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brinysea's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written, layered/complicated in the right ways but so heavy. Not graphic, but tense and wrenching.
addi3565's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
andrewhahn's review against another edition
5.0
A gripping retelling of Hansel and Gretel
Hanging on the armature of the old Hans Christian Anderson tale, Hansel and Gretel comes Mapping the Bones.
The story is set in WWII Poland and follows the tense lives led by Jewish twins durning the war. We see their slow starvation, their escape into the woods, their parents making the hard choice to send them off. We see their imprisonment and near-death encounter as they are surrounded by death and pain.
Gripping from start to finish, Mapping the Bones is a wonderful and terrible look into the Holocaust.
Hanging on the armature of the old Hans Christian Anderson tale, Hansel and Gretel comes Mapping the Bones.
The story is set in WWII Poland and follows the tense lives led by Jewish twins durning the war. We see their slow starvation, their escape into the woods, their parents making the hard choice to send them off. We see their imprisonment and near-death encounter as they are surrounded by death and pain.
Gripping from start to finish, Mapping the Bones is a wonderful and terrible look into the Holocaust.
hamckeon's review against another edition
4.0
I thought there would be more focus on the experiments, but it was really only the last 50 pages. Also, I thought it could use a little more explanation of the experiments. Otherwise, I liked the poetry and the dual perspectives.
blueiris555's review against another edition
5.0
This book has really good characters and showed a side of World War II I hadn't thought much about- forced labor of children. It was a somber experience yet a realistic one that adds to the tragedy of the Holocaust. This is a great example of historical fiction, and I think it is pretty cool how the author pieces real life events together with stuff she made up (like all of the locations and the timeline at pieces. The characters are described well, and while some get worse than they deserve, some get exactly what you expect them to, and readers can revel in that fact.
briawnah's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely stunning book. The prose is beautiful, the characters are engaging, and the story is heartbreaking. Every teen and adult should read this.
kelseywaters's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book because I remember reading Jane Yolen’s The Devil’s Arithmetic when I was in middle school and loving it. That book had a much bigger impact on me but that likely had to do with my age. The terror of this time period doesn’t ever go away. It is really horrifying. Overall a good book and didnt feel like a YA book.
marnieluna's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
I received this through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Told from dual perspectives, siblings, Chaim and Gittel, this is a historical retell of Hansel and Grettel with the backdrop of the Holocaust. Chaim and his family are living in a Jewish ghetto, barely getting by, like many of their neighbors. Shortly after they are forced to live with a family of strangers, word begins to spread through the ghetto that families will be sent to the concentration camps. Both families attempt to escape, however, they soon face challenges and ultimately sent to a work camp. The siblings struggle to survive and reunite with their families.
This was a difficult book, but it was well-done. The retell was unique and integrated well. I appreciated the inclusion of Jewish culture, which in this book was done on a level that typically isn't seen. I connected to the characters, through their words which were beautiful. This novel was wonderful yet tough.
Told from dual perspectives, siblings, Chaim and Gittel, this is a historical retell of Hansel and Grettel with the backdrop of the Holocaust. Chaim and his family are living in a Jewish ghetto, barely getting by, like many of their neighbors. Shortly after they are forced to live with a family of strangers, word begins to spread through the ghetto that families will be sent to the concentration camps. Both families attempt to escape, however, they soon face challenges and ultimately sent to a work camp. The siblings struggle to survive and reunite with their families.
This was a difficult book, but it was well-done. The retell was unique and integrated well. I appreciated the inclusion of Jewish culture, which in this book was done on a level that typically isn't seen. I connected to the characters, through their words which were beautiful. This novel was wonderful yet tough.
kaydowning's review against another edition
3.0
I listened to the book. I was excited to read this book because I loved the Devil's Arithmetic so much.
Gittle and Chaim, twins, tell their story of living through World War II. Gittle tells her story looking back on events and offering foreshadows of the events to come. Chaim tells his story as it unfolds. Their family must take another family with two children (Sophie and Bruno) into their apartment in the Lodz Ghetto. Sophie is agreeable and embarrassed by her brother Bruno. Bruno is entitled and selfish. Gittle and Chaim's parents create a plan for them to escape. The children are separated from the parents hoping to meet up later. The children are eventually caught and sent to a labor camp to make munitions. Typhoid sweeps through the camp, and a doctor comes to help control the spread and cure the sick children. Sophie dies of typhoid and asks Gittle and Chaim to watch over Bruno. The doctor leaves, but when he returns, he is determined to continue his work with twins as his mentor, Dr. Mengele, had done.
Gittle and Chaim, twins, tell their story of living through World War II. Gittle tells her story looking back on events and offering foreshadows of the events to come. Chaim tells his story as it unfolds. Their family must take another family with two children (Sophie and Bruno) into their apartment in the Lodz Ghetto. Sophie is agreeable and embarrassed by her brother Bruno. Bruno is entitled and selfish. Gittle and Chaim's parents create a plan for them to escape. The children are separated from the parents hoping to meet up later. The children are eventually caught and sent to a labor camp to make munitions. Typhoid sweeps through the camp, and a doctor comes to help control the spread and cure the sick children. Sophie dies of typhoid and asks Gittle and Chaim to watch over Bruno. The doctor leaves, but when he returns, he is determined to continue his work with twins as his mentor, Dr. Mengele, had done.