LitPick Review
It's the early 1940s during World War II. Poland has been occupied by Nazi Germany. After Peter's parents die in a car crash in Wyszkow, Poland, he is taken to the capital, Warsaw, for testing by German soldiers. He is proclaimed German and adopted by Professor Kaltenbach and his wife, who live in Berlin with their three daughters. Peter attends school there and adjusts to his new life by joining the local HJ squad, a team of teenage boys who perform duties for the city and help collect supplies for soldiers. But Peter doesn't want to be a "National Socialist" and a Jew-hating German like everyone else. He feels that the Germans are wrong in many ways. So he makes friends with Anna and her family, who share the same thoughts with him about the Germans. Peter even starts helping to deliver supplies and find jobs for Jewish people living in Berlin, but will his secret be safe?
Opinion:
I love this book because it is so intriguing; you get the feeling that Peter is stepping into danger everywhere he goes. Peter, himself, is a very adventurous and involved character; he helps the Jews even though there is the big risk of being caught. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and this a perfect example of it. World War II is an exciting setting and there is always something in the book that keeps you intrigued and makes you want to keep reading. The author is a very skilled writer and develops the characters so you feel like you're stepping right into the story. Overall, this book is a great read that will captivate any reader, because the writing is very dense and the story is packed with peril. The vocabulary level is appropriate for any reader 10 and up.
