Saturday, May 31, 2014

Prisoner of Night and Fog

Book: Prisoner of Night and Fog
Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog #1
Author: Anne Blankman

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?-Goodreads

Review: Historical fiction at it's finest-I loved almost everything about this book. Blankman crafts a story around actual events and while most of the main characters are fictional, many are not (including Hitler, Eva Braun and others). She definitely did her research (at times the book reads more like an essay than novel) and Munich really came to life on the pages. Gretchen, our protagonist, starts off very naive and trusting (the dialogue is very 'oh golly! What does Uncle Dolph think?' type of stuff) but once she starts 'seeing' the people around her she becomes someone the reader can root for. The book starts slow but the pace picks up about mid-way through. The mystery of who killed Gretchen's father was probably one of the least interesting things about the book, however the events and people it led her to was fascinating. 

Overall-fab read. 

Grade: 5/5

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