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A review by mabookyard
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
5.0
My Rating : 4.5
This story follows a 9-year old boy named Bruno who loves exploring and ends up making an unexpected best friend. This story revolves around how he perceives his new environment and the story is told from his point of view.
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I picked this book up after seeing so many people rave about it. Now that I have read it, I can definitely say that it is one of the most heart-wrenching stories you will read. This book is set during the World War II, and the boy's family has to move away from Berlin next to a concentration camp where all the Jews are kept. It is classified as fables, but I wouldn't call this a Children's book. Though it is told from the perspective of a 9-year old German boy, the actual content it deals with is very hard-hitting and explores the nasty side of a war.
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The first thing you notice is the child's innocence. Though Bruno seems to hate the decisions his parents made, the way he justifies himself and the situation is sad for the reader. The unique friendship between Bruno and Shmuel, the long causal conversations they have about their very contrasting lifestyles, the family and the environment, they all come together and it really is good. Something that really made me cry was, the curiosity of a child about the harshness all the other soldier's have and the discrimination between them and the people beyond the fence. It sounds simple, but when you read it as an adult, you understand the depth and the importance of the discrimination that was a part of World War II and how the same simple question might lead to a person's death.
.
I really liked the minimum characters, the setting of the story, and how few things were explained in the form of a conversation or a part of the next chapter. It kept the flow simple and neat. But I felt that something was missing the entire time I was reading this book and that's the only reason I give this 4.5 stars. I have no clue why, and I wish I knew what it was.. And that ending! OMG that ending crushed me! 5 pages left, and I thought the story is going in one direction, and BAM, no way, I had to be crushed like a tiny insect.... Though I hated the ending, I think it holds a very powerful meaning and a message to both the reader and the characters in the book. The way Bruno's dad behaves, and how it affects the surroundings and how he realizes his actions might have terrible consequences ( No spoilers) was really important to the story and I respect the author for taking that leap with the ending!.
.
Overall, an amazing read and it has become one of my favorite books of all time!! The list just keeps getting longer. But if you are looking for a simple historical fiction which deals with the sad reality of a war, child's curiosity, and holds a very powerful message, definitely get this book and read it. Even if you do not read at all, pick this book up and read it. It is amazing, and you will not regret it.
This story follows a 9-year old boy named Bruno who loves exploring and ends up making an unexpected best friend. This story revolves around how he perceives his new environment and the story is told from his point of view.
.
I picked this book up after seeing so many people rave about it. Now that I have read it, I can definitely say that it is one of the most heart-wrenching stories you will read. This book is set during the World War II, and the boy's family has to move away from Berlin next to a concentration camp where all the Jews are kept. It is classified as fables, but I wouldn't call this a Children's book. Though it is told from the perspective of a 9-year old German boy, the actual content it deals with is very hard-hitting and explores the nasty side of a war.
.
The first thing you notice is the child's innocence. Though Bruno seems to hate the decisions his parents made, the way he justifies himself and the situation is sad for the reader. The unique friendship between Bruno and Shmuel, the long causal conversations they have about their very contrasting lifestyles, the family and the environment, they all come together and it really is good. Something that really made me cry was, the curiosity of a child about the harshness all the other soldier's have and the discrimination between them and the people beyond the fence. It sounds simple, but when you read it as an adult, you understand the depth and the importance of the discrimination that was a part of World War II and how the same simple question might lead to a person's death.
.
I really liked the minimum characters, the setting of the story, and how few things were explained in the form of a conversation or a part of the next chapter. It kept the flow simple and neat. But I felt that something was missing the entire time I was reading this book and that's the only reason I give this 4.5 stars. I have no clue why, and I wish I knew what it was.. And that ending! OMG that ending crushed me! 5 pages left, and I thought the story is going in one direction, and BAM, no way, I had to be crushed like a tiny insect.... Though I hated the ending, I think it holds a very powerful meaning and a message to both the reader and the characters in the book. The way Bruno's dad behaves, and how it affects the surroundings and how he realizes his actions might have terrible consequences ( No spoilers) was really important to the story and I respect the author for taking that leap with the ending!.
.
Overall, an amazing read and it has become one of my favorite books of all time!! The list just keeps getting longer. But if you are looking for a simple historical fiction which deals with the sad reality of a war, child's curiosity, and holds a very powerful message, definitely get this book and read it. Even if you do not read at all, pick this book up and read it. It is amazing, and you will not regret it.