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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This definitely wasn't a nice easy read, but it was fantastic. Super well written with a complex femme fatal as the main character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, War
This is the best piece of Holocaust Historical Fiction I've read. Lisa Barr completely knocks it out of the park. It is gripping and horrifying (as any book set during the Holocaust should be). It centers Jewish voices and highlights Jewish resistance. This was a hard read, particularly given the current rise in antisemitism worldwide. And, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. FIVE STARS.
Barr takes us from Hollywood to Warsaw and back again, highlighting the courage and perseverance of her heroine Lena Browning. And Lena is quite the FMC to root for. Early on Lena describes herself: "Let's be clear. I am not a star. I am a comet--a ball of gas, rock, and debris camouflaged in a spray of light."
In a world filled with so much hate toward Jews this quote really resonated with me:
"Scared? Hah! Fear is the heart of the whole damn story, young lady. I learned long ago that the secret to fighting back is to become empowered. If you run on fear, you lose, period."
Yes, times are scary. But thanks to Barr's powerful words I'll continue to remind myself to be a comet, to channel fear into empowerment, to make this world a better place.
Thank you, Lisa, for this story. For bearing witness to the atrocities of the Holocaust. For amplifying the voices of heroic Jews who stood up to hate.
Thank you Harper Perennial for the ARC.
Barr takes us from Hollywood to Warsaw and back again, highlighting the courage and perseverance of her heroine Lena Browning. And Lena is quite the FMC to root for. Early on Lena describes herself: "Let's be clear. I am not a star. I am a comet--a ball of gas, rock, and debris camouflaged in a spray of light."
In a world filled with so much hate toward Jews this quote really resonated with me:
"Scared? Hah! Fear is the heart of the whole damn story, young lady. I learned long ago that the secret to fighting back is to become empowered. If you run on fear, you lose, period."
Yes, times are scary. But thanks to Barr's powerful words I'll continue to remind myself to be a comet, to channel fear into empowerment, to make this world a better place.
Thank you, Lisa, for this story. For bearing witness to the atrocities of the Holocaust. For amplifying the voices of heroic Jews who stood up to hate.
Thank you Harper Perennial for the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for providing this book, with my honest review below.
The Goddess of Warsaw has earned all its buzz, it’s a beautiful story that goes deep and leaves the reader with all kinds of emotions.
Taking place in World War 2, I’ve read books in similar veins that feel manipulative of the reader, expanding on horrific events but seemingly to elicit a reaction. Not this one. It reads genuinely and despite being fiction felt like a true (if crazy) story. Bina/Lena was a main character like no other and the writing is perfect given the events of the story which would have been made less by another author.
Whether you’re a fan of historical fiction or not the story here is engrossing and this book is heartfelt and a standout - it must be read.
The Goddess of Warsaw has earned all its buzz, it’s a beautiful story that goes deep and leaves the reader with all kinds of emotions.
Taking place in World War 2, I’ve read books in similar veins that feel manipulative of the reader, expanding on horrific events but seemingly to elicit a reaction. Not this one. It reads genuinely and despite being fiction felt like a true (if crazy) story. Bina/Lena was a main character like no other and the writing is perfect given the events of the story which would have been made less by another author.
Whether you’re a fan of historical fiction or not the story here is engrossing and this book is heartfelt and a standout - it must be read.
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
2.5 rough rating for me I KNOW. Dang I really wanted to like this book! The whole being sooo obsessed with the brother-in-law gave me the ick for the first half of the book. Everything just seemed so anti-climatic and predictable. There was one big plot twist in the middle, but after that it just was mehbleh.
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, War
Such a good read. Gut-wrenching and couldn’t stop thinking about it every time I put this one down. 4.8!
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.75 stars. I read this because of a friend’s recommendation. I’m a bit over saturated on stories about the Jewish experience in WWII (my family is Jewish) and I found that the first 60% was characteristically brutal. The last 40% concerns the protagonist’s life after the war getting revenge on nazis who are masquerading in society and felt more unique. I also felt like there were a few too many coincidences in this one. Overall, I don’t think that the payoff of the second part was worth the grimness of the holocaust content for me, but for someone who is looking for a thriller and is open this kind of content, this is an exciting story.