A review by melbsreads
28 Days: A Novel of Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto by David Safier

challenging sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Trigger warnings: Holocaust, genocide, antisemitism, death, mentions of rape, death of a sibling, death of a parent, suicide, gun violence, physical violence, blood, child and infant death.

Holy hell. I knew going in that this would be a difficult read, but I don't think I anticipated just HOW much of a difficult read it was going to be. The horrors of the book repeatedly crept up on me, and I think Safier did a brilliant job of lulling the reader into a false sense of security with the way that the story would be...sedate?...for several chapters and then something absolutely horrifying would happen. 

It took me longer than I anticipated to read this, and in some ways that was a good thing because it meant I had to sit and reflect on the content. But the nature of the story often meant that I had to force myself to pick it up, and I perhaps didn't get as much out of the reading experience as I could have if I'd been more consistent with my reading. 

All of that said, I'm really glad I picked this book up. It was extremely powerful and very well told.