At the suggestion of my adult son, I picked up this book for research; I am debating writing in the MG genre, and it’s been a minute since my kiddos and I read these (MG) types of books. I was at first concerned how such a subject matter could be conveyed with any strength in MG, without language, violence or sex (Not that sex is needed in this regard, but it is a no-no for MG writing). JOHN BOYNE did a remarkable job of bringing the travesty of the subject into full and clear view without the use of any language or violence (sex wasn’t even on the table for the book). Really great story, it’s been a few days and I’m still thinking about it. ( )

Haunting, harrowing and thought-provoking.

I reread The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas before starting All the Broken Places and it had an even greater impact on me second time round.

The stark contrast between Auschwitz seen through the eyes of a naïve, 9-year-old forced to leave the luxury of his 5-storey home in Berlin when his father is promoted to the rank of camp commandant and the vivid images stamped on my mind from newsreels showing the liberation of the camps and the horrors of the atrocities committed there, from documentaries about the holocaust and the final solution and from interviews with survivors made this book a chilling and compelling read.

When Bruno innocently ponders why the hordes of passengers being forced to board an already packed train on the opposite platform can’t just cross over and join him on his empty train going in the same direction, I pictured the grim reality with a sick feeling in my stomach.

The characters are all really well drawn: the repetition of phrases, mispronunciation of key words and gripes over the lack of playmates, lessons and The Hopeless Case perfectly portray Bruno as a self-preoccupied and privileged young boy while the depiction of his new friend Schmuel on the other side of the fence is simply heart-breaking. The coldness and cruelty emanating from Lieutenant Kurt Kotler send shivers down the spine while Mother’s medicinal sherry and Father’s iron fist create a real impression of home life.

For a relatively short book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas packs a powerful punch and poses many questions for adult and younger readers alike. A harrowing and haunting work of fiction, a tense and atmospheric read and a unique perspective on this unforgettable period in history.

“You wear the right outfit and you feel like the person you’re pretending to be.” ( )

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I first discovered this story when I came across the movie by accident while browsing through an online movie streaming channel. I really enjoyed the movie for what it was to me, a fictitious tale of a lonely innocent boy taking place in a tragic historical setting. A few years later I came across the book while perusing a bookshop in Ireland and decided this might be good for my daughter to read in a few years when she is older. Subsequently, I read the book with the movie in the back of my mind and no expectations of historical accuracy, but as a tale of fiction told through the eyes of, or written by, a nine year old. That said, I was quite taken aback by some of the negative reviews here. I get it that the book is full of implausible events and historical inaccuracies, but I don’t expect much more when I read a “fable”. In that regard, I thought the author did a good job, although given the context of the time period and plot, I think it would have been more believable if Bruno was two or three years younger. Granted, the author picked one of the worst instances of man’s cruelty against humanity as the backdrop, but that makes the impact of Bruno’s naiveté even more profound, in my opinion.

If you are looking for a moving story told through the eyes of a child, you might enjoy this book. If you are looking for a factual holocaust story, then read an account from a reputable historian or someone who was there. ( )

Sadly, I only "discovered" John Boyne in 2017 when "The Heart's Invisible Furies" was published. Now I have begun to delve into his back catalog and I just read this wonderful book, which tells a tragic story about the effects of the Nazi regime through the eyes of a child of a high-ranking SS official. I believe it was written as a book for middle school age children, and it has some flaws in the story-telling, in my view (e.g., the main character, Bruno, is nine-years-old, and despite being corrected on more than one occasion, he calls the Fuhrer "the Fury" and Auschwitz "Out-With" and he also comes up with phrases that seem too adult). Children that age might not understand some of the subtleties of the story or its moral lesson. ( )