LitPick Review
Among waves of worldwide anti-semitism, mass displacement, and the general ordeal of World War 2, there is Max, pre-teen genius and Jewish refugee. Accompanied by a kobold and a dybbuk called Berg and Stein, he’s forced to escape Nazi-infested Germany and stay with the Montagu family in England. But even as Max settles into this strange, foreign life, even enjoys it at times, the undeniable truth is still there: he misses German and more than that, his parents. So when he sees an opportunity to change that, he, of course, leaps at it. Sending a 12-year-old Jewish spy into Nazi Germany is unfeasible and unimaginable, but Max might just be able to do it— if he can prove himself first.
Opinion:
With World War 2 and the Holocaust being such a common topic in historical literature, you could argue that it gets repetitive and that the originality of a story can feel diminished, but that is not the case in Max in the House of Spies. It portrayed propaganda in a way I’d never thought about before, how people with no reason to hate the Jews did, even if they simultaneously despised the Nazis at the same time. The story had effortless pacing, neither too rushed or slow at intervals. Additionally, I’m glad Max pointed out the absurd spelling of certain British words as it brought a lightheartedness to the atmosphere. In short, this is a delightful spy novel that addresses a lot of important issues and will hook you from the first few chapters.
