Scan barcode
A review by bookworm_jem
The Stolen Ones by Vanessa Curtis
3.0
This is not my usual kind of read - I got this as part of a book club I joined a couple of years ago.
The story revolves around Inge, a 16 year old girl living in post-war Germany. She discovers mysterious letters that arrive every year on her birthday, but they are not addressed for her - they are for a girl named Kasia. This discovery leads her on a journey to uncover what her parents have been hiding from her, all while hiding her Jewish boyfriend from them.
I find this book quite tricky to review in all honesty - after reading, I realised that it is a YA book, which could explain my difficulty.
I found it started off really well & had me interested from the start, but I couldn't really connect with the main character. The initial discovery that something was being kept from her made for a good start, along with the investigation that followed.
However, the middle part of the story started to slow & at parts seemed dragged out, to the point where I found it hard to stick with. The historical facts both intrigued & shocked me throughout, but were important for the story.
It did pick up and give a surprising ending, with a bit of a twist (and I love a twist), but I really felt that it was rushed to a conclusion in the final pages.
The story revolves around Inge, a 16 year old girl living in post-war Germany. She discovers mysterious letters that arrive every year on her birthday, but they are not addressed for her - they are for a girl named Kasia. This discovery leads her on a journey to uncover what her parents have been hiding from her, all while hiding her Jewish boyfriend from them.
I find this book quite tricky to review in all honesty - after reading, I realised that it is a YA book, which could explain my difficulty.
I found it started off really well & had me interested from the start, but I couldn't really connect with the main character. The initial discovery that something was being kept from her made for a good start, along with the investigation that followed.
However, the middle part of the story started to slow & at parts seemed dragged out, to the point where I found it hard to stick with. The historical facts both intrigued & shocked me throughout, but were important for the story.
It did pick up and give a surprising ending, with a bit of a twist (and I love a twist), but I really felt that it was rushed to a conclusion in the final pages.