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mattemm's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
The book was really confusing the beginning and I hated how it basically had no ending
fountain_ken's review
3.0
I didn't know this was sort of a companion novel to Traitor - I was so surprised when I recognized some of the names. Honestly, I liked Traitor more. I couldn't connect to the characters as much, and the romance wasn't it for me. Still was page turner at the end, though.
kleonard's review
3.0
The Silent Unseen is a solid YA novel about the chaos of the immediate post-WWII period in Eastern Europe. Polish nationalists, Ukrainian nationalists, and the Soviet Union all struggled for land and power, enlisting teens as soldiers and commanders in their campaigns. While this novel is a bit choppy in its overall form, it tells a good story about siblings and their various allies and enemies as they seek safety and to influence the outcome of the political battles in which they are forced to pick sides.
oliviasuzanne's review
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
While I was interested to read about this part of WWII and the post war era, I found it very hard to keep some of the characters straight. I honestly ended up skimming a lot of the last quarter of the book.
mthompson22's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
marshaskrypuch's review
5.0
The bulk of WWII was fought on the land where Poland and Ukraine now stand, and both nations suffered unspeakable tragedy at the hands of the Nazis and Soviets. It's hard to write history when you're dead, which is one of the reasons there are so few novels that explore the war from a Ukrainian or Polish perspective. It's an uncomfortable fact that Poles and Ukrainians were at each others' throats at the same time they were fighting the Nazis and the Soviets and McCrina delves into this dark time with compassion and nuance. This well-researched page-turner explores the uneasy alliance between teens on opposite sides: Polish Maria, and Ukrainian Kostya. The reader can't help but cheer for these damaged young people as they grasp for a semblance of happiness after the war.
leahegood's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
inspiring
sad
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
5.0
This book was breathtaking, sometimes quite literally as I would pause it to give my brain time to catch up.
I've always wished for more post WWII stories. The impact of the war and the Holocaust didn't end in VE day. Millions were displaced. Families forever destroyed. An entire continent in ruins. Fiction usually ignores that part of the story. This book dove right into the thick of it with all the raw pain and trauma and resilience and desperate hope such a story deserves.
This is the story of teenagers taught to be enemies, left with the consequences of a war they were too young to have chosen, bereft of the guidance and help of the people they ought to have to help them along in life.
I've always wished for more post WWII stories. The impact of the war and the Holocaust didn't end in VE day. Millions were displaced. Families forever destroyed. An entire continent in ruins. Fiction usually ignores that part of the story. This book dove right into the thick of it with all the raw pain and trauma and resilience and desperate hope such a story deserves.
This is the story of teenagers taught to be enemies, left with the consequences of a war they were too young to have chosen, bereft of the guidance and help of the people they ought to have to help them along in life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, Torture, Cursing, War, and Hate crime
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence
kerasalwaysreading's review
4.0
I read this one in a day and I absolutely LOVED it. Kostya and Maria found this beautiful connection in the gravest of circumstances. Historical fiction isn’t something I gravitate towards and I am so glad that I did. Amanda McCrina wove a heart wrenching story about the cost of war, the love of family and what people will do to protect it. This really was a beautiful read.