Reviews

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

dontstopreadin's review against another edition

4.0

I really want to reread this. I listen to this as an audiobook, but I feel like I would have gotten more out of a physical read through. Still, super impacting and jarring. Elizabeth is a dream. Pls never stop writing historical fiction.

amelrose's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

jenmangler's review against another edition

4.0

Having loved Code Name Verity I was eager to read this one, and it did not disappoint. This was a harder read for me because of the subject matter. There were times I had to put the book down for a bit because it hurt to read it. Wein made life in Ravensbrück real in a way that will haunt me, not just because of the horrors endured by the women imprisoned there but also because of their bravery and selflessness and the loving community they formed in the midst of the horror.

weepingwillow_06's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.5

heathercottledillon's review against another edition

5.0

"Code Name Verity" raised the bar high, but I loved "Rose Under Fire" just as much. I like that there's a new character and a new story but we also learn what happened to the characters we grew to love in the first book. Wein really knows how to make her characters feel real, so I was at the edge of my seat rooting for them. Though this is fiction, many elements are based on fact and that makes the girls' bravery and loyalty even more inspiring. This is a book that will please "Code Name Verity" fans but also stands alone well.

jrmarr's review against another edition

3.0

While not nearly as good as Code Name Verity, this was still a very readable read. I’ve read other young adult books about concentration camps, and while at times this book felt like it was skating across the surface, it didn’t feel as though it was dumbing the story down or simplifying the language for the sake of younger readers. I probably won’t remember it, but it was ok.

catbrigand's review against another edition

1.0

I cannot believe this was written by the same person as Code Name Verity, one do my all-time favorite books and one that made me cry in public on the beach.

abbyl819's review against another edition

5.0

This book was so so good! I was a little apprehensive because I loved Code Name Verity and was worried that this would not live up to it, but in my opinion, it did. Starting out, I didn't enjoy it as much, but 50 pages in and I was already hooked. I loved reading about Rose Justice and her friends in the concentration camp. This is such a powerful and hard-hitting story about the atrocities committed during World War II. Everything about this book was amazing, and made the horrible things that happened during that time even worse. I found that there were times that it seemed so real it was hard to continue. The writing was so powerful and amazing, and I can't wait to see where Elizabeth Wein takes it in The Pearl Thief.

ilikecows321's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

sam_hartwig's review against another edition

4.0

Here I go again! Reading books that are companion novels to others before even reading the first. I know about 'Code Name Verity', but I didn't know you had to read it first before reading this. I was able to read it easily enough, so I don't think you need to read Code Name Verity because this is a separate story and didn't seem to follow on.

I loved this! I really enjoy war books, mainly because the ones I read are all about courage and heroism - they can also be very sad at times. Books that bring on strong emotions like sadness and anger are always a good indication of a great book and a talented author. Congrats to Elizabeth Wein for making me feel those emotions.

I listened to this on audio and I found some of the characters accents a bit annoying, but the stunning writing made up for that. I felt a bit lost when I first started and couldn't really connect with the story or Rose, it didn't take me long though to be swept up in the historical tale.

Rose tells her horrific story of being captured by the Nazi's and thrown into a concentration camp. She tells us through her diary entries, we move back and forth between present and past. I liked that they did this because I knew that she survived the horror she witnessed. Although she survived, her metal state may have been a little bit lost to the camp.

At the camp we meet the "rabbits", women who have been experimented on by the Nazi doctors and left deformed. These characters and many more made me laugh and cry. Wein has done a fantastic job making them feel like real people. I found out that some of the characters mentioned in the trials at the end are in fact real people.

This is historical fiction at it's best, I highly recommend this if you love war books with big heart. Now I can't wait to read 'Code Name Verity' to see where it began.

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