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esjackson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Antisemitism, War, Physical abuse, and Genocide
Moderate: Torture, Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, Ableism, Abandonment, Murder, and Cancer
Minor: Cursing and Death of parent
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Werner is a snow-haired German lad who was orphanned by the mines of the Reich. As a curious child he develops himself into an electrical engineer who specializes in fixing radios, and is noticed by a German general who forwards him for advancement in an elite military school.
Marie-Laure is the daughter of keymaster of the French museum. She develops cataracts and goes blind as a child, and her father crates a scale model of her neighbourhood as a tactile map for her to learn her way around.
When the war starts, Marie-Laure and her father flee to her uncle's house, and Werner is a radio engineer for Hitler's army.
This story is told with deep emotional resonance, and using all sorts of literary quirks that focus on themes of light and darkness, sounds, sensation, fear and bravery, morality, logic and puzzles, knowing and learning, art and music, the love of nature, and of people. I love the descriptions of things like disappearing in fog– that it's about vanishing into whiteness rather than shadows. The descriptions are visceral and evocative as well as clever.
This is a story of survival, of war, of fear and bloodshed, and it doesn't pull its punches. It certainly answers, in a humane way, questions about how people can do inhuman things in war, and the toll it can take on families.
I found the going slow, and occasionally tense, but also full of whimsy and beauty in contrast.
Well worth the read.
Graphic: Gore, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Grief, War, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Excrement, Death, Child death, Blood, Antisemitism, Vomit, Torture, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Cursing, Cancer, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Racism, Confinement, Chronic illness, Animal death, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Classism, and Bullying
nmckelv's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Moderate: Cursing, Violence, War, Mental illness, and Death
Minor: Child death, Suicide, Grief, and Rape
minib's review against another edition
1.0
Graphic: Cursing
orchidlilly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Gun violence, War, Antisemitism, Bullying, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Racial slurs, Child death, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Gore, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Police brutality, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Death, Classism, Torture, and Cursing
Minor: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Medical content, Terminal illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Sexual assault, Deportation, and Vomit
nialiversuch's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Xenophobia, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, Abandonment, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Deportation, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Violence, and War
cutepatzie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Gun violence, Gore, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Antisemitism, Child death, Death, Abandonment, Cancer, Cursing, Grief, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Sexual content, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and War
no_this_is_patrick's review against another edition
4.75
Marie-Laure , a blind girl who lives with her beloved father near the Museum of Natural History and Werner , an orphan who lives in a children's home with his little sister Jutta .
First off I would like to say that the writing style is absolutely phenomenal . Every idea is completely unique and original and even though I'm not used to these types of books , I loved it . It contains a beautiful message about how everything you do has an impact , how something someone says or does can change the life of a person who lives an ocean away . I would definitely recommend it but a little warning the book isn't for everyone.
- “Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.”
- “Is it right,” Jutta says, “to do something only because everyone else is doing it?”
- “Don’t you want to be alive before you die?”
- “Time is a slippery thing: lose hold of it once, and its string might sail out of your hands forever.”
I'm torn between rating this a 4.5 and 5 stars . The book definitely had its imperfections but it was just overshadowed by all the things I loved so I think its definitely worth a 4.75.
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and War
Moderate: Grief, Rape, and Bullying
Minor: Cursing
bugzandthingz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Minor: Ableism, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, War, Violence, Confinement, Genocide, and Hate crime
desiderium_incarnate's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I don't know what to tell you about this book. I am glad, that I finished it, even though it was difficult to read about all the suffering. I am so sorry for all the people that have been hurt by hate, greed and nationalism and I wish, history would have been different, but now we can only learn from it and be better.
This book is so amazingly detailed in it's places, characters, storylines etc. It's a marvel!
At first it was a little confusing because the chapters weren't really in a chronological order, but it honestly makes sense now. I can recommend this book, though I would tell you, that you need the energy for it. It's not an easy read.
"When my father left, people said I was brave. But it's not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don't you do the same?"
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, War, Antisemitism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Excrement, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Violence, Death, and Death of parent