lorikleininak 's review for:

33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen

3.75

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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33 Place Brugmann is an intimate portrait of the residents of an apartment house during the German occupation of Belgium in WWII. The story is told from many different character perspectives, which is both interesting and a little discombobulating. The voices are each distinct, but some of the perspectives are less than clear. Perhaps I didn't know enough about the politics of Belgium or perhaps the author took on too many different voices. But one thing the author did well was to instill a sense of doom - the doom that is present in so many WWII historical fiction novels. The tight knit community of this apartment building combined with the threats of German occupation were palpable, and I found myself seeking the voices of certain characters that really stood out. This was a debut novel, and I look forward to seeing more books from this author.