Scan barcode
A review by elle4352
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The War that Saved My Life is a middle grade novel about two siblings, living in the countryside of England during WWII.
Things You'll Find:
*Portrayals of child abuse and neglect*
*Tidbits of horses and horseback riding*
*War fic*
Kimberly Bradley constructed an excellent book. Ada, who was born with a club foot, and her brother Jaime flee with other children in London to the country at the start of WWII and end up placed with an elderly scholar, Susan. Ada and Jaime were being abused and neglected by their mother and in the care of Susan, they both begin to process their trauma while also dealing with the scary changes and encroaching realities of the war. While the book takes place during WWII, I would argue that child abuse and the aftermath are the central themes of this book. The war is more of device that furthers the timeline and let's readers know how much they've changed since the beginning of the story. Bradley goes into great detail about how Ada feels in regards to her mother, Jaime, and Susan as well as herself and her disability. We see Ada also find some refuge in learning how to ride and care for Butter, the horse. We get glimpses at Jaime and how he is adjusting away from his mother and at Susan and how she deals with her depression. All together, I think the presentation of so many conflicting emotions with all these characters is very real, raw, and compelling.
That being said is this a fun or entertaining read? No, which is why I docked a star. This is definitely a classroom book, one that you read with students as a part of a lesson plan. Or maybe a book you read with your child to explore deeper topics. I could even say it may be a refuge book for kids that are struggling with the issues presented in the text. But it's not at all a pleasant reading experience. Not every book has to be and that's okay. And one could argue that books about WWII usually aren't fun to read because of the subject matter, however I think there are better books that convey the setting of WWII and aren't quite as depressing as this one. It's sad at the beginning, sad in the middle, and sad by the end (with only a glimmer of a happy-ish ending but I thought the ending was way too rushed). The story slows down considerably toward the middle and really struggles to pick up the pace and re-engage me by the time we got to the bombing and the war efforts. Overall, it's a valuable read, but definitely be mindful of the mood and theme.
Things You'll Find:
*Portrayals of child abuse and neglect*
*Tidbits of horses and horseback riding*
*War fic*
Kimberly Bradley constructed an excellent book. Ada, who was born with a club foot, and her brother Jaime flee with other children in London to the country at the start of WWII and end up placed with an elderly scholar, Susan. Ada and Jaime were being abused and neglected by their mother and in the care of Susan, they both begin to process their trauma while also dealing with the scary changes and encroaching realities of the war. While the book takes place during WWII, I would argue that child abuse and the aftermath are the central themes of this book. The war is more of device that furthers the timeline and let's readers know how much they've changed since the beginning of the story. Bradley goes into great detail about how Ada feels in regards to her mother, Jaime, and Susan as well as herself and her disability. We see Ada also find some refuge in learning how to ride and care for Butter, the horse. We get glimpses at Jaime and how he is adjusting away from his mother and at Susan and how she deals with her depression. All together, I think the presentation of so many conflicting emotions with all these characters is very real, raw, and compelling.
That being said is this a fun or entertaining read? No, which is why I docked a star. This is definitely a classroom book, one that you read with students as a part of a lesson plan. Or maybe a book you read with your child to explore deeper topics. I could even say it may be a refuge book for kids that are struggling with the issues presented in the text. But it's not at all a pleasant reading experience. Not every book has to be and that's okay. And one could argue that books about WWII usually aren't fun to read because of the subject matter, however I think there are better books that convey the setting of WWII and aren't quite as depressing as this one. It's sad at the beginning, sad in the middle, and sad by the end (with only a glimmer of a happy-ish ending but I thought the ending was way too rushed). The story slows down considerably toward the middle and really struggles to pick up the pace and re-engage me by the time we got to the bombing and the war efforts. Overall, it's a valuable read, but definitely be mindful of the mood and theme.