My Rating: 5 Stars!
Here’s why!
I don’t know why it took me so long to read this book. Maybe because I needed YEARS in between watching this movie and reading the book to recover from the emotional roller coaster this story took me on! (haha!)
Bruno lives in Berlin, has three best friends, loves sliding down the bannister his five story house, and enjoys walking down the street and seeing fruit and vegetable stands except on Saturday’s. When Bruno comes home from school one day, his clothes and toys are being packed to move to a new place because he dad has gotten a new job. At this new home, there are no other houses around, with no kids to play with, but there is a big fence in the distance that Bruno can see out of his new bedroom window.
One afternoon, He eventually decides to do some exploring and see what this fence is all about.
***
I watched this movie in high school and finally decided to pick up this book in an afternoon and finished it in two sittings.
This book flows so easily, moves so quickly, and the copy I read uses hand drawn pictures to illustrate what Bruno’s young, 9-year-old perspective can’t really articulate. Since I had previously seen the movie adaptation, I knew how this book was going to go so I wasn’t surprised or taken off-guard necessarily, but I did still find myself wishing the ending would change. My sister compared it to a horror movie in that sense.
I am giving this book 5/5 stars because I kind of feel like I had to. This book really is so unique in the writing style, the POV, and the addition of pictures (kind of like in The Book Thief!), it feels like it deserves 5 stars. I think I am a bit hesitant because I didn’t necessarily stir any emotions in me while reading it, but I know the emotions it can stir up because I’ve experienced them before (if that makes sense haha).
If you haven’t read this book, whether you’ve seen the movie or not, do yourself a favor and dedicate a few hours to consuming and digesting this piece of art.
HAPPY READING 🙂
Genre: Historical Fiction/WWII/Holocaust
Brooke & Binding 