Release Date: April 22, 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog, Book 1
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Edelweiss
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository ● B&N ● Kindle ● iTunes
Goodreads ● Website
In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.
Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.
And Gretchen follows his every command.
Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.
As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?
From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.
Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.
And Gretchen follows his every command.
Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.
As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?
From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.
Wow. I was completely BLOWN AWAY by Prisoner of Night and Fog. Seriously, it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. I tend to love reading about historical fiction, particularly surrounding large events in history, such as wars, regimes and such, and this was such an amazing read. Anne Blankman has the ability to transport the reader to one of the deadliest and most devastating times in history, and make one feel as though they are apart of the action. The amount of time she must have spent researching the topic... oh boy. It was so well-detailed and I feel that her facts checked out for the part of the book that revolved around non-fiction.
What first caught me was the cover. I saw this while browsing on Edelweiss, and I knew that I HAD to download it immediately. It was only after when I found out that it was about Hitler. There are a ton of books out there that focus on World War II and the awful things that Hitler did, but I’ve never ever come across a book (in YA at least) that includes him as a character– and a major one at that! It was really strange, to be honest, to have him apart of the action and interacting with the characters in this book, knowing that he’s one of the worst people in history. But there are quite a lot of interesting facts about him that I had no idea about that pop up in the book, and it really allows you to see how he becomes his monstrous figure in our world’s history.
I’ve been kind of in a slump lately, because so many YA heroines set my teeth on edge. It was so refreshing to finally find one that I actually LIKE. Gretchen was a great character– really strong and determined. It’s illuminating to see the transition of a character throughout a book, and her character certainly does have one. It’s interesting to see her involvement in the plot, as well as several other characters, as they’re fictional, and how they interact with characters based on real people and are apart of events that really did happen is just a testament to how well the author blends fact and fiction in Prisoner of Night and Fog.
Daniel! *swoon* Of course, love love LOVED him. The romance really reminded me of Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye, where the protagonist and her love interest are from two sides that are in conflict with one another. Let’s just say that I’m SUPER excited to see what happens in the next book in terms of the romance, because while there is some in this book, I’m sure there’s going to be a lot more development further on in this series.
There’s a lot of shocking revelations and twists and turns. I would just advise you as a reader, no matter how tempted you are, to NOT look up any of the characters, particularly Hitler’s. It gives away some of the smaller reveals later on in the book, so DON’T. I’m glad though that a lot was fiction, or was based on the facts and melded into the story to fit another purpose, because this really kept up the surprises that come along in the book. The author even has a really great afterword about the characters and events, and what’s real in the book and what isn’t.
Prisoner of Night and Fog is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Anne Blankman masterfully navigates the history, particularly the beginnings, of WWII, bringing to life the people and characters involved. Beautiful and heart-pounding, this debut will have readers spellbound from start to finish. Can’t wait for the sequel!
If you like this, try...
- Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye ● Goodreads
- The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak ● Goodreads
- Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys ● Goodreads
- In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters ● Goodreads
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ANNE BLANKMAN
Anne Blankman may have been meant to be a writer because her parents named her for Anne of Green Gables. She grew up in an old house with gables (gray, unfortunately) in upstate New York. When she wasn't writing or reading, she was rowing on the crew team, taking ballet lessons, fencing and swimming. She graduated from Union College with degrees in English and history, which comes in handy when she writes historical fiction.
After earning a master's degree in information science, Anne began working as a youth services librarian. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her family. When she's not writing young adult fiction, she's playing with her daughter, training for races with her husband, working at her amazing library branch, learning to knit (badly), and reading.
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Thanks so much to FFBC tours for having me along!
Thanks for the warning not to look up any of the characters. I know I probably will once I'm finished with the book.
ReplyDeleteI just started this one and I just KNOW it's going to be fantastic. I am trying to take my time with it because I am enjoying it so much. So glad you liked it!!
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