Review of The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Rating: ★★★★ 4

Historical fiction is not really my genre, but I read this book for bookclub, and man was I surprised! Very pleasantly surprised. I couldn't put it down, I literally read it in one day.

It was a very easy read and flowed well 'till the end.

This book made me think about how fortunate most of us really are. We don't always realize it, because we all look at the world from our own perspective. And perspectives are formed through life experience, age, opinions, relationships and all manner of different things. 
This tale makes you realize how strong the human will is. And how strong the emotion, love, is. The two main characters fell in love in the most inhospitable of circumstances.
So yes, it is not just a historical fiction, but strip away all the background, who they are, where they are, why everything is happening, and what you get is a love story.A beautiful love story, great for any romantic.

I was a bit disappointed at the lack of detail, though. Detail about what really happened in the camp. The gruesome, ugly truth. I am one who likes the ugly details and the dark side of things.
I did only read the YA Edition, so maybe that is the reason. After I've read the adult edition, I'll let you know.

I also would love to read a book from the other point of view. Maybe from the viewpoint of a Nazi soldier guarding the prisoners. 

I would recommend this book to YA and adult alike. 

Full review of Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

★★★ 2.5 - 3


"FIND THE ROAD. FIND THE GATES. FIND THE GIRL."

Briar Glen has it's own ghost story. Lucy Gallows went down a disappearing road in the woods during the 1950's, never to be found again, dead or alive.
This mysterious road appears every year, with a game attached to it. And like every game, it too has rules.

Becca is missing and Sara, her sister, thinks she went down that road a year ago to play the game. This year she is going to find the road and get her sister back.

So, my thoughts:

It begins with enough mystery that it made me want to read on, thinking this would be a great read, with this story line.
There are good character building, relationships and myths in the beginning. But, as soon as you get to the ghost story part, it slows down significantly. The characters stagnate. Only Sara, the main character, grows throughout the book. The rest is like background noise.
I had to force myself to read on to the end, because it did not bind me. It got a bit boring. And that, for a ghost story, is not good. It should keep you at the edge of your seat and even scare you, it was not scary at all. So those of you trying out some horrors/ghost stories, but are a bit apprehensive? You should try this one. It's a good intro to this genre for teenagers too. It is mild enough.

Then the ending seemed all over the place. Not really ending per se.

I would recommend this book for teens aged 15-18.
I, unfortunately, was a bit disappointed.