wondering which allegiances would prevail.
Two soldiers bring to life a little known aspect of WWII of four warring armies and factions--the Red Army, Germans (Wehrmacht, SS. Gestapo), Polish Resistance, Ukrainian Freedom Fighters--all operating in and around Lwow, Poland. Being character driven with themes of prejudice and survival, I was seriously reminded of Kafka's The Castle--just when you think you know where someone's allegiance lies, you find you are wrong. A complex and rewarding read which I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Tolya and Aleksey—two passionate young men trying to fight for their beliefs in an ever changing world. Set during WWII, these two narrators from Amanda McCrina’s Traitor both share their pasts and presents as they try to survive the conflicts between communists, Germans, Ukrainians, and Poles.
I loved that McCrina opens up this world and these moments of history to her readers. When we learn about WWII, we spend so much time—rightly so—on the Holocaust that it’s easy to forget that the effects of war are far reaching and traumatizing to many, and that there is more than one story to be told. For me, someone that knows little about Ukrainians, Poles, and the horrific fights between them, I did find myself lost a few times. However, I think that had more to do with my lack of historical knowledge in this area and less to do with McCrina’s craft. The storytelling alternates between Tolya’s and Aleksey’s perspectives and does an amazing job of showing the facets and intricacies of these situations.
For readers looking for a war story that focuses on the moral question of why, I think this is an intriguing read. If you’re looking for something light, this may not be for you.
Tolya and Aleksey—two passionate young men trying to fight for their beliefs in an ever changing world. Set during WWII, these two narrators from Amanda McCrina’s Traitor both share their pasts and presents as they try to survive the conflicts between communists, Germans, Ukrainians, and Poles.
I loved that McCrina opens up this world and these moments of history to her readers. When we learn about WWII, we spend so much time—rightly so—on the Holocaust that it’s easy to forget that the effects of war are far reaching and traumatizing to many, and that there is more than one story to be told. For me, someone that knows little about Ukrainians, Poles, and the horrific fights between them, I did find myself lost a few times. However, I think that had more to do with my lack of historical knowledge in this area and less to do with McCrina’s craft. The storytelling alternates between Tolya’s and Aleksey’s perspectives and does an amazing job of showing the facets and intricacies of these situations.
For readers looking for a war story that focuses on the moral question of why, I think this is an intriguing read. If you’re looking for something light, this may not be for you.
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
jaw dropped. that's all. this book is amazing and has so so much information packed into it
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I deeply appreciate the authors telling of historical events that happened in Ukraine and Poland during world war 2. I have not done too much reading/learning about these countries during this time, but I am thankful for the knowledge shared in a epic, tense, and thrilling way. Aptly named Traitor!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, War
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Blood
Minor: Death of parent, Abandonment
It was an interesting story but a difficult read. Perhaps the notes should have been in the front to help keep track of the many factions and the characters that often seem to switch sides. The back and forth in time with overlapping characters doesn't help the story. It was spotty when it came to the development or not of characters in different time periods. Fascinating time and place in history. Mish mash of a book.
Traitor is an incredibly heart wrenching story of 2 young men in Poland during WW2. I learned so much of the political makeup that led up to WW2 and German takeover of the country.
This is definitely not a story for the type of person that likes clean endings. The story was very real to life with no clear ending. It left me wondering what had happened to the main character. There’s so much left to the reader to decide, which can feel a little daunting.
I give it a 4/5 stars because it was such an interesting back story that I’d never known. I’d highly recommend.
This is definitely not a story for the type of person that likes clean endings. The story was very real to life with no clear ending. It left me wondering what had happened to the main character. There’s so much left to the reader to decide, which can feel a little daunting.
I give it a 4/5 stars because it was such an interesting back story that I’d never known. I’d highly recommend.