ncteixeira's review against another edition
4.0
Although not flawless, I was impressed by this debut, based on a true story.
A romance set in Germany, before WWII, between a young German girl and a Jewish boy.
The POV is by that young girl, so we see things through her eyes.
It is thought provoking.
A hard read in the beginning, because you are hearing the perspective of young people, brainwashed by the ideology of a fanatic.
Regardless, I did enjoy this take.
I was in an emotional roller coaster.
And the writing was good enough to engage me from the beginning. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, even though the development of the story is a bit slow, but the telling is really good.
I didn’t feel a strong connection between the lovebirds, therefore I did not find that relationship very important, but I did like seeing each other’s perspectives.
I’m not into romance novels, but I did appreciate this work and I’m looking forward to reading her next book, The Hidden Child, which is already separated to be read this month.
As for the conclusion, it could have been better. The wrap-up was too fast and too short, but still touching.
I do recommend the audiobook, which I listened while reading the book. It brings the characters to life.
Audiobook narrated by Marisa Calin: 14.9 hours
E-book (Kobo): 526 pages (default): 143k words
Paperback (William Morrow Paperbacks): 560 pages (59 chapters)
stopherjones's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A beautiful romance, sensitively written in 1930s Germany. This book was both enjoyable and enlightening, shining a light on both sides of life in Nazi Germany - it's written from the perspective of Hetty Heinrich, daughter of an SS officer and her changing attitutude towards life in Nazi Germany and the promise of a brighter future post-WWI, while also addressing the horrors that were to come.
bookpaperraven's review against another edition
3.0
I am a big lover of historical fiction, especially that of WWII, but unfortunately I did not enjoy this particular novel. It is the story of a young German girl living in nazi Germany with a prominent nazi supporting family and her journey through love, friendship, trials and eventually pregnancy. I think once issue for me is I am not a big fan of first person present tense, that is of course just a personal preference. However, I do find that you must have a very good protagonist if you choose this tense, and I never really came to love Hetty at all. She annoyed me when she was younger and believed in the Nazi regime, but even as she grew and changed her opinions for the better I always found her quite foolish and selfish. I think I would have preferred to hear a story from Erna’s point of view. I also did not enjoy the end. Other than forcing her to marry Thomas, and showing that Erna’s family was lovely and Hetty’s family horrible (which was already known) it wasn’t really necessary and just added drama to a book that already had drama.
magsbord's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookishpaiige's review against another edition
5.0
Wow.
This was a deeply emotional read. The writing and research that went into this book was spectacular.
This was a deeply emotional read. The writing and research that went into this book was spectacular.
jeep8read's review against another edition
5.0
In a question and answer section at the end of this novel about two young German teens during Hitler's rise in their country, author Louise Fein is asked what she hopes people will take away from the story based loosely on her father's experiences. She answers, "The main thing is a sense of how easy it is to brainwash a nation. I would like readers to think about what they might realistically do if they were placed in such a situation." Given this country's current political climate that is a valuable thing to consider.
lorena_diaz's review against another edition
5.0
Este libro ha roto mi corazón ... es una historia tan bien contada y tan triste.
Cuando lo empecé a leer me esperaba una historia completamente diferente a lo que he encontrado en este libro ... creo que es una historia que está contada desde un punto de vista que yo hasta ahora no había leído.
He pasado por diferentes fases con el al principio enfado, luego llegó la parte entre dura y a la vez tierna y el final que me dejo llorando y con un nudo en el pecho.
Si lo pienso todavía me dan ganas de llorar por como es de injusto y triste todo lo que pasa.
Para mi aunque lo haya pasado mal ha sido un libro 10 de 10 aunque al principio la protagonista me ponía bastante nerviosa creo que tiene mucha evolución a lo largo del libro y esta muy bien por que no da un cambio radical todo en ella va poco a poco ... la ambientación esta muy bien descrita, no se personalmente es un libro que lo tiene todo, de esos que son difíciles de olvidar y que consiguen hacerte sentir mucho.
Cuando lo empecé a leer me esperaba una historia completamente diferente a lo que he encontrado en este libro ... creo que es una historia que está contada desde un punto de vista que yo hasta ahora no había leído.
He pasado por diferentes fases con el al principio enfado, luego llegó la parte entre dura y a la vez tierna y el final que me dejo llorando y con un nudo en el pecho.
Si lo pienso todavía me dan ganas de llorar por como es de injusto y triste todo lo que pasa.
Para mi aunque lo haya pasado mal ha sido un libro 10 de 10 aunque al principio la protagonista me ponía bastante nerviosa creo que tiene mucha evolución a lo largo del libro y esta muy bien por que no da un cambio radical todo en ella va poco a poco ... la ambientación esta muy bien descrita, no se personalmente es un libro que lo tiene todo, de esos que son difíciles de olvidar y que consiguen hacerte sentir mucho.
katjajohnson2's review against another edition
5.0
This book right here, it has quickly become one of my all-time favorite titles! To be able to see both sides of both a Jewish boy and a German girl, how they fall in love and try to defy all the odds, how she fights for him to save him…. I wish I could read it for the first time again, it’s beautifully written and had me in tears more than once. I wish the author would have elaborated a bit more about Walter’s life, I would have loved a few more pages filled with details of his life’s adventures before he faded away. But nevertheless, an amazing story.