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lectora21's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Deportation, Death of parent, War, Child death, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Suicide and Pregnancy
the_escape_artist_'s review against another edition
3.0
I would say that this book is okay...parts of it were great, parts were not. The main character was interesting, but in the end the story left me feeling a bit empty.
ninasbooks57's review against another edition
4.0
I had heard of but didn’t know much about this event in WWII. This book did a great job portraying the emotions of the people on this ship without a country.
rr_author's review against another edition
2.0
It was promising at the beginning, the historical aspect was interesting. The ending completely ruined the whole book for me, and I started to predict what would happen about halfway through.
SPOILERS:
Way too dark for my liking, it seemed to be making suicide out as a good choice. It just made Hannah seem like a totally bitter and selfish woman to end her life just when Anna had befriended her. What would be the ripple effect when her and her mother found out?
SPOILERS:
Way too dark for my liking, it seemed to be making suicide out as a good choice. It just made Hannah seem like a totally bitter and selfish woman to end her life just when Anna had befriended her. What would be the ripple effect when her and her mother found out?
aeclark12's review against another edition
5.0
A powerful, well-researched story that opened my eyes to the voyage of the St. Louis and the fate of the passengers aboard.
annamontana's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The set up of the story was great. A Jewish family fleeing Germany before the war gets visa to Cuba and set out on the St. Louis, a ship with other similar families. The boat is not allowed to disembark its passengers due to governmental changes in Cuba, only a few get off. This is true and there is a nice author's note at the end of the book, along with pictures of this unknown event in history.
The story telling of the book was not as good as the set up. First, the author used a dual timeline. As often in dual timelines, one of them is not needed. I found that to be true in this book, the current timeline could have been done without. I would have liked to have Hannah (the German girl, who does get off the boat in Cuba) be the narrator throughout. Second, the pacing of the book. There is a large section devoted to life in Germany, then a large portion on the ship, the first few years of Cuba get another substantial portion but then all of Cuban history from the 1950s to 2014 is smashed into just the last segment. It either needed to be eliminated or expanded to give those characters more life.
The story telling of the book was not as good as the set up. First, the author used a dual timeline. As often in dual timelines, one of them is not needed. I found that to be true in this book, the current timeline could have been done without. I would have liked to have Hannah (the German girl, who does get off the boat in Cuba) be the narrator throughout. Second, the pacing of the book. There is a large section devoted to life in Germany, then a large portion on the ship, the first few years of Cuba get another substantial portion but then all of Cuban history from the 1950s to 2014 is smashed into just the last segment. It either needed to be eliminated or expanded to give those characters more life.
holmfridurhp's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
jrmarr's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book more, and it should not have taken me so long to read! A story across 3 generations and 3 continents, it is a tale of dispossession, disappointment and grief. A good story, not at all badly written but I felt a little lacking. Solid 3.5 stars.
nic_h's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75