kelseylynn28 's review for:

33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen

4.0

dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective

---

It felt fitting and somewhat comforting to read this book in the present historical moment.  The characters in this book are stoic, and their undramatic observations of daily life in Belgium during Nazi occupation are matter-of-fact and devastating.  I liked the way that their commentary showed the depth of human emotion and connection that goes on under the surface of observable events.  I also liked that the characters are purposeful and flawed; it’s not always easy to understand their actions or hold and categorize them, but you come to understand new pieces of their histories and motivations over time.  For the first half of the book, I felt like I never really understood what was going on, but as the story went on I enjoyed the careful pace at which you learn everyone’s stories.