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mrs_george's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy!
This was a very interesting portrayal of the Holocaust in that it focused on a privileged Jewish-American teen. It says it is a story about two cousins but I found Rosha's parts to be too short and that much of the novel was about Mira. I don't think that was a bad thing as I enjoyed Mira's story but it definitely wasn't much of a contrast since Rosha was hidden away and really couldn't have much of a story-line. If anything it was a story about the whole Kaninsky/Kane family as we also told stories of Mira's parents and aunts. I really enjoyed it and it reminded me of an adult version of Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume.
This was a very interesting portrayal of the Holocaust in that it focused on a privileged Jewish-American teen. It says it is a story about two cousins but I found Rosha's parts to be too short and that much of the novel was about Mira. I don't think that was a bad thing as I enjoyed Mira's story but it definitely wasn't much of a contrast since Rosha was hidden away and really couldn't have much of a story-line. If anything it was a story about the whole Kaninsky/Kane family as we also told stories of Mira's parents and aunts. I really enjoyed it and it reminded me of an adult version of Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume.
rebdhar's review against another edition
5.0
In this heartbreaking yet hopeful work, Boritz Berger follows the families of two Jewish cousins, Rosha in Vilna, and Mira in Brooklyn, during and just after World War II. The story of each family is compelling, and the reader cares deeply for all of the characters. Although Rosha's experience is of course a much harsher one, that does not diminish the struggles of those who were lucky enough to have left Europe in time. Boritz Berger portrays tragedies that touch both families, and realistically depicts how each responds to them. Though some losses can never be reversed, "The Sweetness" portrays the small ways in which their effect can be tempered by love and devotion.
jenbetweendots's review against another edition
3.0
This book was an okay read but I found it pretty slow and boring after the first half. There were too many characters who added nothing to the story (Roy?) to the point where sometimes I couldn’t even remember who the person was supposed to be. This was further evidenced by the author even calling people by the wrong name at times (Sari was called Sara, Moxi was called Moxie). Small mistakes but confusing nonetheless..
The story itself was fairly good, if a little predictable. Nothing very memorable to be honest. The story was intriguing but just not written in a way that keeps you captivated. Would I recommend? Probably not, but I wouldn’t tell people not to read it either.
The story itself was fairly good, if a little predictable. Nothing very memorable to be honest. The story was intriguing but just not written in a way that keeps you captivated. Would I recommend? Probably not, but I wouldn’t tell people not to read it either.
lenny9987's review against another edition
4.0
In her upcoming novel, The Sweetness, Sande Boritz Berger looks at the impact of World War II and the Holocaust on a Jewish family living in New York. It is a novel of coming to terms with tragedy and the scars of war but more so it is a novel dealing with the challenges faced by the second generation. How did that war impact those whose parents managed to escape before trouble came, who were born in America but are raised by those who remember a very different way of life? How does the memory of family survive when war sets out to break them and where should the line be drawn when it comes to parental interference in their children’s lives? How can we tell whether we’ll regret letting go of something while there’s still time to do something about it?
Much of the novel centers on Mira Kane and her extended family. Living with her parents, brother, and her father’s two sisters and brother, Mira has dreams of becoming a fashion designer and escaping from the family business: a factory where they produce knitwear for the likes of Macy’s, Sears, and JC Penny. But the developing war in Europe and the threat posed to her father’s mother, younger brother, and family back in their homeland put additional pressure on Mira to put those dreams on hold indefinitely. With brief glimpses at the branch of their family now stuck under Nazi control, told through the eyes of Mira’s young cousin, Rosha, the distant threats and fears are contrasted with the harsher realities of living and surviving under the regime itself.
For the complete review, please visit my blog:
http://wp.me/pUEx4-Az
Much of the novel centers on Mira Kane and her extended family. Living with her parents, brother, and her father’s two sisters and brother, Mira has dreams of becoming a fashion designer and escaping from the family business: a factory where they produce knitwear for the likes of Macy’s, Sears, and JC Penny. But the developing war in Europe and the threat posed to her father’s mother, younger brother, and family back in their homeland put additional pressure on Mira to put those dreams on hold indefinitely. With brief glimpses at the branch of their family now stuck under Nazi control, told through the eyes of Mira’s young cousin, Rosha, the distant threats and fears are contrasted with the harsher realities of living and surviving under the regime itself.
For the complete review, please visit my blog:
http://wp.me/pUEx4-Az
tealmango's review against another edition
2.0
Read the full review on my blog: http://newberyandbeyond.com/review-copy-sweetness/
This book about the Holocaust is not nearly the best WWII book I’ve ever read. The Sweetness focuses on two girls: one is hiding at a candle maker’s home in Europe after the rest of her family is killed by the Nazis; the other, her cousin, is safely ensconced in America and doing her best to pursue a degree in fashion design while picking her way through the minefield of her extended family (and no, I don’t remember any of their names). I wanted more information about the girl in hiding. She was tormented by the jerk son of the family who took her in, especially after he blamed her for his father’s death, which I thought could have been realistic and poignant but instead was just irritating. Meanwhile, the girl in America was consumed with events that seemed petty in light of the events of the Holocaust, and the drama in her dysfunctional family (and eventually, with her husband) drove me nuts.
*Note: I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book about the Holocaust is not nearly the best WWII book I’ve ever read. The Sweetness focuses on two girls: one is hiding at a candle maker’s home in Europe after the rest of her family is killed by the Nazis; the other, her cousin, is safely ensconced in America and doing her best to pursue a degree in fashion design while picking her way through the minefield of her extended family (and no, I don’t remember any of their names). I wanted more information about the girl in hiding. She was tormented by the jerk son of the family who took her in, especially after he blamed her for his father’s death, which I thought could have been realistic and poignant but instead was just irritating. Meanwhile, the girl in America was consumed with events that seemed petty in light of the events of the Holocaust, and the drama in her dysfunctional family (and eventually, with her husband) drove me nuts.
*Note: I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
mcsquared's review against another edition
2.0
Quick read but in the end not particularly compelling.
butyougotmysoul's review
3.0
While I enjoyed this book, it was nothing like I'd imagined. There are no real harsh consequences of war felt for the Kane family. Every piece of the story that could have been beautifully emotional was brushed over and left undone. There was far more care put into unnecessary sex scenes.
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