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A review by redhairedashreads
Clara's Soldier: A Retelling of the Nutcracker by Brittany Fichter
3.0
The war ended three months ago but Clara still hasn't heard anything about her fiance James. None knows where he is or what might have happened to him. Clara is staying strong and hopeful but hates all the looks of pity from the townsfolk. Clara’s Christmas wish was to know what happened to James. This leads to her having a very realistic dream with James. The dream involves them jumping through different places James had been while running from supernatural Nazi’s. Right before Clara wakes up her and James are surrounded by darkness and he is breaking down. This is when Clara realizes that he is suffering from extreme PTSD.
This was an interesting story. It shows how debilitating PTSD can be and how war can change a person. This was an emotional story that shows how terrible WWII was for families. So many men never came home. It also shows how terrifying but hopeful the families are while they wait for word. I did get a little confused during the dream sequence because I was like did she time travel or is this still a dream.
As someone who has not read or watched the Nutcracker I easily understood the story. Overall, I did enjoy this book and was glad that I took a chance on this book since it's not my usual choice in a retelling.
This was an interesting story. It shows how debilitating PTSD can be and how war can change a person. This was an emotional story that shows how terrible WWII was for families. So many men never came home. It also shows how terrifying but hopeful the families are while they wait for word. I did get a little confused during the dream sequence because I was like did she time travel or is this still a dream.
As someone who has not read or watched the Nutcracker I easily understood the story. Overall, I did enjoy this book and was glad that I took a chance on this book since it's not my usual choice in a retelling.