Currently reading
Ninth House
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Ruin of Kings
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Contagion
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I received a copy from Netgalley.
This was a fascinating read, a completely new type of YA novel for me. Mixing fiction and fact together in a very absorbing way. There was a lot of history worked in to the novel, and during the first half of the book, told from the point of view of German girl Gretchen, a favourite of Hitler, it felt at least to me that the author was trying to show a human side to Hitler which made me very very uncomfortable reading. I have very little interest in knowing the human side to one of history's greatest monsters.
That being said though I found Gretchen's story to be quite engrossing. Her character developed immensely throughout, she started out very naive, but once she met Jewish boy Daniel, the love interest, her eyes opened and she slowly became aware of the truth about her "beloved Uncle Dolph." This was where the fact and fiction blended very well together, though at times was hard to get through.
The plot of the novel focuses on Gretchen discovering the truth about her father's death, which Daniel helps her solve. Whilst at the same time dealing with her despicable older brother and less than helpful mother. The story really shines for me in the relationship Gretchen and Daniel developed. A very very slow building romance that was wonderfully written, captivating and emotional.
With a fantastic burst of action towards the end the story was wrapped up with an open ending, but after reading the author's notes at the end, (which answered a lot of what is history and what is fiction for the purpose of the novel) I was very pleased to hear that there is going to be another book in the series. Something I will be looking forward to.
So a huge thanks to Negalley and Balzer & Bray for approving my request to view this title. I loved it.
Also checks off a square for Book Bingo - a book set during war time.
This was a fascinating read, a completely new type of YA novel for me. Mixing fiction and fact together in a very absorbing way. There was a lot of history worked in to the novel, and during the first half of the book, told from the point of view of German girl Gretchen, a favourite of Hitler, it felt at least to me that the author was trying to show a human side to Hitler which made me very very uncomfortable reading. I have very little interest in knowing the human side to one of history's greatest monsters.
That being said though I found Gretchen's story to be quite engrossing. Her character developed immensely throughout, she started out very naive, but once she met Jewish boy Daniel, the love interest, her eyes opened and she slowly became aware of the truth about her "beloved Uncle Dolph." This was where the fact and fiction blended very well together, though at times was hard to get through.
The plot of the novel focuses on Gretchen discovering the truth about her father's death, which Daniel helps her solve. Whilst at the same time dealing with her despicable older brother and less than helpful mother. The story really shines for me in the relationship Gretchen and Daniel developed. A very very slow building romance that was wonderfully written, captivating and emotional.
With a fantastic burst of action towards the end the story was wrapped up with an open ending, but after reading the author's notes at the end, (which answered a lot of what is history and what is fiction for the purpose of the novel) I was very pleased to hear that there is going to be another book in the series. Something I will be looking forward to.
So a huge thanks to Negalley and Balzer & Bray for approving my request to view this title. I loved it.
Also checks off a square for Book Bingo - a book set during war time.
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