Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

12 reviews

hokulani_'s review

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

i’ve always found it hard to imagine people in the past, the way they are described in textbooks is always very dry. it’s not like they’re actual humans, just people that existed and i never know about their personality or anything. this book helped me imagine living in the past. i’m not at the age where i’m being taught about ww2 yet (im american), so i have a very basic knowledge of the holocaust. 

this book doesn’t really inform about the whole holocaust, why and how it happened, etc. since bruno is only 9 and, well, is not being told the whole picture. but it does capture the emotional side very well. it describes how sad the people on the other side are and some of the torturous conditions they go through. i’m pretty sure there’s a movie based on this book too, so i might check that out. 

i’m very grateful to have read this book. i will say though that you don’t actually meet the boy in the striped pajamas until halfway through, and the whole first half is just  (sorta spoiler-y? not really? idk)

bruno’s life moving away from berlin.

july 2 2024

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

phouka's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Dementia, and Abandonment

exhaustedmumma's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Slavery, Torture, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Grief and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse and Child death

theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Read this book by yourself. Read this book to children. Keep this book on library shelves and in classrooms. Recommend this book to a friend. 

Though this is a work of fiction, it very easily could have been non-fiction, and it is important that the world as a whole never forget the holocaust. 

Read. This. Book.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Infidelity

lizzyjean's review

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A great quick read, really makes you think about how similar we are as people. The story of Bruno and Shmuel’s friendship is so innocent and beautiful, even though the events that take place certainly are not.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry and War

Moderate: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Alcohol

nath_04's review against another edition

emotional sad tense fast-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Antisemitism

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Death of parent, and War

venice_the_vampire's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

a great historical example of “love is natural, hate is learned”. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide and Antisemitism

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Infidelity, Racism, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Bullying

may_brie's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

The book centers the nazi experience in the holocaust and removes the blame from the children present. I have hear many Jews explain how this sort of storyline is harmful and does not manage to teach about the holocaust and instead deflects blame and teaches children that they are too young and stupid to a) understand what’s going on, and b) be part of the problem. The book spreads general misinformation and removes the grief and suffering of Jews from the story which is incredibly problematic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and War

henriediosa's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Xenophobia, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol

melancholymegs's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Violence and Death of parent

Minor: Bullying, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Blood, and War