A review by gailbird
Gretel and the Dark by Eliza Granville

4.0

Fantastical and atmospheric. The view through a child's eyes can be heartbreaking and poignantly identifiable. I was swept into this imaginative, fairytale-esque account set in a historical time of horrible atrocities and dehumanizing rationalizations almost in spite of myself. The twin narratives set side by side distracted me from the continuity of story at times, but in the end merged seamlessly into a completed and coherent picture of the events. The ending sealed my experience with a kiss, touching and pleasantly surprising me in some ways and gently rewarding me for my attention and deductions in others. I was able to feel as though I, as well as the main characters, had learned something and grown from the encounter. This is a tightly-knit, streamlined book full of pathos, darkness, and fear that is a wonder to experience.