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bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
The first part pulled me in, but afterwards it slowed down a bit until finally picking up again around 100 pages in.
The novel is split into parts that span several years with POVs mostly from Marie-Laure and Werner but we get some chapters from other characters occasionally too. I really enjoyed the switching POVs and the sort of timeline split of before/after the siege of Saint-Malo!
Some of Werner’s chapters were a little overly descriptive for my taste. Like I didn’t need a whole paragraph explaining a math equation.
I really liked the short chapters, it helped with reading it in spare moments and being motivated to pick it up more especially considering how long it is. Personally I don’t think it needed to be 500+ pages, any historical fiction over 400 pages is doing too much 😅
The characters were well developed and the writing overall was atmospheric, making me feel like I was there witnessing everything in front of me.
Now aside from the length and dragging pace at times, this was shaping up to be an amazing novel, at least 5 stars, until the rape scene in the final 40 pages, which was totally was unnecessary (but the author is a man so what do you expect). I know it’s historically accurate and it happened to many women during the war, but there are ways to write it that imply it rather than describe it if the author really wanted to include that detail. Also we barely hear from Jutta or Frau Elena for most of the book BUT NOW we hear from them and this is what we get? Totally unnecessary. It would’ve made more sense if we had been getting Jutta’s perspective the whole time as well, if the authors goal was truly to show all the sufferings of the war, including the Germans themselves.
It felt like a disconnected, out of pocket scene just for the sake of having a rape scene. Just because it’s historically accurate does not mean it’s necessary or should be put into the story, and again, there are better ways to write it if you feel it’s a needed addition 🙃 The story was basically done- it’s serves ZERO purpose to the plot or Jutta’s character- truly pointless and typical “men writing women”
It felt like a disconnected, out of pocket scene just for the sake of having a rape scene. Just because it’s historically accurate does not mean it’s necessary or should be put into the story, and again, there are better ways to write it if you feel it’s a needed addition 🙃 The story was basically done- it’s serves ZERO purpose to the plot or Jutta’s character- truly pointless and typical “men writing women”
It was a great book otherwise but that scene ruined it and I’m dropping down my rating because of that absolute nonsense. Also as someone who has read a lot of world war 2 historical fiction novels, this one isn’t all that special story-wise. The writing was pretty good but adds nothing to the genre (in my opinion) because it’s really just another “wow what horrible things happening to this young girl but she’s being so brave” and “you know guys, what if not all Nazis were bad, like this young soldier here.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Violence, Bullying, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Antisemitism, and Blood
Minor: Ableism
miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
slow-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
4.75
‘Does she grieve over his absence? Or has she calcified her feelings, protected herself, as he is learning to do?’
‘Thats how it feels… as though his love for his daughter will outstrip the limits of his body’
‘Silence is the fruit of occupation; it hangs in branches, steps from gutters.’
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Antisemitism, Blood, Death of parent, Cancer, War, Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Mental illness, and Torture
laurareads_bcn's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Loved the book, but it was a bit too slow and I would have ended it 50pages early. Overall the story is great, and has a great tension.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Sexual assault, War, and Rape
kim_lommaert's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Racism, War, Death, Murder, Hate crime, Xenophobia, and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, and Deportation
Minor: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Violence, Infertility, and Rape
medini_l's review against another edition
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Torture, War, Xenophobia, and Bullying
kirstenpod_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Gun violence, Death, Violence, Genocide, Child death, Antisemitism, and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Bullying, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
smkelly1997's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall, I felt this book was written beautifully. The prose, word choice, flow, and quick chapters left me throughly engaged. Regarding the actual story I felt as if I needed more. I just felt like something was missing to the the whole book together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Gore, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, War, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cancer, and Genocide
the_pink_pharmacist's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Gun violence, and Blood
sakisreads's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.5
✨ Thrifted ✨
I was not expecting this book to be SUCH A TREASURE. I had picked it up once, decided I wasn’t ready for it, then picked it back up at a time of boredom. Needless to say, I was hooked within the first few chapters.
I was a big fan of the flitting between Marie-Laure and Werner’s perspectives, as most of the chapter endings left me on a cliffhanger and kept me wanting more 🥹
There were some VERY TENSE PARTS (obviously, being in the midst of a war and all) by which I was hooked! This book definitely does require content warnings which I’ll put below.
The only reason why I’m giving this 4.5 out of 5 stars is because there were parts in which there was a little too much descriptive language for my liking 🥲
Anyone involved in Marie-Laure and Werner’s life in a positive manner would have me fighting for them; I would’ve done anything! Daniel (Papa 🥹), Etienne (great uncle), Frau Elena (the orphanage’s housemistress), Frederick (Werner’s best friend), Jutta (Werner’s sister), Madame Manec (the Saint-Malo housekeeper) have my heart ❤️
LOVED the ending as well, when Jutta gets to meet Marie-Laure and interact with Frank Volkheimer (who brings Werner’s bag)! I just thought it was precious and SO necessary ✨
Big fan! Thank you 🥰
I was not expecting this book to be SUCH A TREASURE. I had picked it up once, decided I wasn’t ready for it, then picked it back up at a time of boredom. Needless to say, I was hooked within the first few chapters.
I was a big fan of the flitting between Marie-Laure and Werner’s perspectives, as most of the chapter endings left me on a cliffhanger and kept me wanting more 🥹
There were some VERY TENSE PARTS (obviously, being in the midst of a war and all) by which I was hooked! This book definitely does require content warnings which I’ll put below.
The only reason why I’m giving this 4.5 out of 5 stars is because there were parts in which there was a little too much descriptive language for my liking 🥲
Anyone involved in Marie-Laure and Werner’s life in a positive manner would have me fighting for them; I would’ve done anything! Daniel (Papa 🥹), Etienne (great uncle), Frau Elena (the orphanage’s housemistress), Frederick (Werner’s best friend), Jutta (Werner’s sister), Madame Manec (the Saint-Malo housekeeper) have my heart ❤️
Big fan! Thank you 🥰
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Terminal illness, Blood, Bullying, Violence, and War
erebus53's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
Another book club read, and I'm glad I was put onto this one, as I otherwise wouldn't have bothered with it. This is a beautifully woven tale of .. uhm, nerds in World War II.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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