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smateer73's review
5.0
This book was such a powerful book. It brings up so many thoughts of what it means to be human, what survival means under conditions most of us cannot even imagine, and the beauty of resilience and books in dark times. Although the book is fictionalized, like the book says, sometimes a narrative can tell the truth better than simple facts. And the message is still the same, it is the words of Dita Kraus, whose bravery and courage and quick thinking brought hope to people who were hopeless. I had been wanting to read this one for a while and I’m so glad I did. It is sad, deeply moving, but still manages to instill reverence.
charlotter191's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ewheather's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
shelbymarie516's review against another edition
4.0
Staying in the WWII era. Interesting that it was written by a Spanish man about a Czech woman during such a globally dark time. This book is not for the faint of heart, there is some graphic descriptions but it is stil categorized as ages 8-12 and other people say young adult. I would say 12-14 would be good. I'm not sure how much of this story was truth and how much was fiction.
imgunnagetyou's review
3.0
i like this book. not the ending tho, where they go to Occupied Palestine, i was hoping Dita wasn't part of the problem, but alas
marionberry314's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
mayabauerman's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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? No
5.0
jrmarr's review against another edition
3.0
Unevenly written and strangely unemotional at times, this book is not as good as it should be. Strange asides and changes in perspective make it an odd read, as if it doesn’t really know what it’s supposed to be. The dialogue is often stilted and feels anachronistic. I give it three stars for the story itself, but this book (or translation?) does not do it justice.
naikaii's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
alli_thebookgiraffe's review
5.0
I love the representation in this book. This isn’t just a story of a girl from Czech Republic, who was deported from her own country to live in Auschwitz. It shows the story of many people that she knew and encountered. There are some bits that are extremely hard to read. This story is heartbreaking and shows many aspects of Auschwitz. It really lets you get to know the backstory of the people she knew, including some of the Nazi soldiers who worked there and how they attempted to cover up what they were doing. I also liked the lesson about the color coding of the people inside the Auschwitz that were not Jews, like the political prisoners, mentally ill and LGBT people. It also makes me think of what my life would be like if I was not allowed to have books. I feel for Dita in wanting to preserve what books she can find. Dita and the other kids around her of all ages wanted to hear and read these stories as a mode of escape from where they were, it was so important to them. By the end of this novel I was crying but, I don’t want to say anything else because of spoilers!