This summer I went through a World War Two book phase. It was really fun to read a whole bunch of books all centered around one specific time period.

(Also, I felt super smart whenever my younger brother, who is really into history, would tell the family a fact and I would think, “I know what he’s talking about!”)

I’ve chosen three of the World War Two books I read and I’ve written a short review for each one.

The Book Thief   (by Markus Zusak)

This YA book follows the life of Liesel Meminger, a young girl, during the second World War. I felt like The Book Thief was really eye opening to me on what it would have been like to be a child living through the war. Zusak did a very good job of making the characters mature as they get older and the war gets more intense. Each character is very unique and that made the book easy to read and interesting. I loved all characters and I’m honestly not sure I could pick a favorite — actually, Hans was probably my favorite.

The Book Thief does have some foul language. So, if that bothers you, I might not recommend this book. I wasn’t too bothered because about half the swearwords were in German and my brain didn’t totally register that they were even there.

This book is quite dark. Considering that it is narrated by Death, it isn’t as dark and depressing as it could have been. I did feel like Zusak did a good job at making the story seem true, and he didn’t try to sugar coat how hard life was during that time period. It is sad too. You absolutely must read this with a box of tissues — at least the last fifty pages.

Over all, I really loved this book. It’s a serious story but it has great lessons incorporated and is eye opening. It’s also a fairly quick read and the story drew me in quickly.

 

The Faithful Spy   (by John Hendrix)

I’m not sure what to say about this one except, “WOW! Go read this now!”

I was really skeptical to read this one but my mom and brother convinced me to give it a try. I hadn’t ever read a graphic novel that I liked so I was hesitant to read this one since it is sort of a graphic novel. But, again, WOW!!

The Faithful Spy is a true story about a man named Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a respected Christian scholar. He had multiple chances to escape Germany, but stayed to work with the Nazis so he could spy for the allies.

John Hendrix is an amazing illustrator and a wonderful storyteller. For me, the art in this book adds so much to the story. The use of color and the intricate pictures add beautifully to the story.

I’m so glad i read this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I think it is categorized as middle grade, but the story is one that even young adults or adults should read.

 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows) 

My best friend read this book before me and then I read it so we could talk about it. This is definitely one of my favorite books I’ve read this year.

The book is written as a collection of letters between Juliet Ashton and the members of the literary society on the island of Guernsey. I loved the unique way this story is written and it made me want to revive the art of letter writing. Because of the letter format it did take me a little while to understand exactly who the characters were, but as soon as I did i was in love with every one of them.

This story takes place a few years after the war, but the book is mostly about the members of the Guernsey Literary Society during the war.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is nothing short of heartwarming. As soon as I finished reading it I wanted to go back and do it again! Just writing about it is making me miss the story.

 

Have you read any of these books? What are your thoughts on them? Leave your thoughts or book suggestions in the comments.

Wishing you a bright and sunny day, Jessa.