Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

35 reviews

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

readiculousreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Absolutely devastating, but so brilliantly written. To come at this issue from a child's perspective, who lacks any understanding of the political situation happening around him, and being able to see his natural inclination against the violence of certain characters and his love and curiosity about other people is heart wrenchingly beautiful. 

Big warning to parents, this might be an especially hard read for you. It had me absolutely weeping for the entire last chapter, but I have no children. Trust me when I say it will hit harder if you do. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Death

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Genocide, and Religious bigotry

gkcnoble's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, War, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Slavery, Violence, and War

Minor: Grief, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

marisabenn's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Wow. 

While The Book Thief was a masterpiece, this is so simple and powerful. The way it is written holds you and doesn't let go.

Just wow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, and Antisemitism

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

alexlily's review against another edition

1.0

Major yikes
Auschwitz Memorial: "'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' should be avoided by anyone who studies or teaches about the history of the Holocaust."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and War

goldenslug's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

Moderate: War

ivegotyourpaperback's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I’ll start off by saying that I think this book is written well for its target audience, though I believe the themes explored require a more adult understanding of historical events. The Holocaust would be a difficult topic to tackle, no matter who you’re writing for. 

That said, I did go into this novel knowing of the controversy surrounding it (I recommend reading the 2019 article titled The Problem with ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ written by the Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association).

I agree that this book is not the most accurate representation of the victims of the holocaust, but rather a watered down version of events seen through a child’s eyes. Readers should remember that this is a work of fiction, not a textbook and so should not rely on this as their sole source of WW2 information.

I think a persons first reading of this book should be after having learned about the real events that took place, from an educator and/or non-fictional sources. This was my reading experience so I was able to draw on my prior knowledge to recognise the implications made, and visualise what was not being said in the text.

I was quite disappointed to find that there were no historical notes, educational notes, talking points/questions or acknowledgment of the millions of people who were murdered at this time in history, either at the beginning or the end of this novel.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Antisemitism, and War

Minor: Confinement, Antisemitism, and War

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