Reviews

The War Pianist by Mandy Robotham

history_girl's review

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Literally had me sobbing for a good 10 minutes when I finished. Books rarely make me cry, but Mandy just has a way of making the characters come alive and bring them close to the readers hearts.

allie79813's review

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adventurous emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

maeva_xena's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

jadew2000's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

kayleighk60's review

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adventurous emotional tense fast-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? No

4.75

jordanainsley's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

5.0

nschenke's review

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4.0

This is the story of a British woman and Dutch man who work together in the fledgling stages of the Dutch resistance movement in WWII. The characters are strong and determined, yet sometimes unsure and very human. The plot was enjoyable and the book another good addition to Robotham’s collection of WWII novels.

novellenovels's review

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adventurous emotional tense medium-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? No

4.5

bookish79's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

trudyd's review against another edition

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5.0

The War Pianist needs more stars. A lot more stars. I am obsessed with historical fiction stories because they helps me learn about the past. The fiction aspect adds to the history making for enjoyable read instead of the usual textbook struggles. The author weaves an amazing tale bringing the two aspects together into a story that touched my heart. The War Pianist has left a lasting impression that I hope never to forget.

The fiction side of The War Pianist sucked me into the story. I became addicted to the characters, the drama, and the unexpected twists. The War Pianist became my companion until I reached the end. The author wrote a story filled with the scary aspects of World War 2. Her descriptions took me back to the a war I had only heard about. I felt their struggles. I could imagine the smells that surrounded Marnie in the shelters and in the streets. The author's words brought it all to life.

The War Pianist is a story of the need to survive and save the people of Holland. Willem has escaped and is now in London working to create the resistance in Holland. Marnie becomes Willem's War Pianist, his connection to Corrie on the other end of the transmitter.

The dramatic aspect took me deeper. Spies are everywhere. How does one learn to trust? They must rely on strangers to keep them safe, to help the transmit in safety. Danger is around every corner as they dodge bombs and flying debris.

When circumstances take them to Holland; risks grow exponentially. Marnie has travelled from a free country, Britain, to an occupied Holland. With the help of the resistance she travels through dangerous territories risking everything to help Willem save Corrie. The glimpses into the horrors and the dangers of those surrounding Marnie were terrifying. I learned so much as Marnie discovered the realities of war in Holland.

The author had me researching so many things as she tied the historical facts with the dramatic fiction. She made me realize that I have so much more to learn, so much more to discover. I, no, we owe it to those that suffered the atrocities of World War 2 to keep learning, to keep talking.

I am grateful to have been able to read such an enlightening story. I look forward to reading more stories by Mandy Robotham.