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mformato's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I enjoyed that each character had their own distinct voice but I hated that they all withheld information from the reader. I understand that building up to a big reveal helps create tension but it felt unnecessary for all of them except Emilia. She was definitely the one with the most intriguing arc and I wish we had more depth with her.
I found myself skipping over most of Alfred's imaginary letters cause I just couldn't stand him and it really added nothing to the story. Even his big secret was muddied by his disillusion and not that monumental.
I adored the relationship between Klaus and the Shoe Poet; such a wholesome and tragic bond of two people in a time of war and I almost wish there was a novella from the Shoe Poet's perspective starting from right before he joined the group to how events played out in the novel.
Joana and Florian felt like generic YA characters to me. Not the worst, not the best. Just okay.
Overall I would recommend this book to others who enjoy YA and/or historical fiction. I am impressed with the amount of research Septeys does for her books; she truly cares about creating a historically accurate story with her own voice and I am definitely interested in more of her work.
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, Sexual assault, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and War
mayukiiq's review against another edition
5.0
* reminiscent of All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr) in some ways
Graphic: Death, Medical content, and War
Moderate: Gore, Vomit, and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape and Antisemitism
izwit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, and Blood
kallio08's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail
julieclair's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: War
Moderate: Racism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
misssophiawilliams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
shybookstagramer's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this book was beautifully written and brought this tragic tale to my attention. I like how the story was told from 4 completely different perspectives so that readers can see how this tragedy affected so many different types of people. I felt for the characters. I thought they were all unique and well-written. I grew very attached to them and became so invested.
There were some moments where I didn't necessarily want some of the descriptions that I got, but they did show the horrible things that occurred.
This is a very heavy read but I think it's important that people read it because we need to learn about events like this that are never talked about.
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Racism, Violence, Antisemitism, Pregnancy, and War
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Medical content
kalin_grace's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
sarahquang's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Grief, and War
Moderate: Child death, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape and Sexual harassment
serena_hien's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death and Pregnancy
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Rape