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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
The first time I read this book I gave it two stars. However, I just reread it and gave it four instead.
The characters have my heart, also the ending shocked me. For being a reread I didn’t expect anything that happened.
The story went back and forth between two POVs. One in present and one in the past.
For being a ww2 historical fiction, it’s a side of history that not many authors choose to write on. It focuses on the UPA and NKVD, as well as the poles.
Language: low/medium, says the H word many times, but the rest of swearing is in polish or Ukrainian
Romance: mentioned about two characters kissing as a passing fact, minor flirting, otherwise low
Violence: medium, shooting, mass killing, a few in depth inspections of wounds (however for a war book it’s not too intense)
The characters have my heart, also the ending shocked me. For being a reread I didn’t expect anything that happened.
The story went back and forth between two POVs. One in present and one in the past.
For being a ww2 historical fiction, it’s a side of history that not many authors choose to write on. It focuses on the UPA and NKVD, as well as the poles.
Language: low/medium, says the H word many times, but the rest of swearing is in polish or Ukrainian
Romance: mentioned about two characters kissing as a passing fact, minor flirting, otherwise low
Violence: medium, shooting, mass killing, a few in depth inspections of wounds (however for a war book it’s not too intense)
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to like this more than I did. I think the flow of the story struggled. Time jumped around too much and there wasn’t time to attach to our characters between jumps. It made it too confusing. Not the author’s fault, but all the acronym and different organizations made it hard for me to follow. The point is that everyone thought they were right but I didn’t have enough context to see the complexities. I was too busy trying to figure out who belonged where and why. This time period is also nuts and I think it’s important we learn more about ww2 from other experiences. So horrific.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
War ensnares people from all walks of life. It encourages the cruel, but it also traps ordinary people who want nothing more than to survive alongside those they love. This is the story of two young men who want nothing more than to survive. They would prefer to do it with their humanity intact, but they will sacrifice what they must, and that fatalistic attitude blurs the lines between friend and enemy, justified and damnable ... even within their own minds.
Thoughts
McCrina has an ability to take the horrors of war and narrow the focus to individuals. In her characters, readers get a glimpse of the impossible daily choices faced by those who struggle to survive without any real expectation of doing so. Within the experiences of her characters, the barriers of "us versus them" crash down to show the humanity of any conflict. There are true villains, yes. Sadists. But most of the people ensnared are neither villains nor heroes. They're just people.
I didn't enjoy Traitor quite as much The Silent Unseen, I think because the interpersonal relationships in The Silent Unseen were a lot more developed. Traitor focuses more on individuals than the connection between individuals, and I find the later more compelling. However, both books are valuable in that they do what the best fiction does ... they help the reader vicariously enter into the experience of someone else and, hopefully, build a greater capacity for empathy along the way.
Content
Romance: Basically non-existent. One character has a girlfriend who only has a few pages of "screen time." A few kisses are exchanged and these are not described in detail.
Language: There is not as much swearing in this book as there was in The Silent Unseen but still enough to probably earn a PG-13 rating, and they come out of the gate swinging within the first few pages. After the first few pages, it settles down and is spattered throughout the book. Words like sh*t and h*ll are most common.
Violence: This is not a story that shies away from violence. It covers the full gammut of war, discrimination, desperation, and sadism. This includes mass murder, execution, suicide, injury, battle injury and death, and torture.
Religion: One of the main characters is Catholic and carries a rosary. He prays for protection, for those who have died, and more. Other Eastern European branches of faith are mentioned.
Thoughts
McCrina has an ability to take the horrors of war and narrow the focus to individuals. In her characters, readers get a glimpse of the impossible daily choices faced by those who struggle to survive without any real expectation of doing so. Within the experiences of her characters, the barriers of "us versus them" crash down to show the humanity of any conflict. There are true villains, yes. Sadists. But most of the people ensnared are neither villains nor heroes. They're just people.
I didn't enjoy Traitor quite as much The Silent Unseen, I think because the interpersonal relationships in The Silent Unseen were a lot more developed. Traitor focuses more on individuals than the connection between individuals, and I find the later more compelling. However, both books are valuable in that they do what the best fiction does ... they help the reader vicariously enter into the experience of someone else and, hopefully, build a greater capacity for empathy along the way.
Content
Romance: Basically non-existent. One character has a girlfriend who only has a few pages of "screen time." A few kisses are exchanged and these are not described in detail.
Language: There is not as much swearing in this book as there was in The Silent Unseen but still enough to probably earn a PG-13 rating, and they come out of the gate swinging within the first few pages. After the first few pages, it settles down and is spattered throughout the book. Words like sh*t and h*ll are most common.
Violence: This is not a story that shies away from violence. It covers the full gammut of war, discrimination, desperation, and sadism. This includes mass murder, execution, suicide, injury, battle injury and death, and torture.
Religion: One of the main characters is Catholic and carries a rosary. He prays for protection, for those who have died, and more. Other Eastern European branches of faith are mentioned.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, War
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5 stars. Even though this book is marketed for Young Adult, I feel that it could really be for all adults. I feel bad when a book is marketed a certain way and that might deter all readers from giving the book a chance. The Ukraine/Poland aspect of WWII history is one that I am not well versed in and found the different allegiances mentioned in the book confusing at times. I found the book slow in parts and distracted by who was on which side but overall worth a read with compelling and sympathetic characters.
This is such a different kind of WWII novel and I really enjoyed it! The pace was great and the plot was engaging. I only wish I had known about the character glossary at the end. The downside of reading on a kindle I have learned is that I often miss the ability to just flip around.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
I was all in, that ending left me gaping and looking for more pages. How? How could they end it like that.