This is a YA book so it went very quickly. It was a quite touching book and knowing the context that it takes place in, you just wait for something really bad to happen. I'd recommend it. ( )

The best part about this book is that it offers a unique narrative perspective on World War II and the holocaust -- that of a nine-year-old boy whose father is a high-ranking Nazi official. Because of the nine-year-old's naive questions, the reader is left constantly wondering "How folks are possibly gonna explain this one." The point of view drives home the senselessness of the holocaust, while his friendship with a Jewish boy in a concentration camp drives home the "sameness" of those on both sides of the fence. Since many of the questions are not adequately answered, and because those pieces which the boy doesn't understand or doesn't want to remember are eliminated from the narrative entirely, it wouldn't serve as a good introduction for kids/teens to the holocaust, unless the reader could read between the lines well enough to glean information for further research.

I felt the occasional head-hopping interfered with the integrity of the child's point of view, especially since the reader wasn't even given the benefit of the "real" names of things, but only the child's understanding of them. I also got hung up on the central premise -- a friendship "across the fence" of a concentration camp, as I wondered whether the fence would have been unguarded enough, and the soldiers indifferent enough, to allow the friendship to happen and to continue for an entire year. The ending is depressing, but it certainly makes its point.

Overall, it was a worthwhile read, but for me, it didn't live up to the hype. ( )

Story of naive German boy who befriends a jew in concentration camp and their adventure. For ages 10 and up. ( )

A terrible book. It is Poorly written and impossible to believe. It also perpetuates many Holocaust myths. It seems to be written by a young adult, not for them.
Starting with the unbelievable. We are expected to believe a nine year old that grew up in Nazi Germany does not know who Hitler is and can’t pronounce Furher. Also he has never heard of Jews and does not even know what to call himself when he finds out about Jews. And this is not just any boy, this is the son of the Commandant of Auswitch, (but of course they never call it that it like many things is given a cute name because Bruno, the innocent, can’t pronounce it) who has a Nazi tutor that foucuses on history. But even Bruno’s teen sister can’t answer the question, “If they are Jews what are we?” Really? In an SS house with a teacher that only teaches history “German” or “Aryan” never came up? Even at nine Bruno does not recognize the people on the other side of the fence are being mistreated. Yeah, yeah, we get it is for kids, it is symbolic, blh, blah. That is no excuse for the lack of historical accuracy and phony characters.
The myths it perpetuates are worse. It is one thing to be an obvious, predictable, contrived story, but spreading common misconceptions about history is worse. Here is a list of some things.
1. That the Holocaust was some type of big secret. Boyne references Hitler’s Willing Executioners in the interview in the paperback version, but it appears he missed that part of the book. Bruno recalls in great detail his old neighborhood in Berlin but some people must have surely disappeared. He should have seen a Star of David before getting to Auswitch and probably a Star Armband too. German kids did Math problems about removing unwanted people from society, etc. Germany knew, all of Germany knew. It was a convenient Cold War myth, and it makes people sleep better, but the jews were not killed in secret by a few fanatics.
2. Bruno’s father says he has to take the assignment to the death camp or be hurt or punished. Hogwash. Many Germans refused to participate and some were promoted for their strong moral standing. There is not a single documented case of anyone being killed for refusing to hurt Jews.
3. The book spreads the misandry that war and violence are purely male. All of the women in the book are shocked and against the Holocaust, but shuffle sadly, out of the way as the bad evil men do their work. Even Eva Braun is portrayed in a positive way. Poor Eva such a victim! Some of the most brutal camp guards were the SS women, but in the book the children are lead by male soldiers. In the real camps women were in charge of the gassing of children.

Avoid this book. There are much better things to read to find out about. Or teach young people about the Holocaust. Young people can read Eva Brewster’s Progeny of Light. Much better, and true. ( )

Bruno is a little boy in the tradition of little boys: hates his big sister, looks up to his dad, loves exploring and reading adventure stories, all combed hair and shorts. Bruno's father, unlike others in the tradition of little boys, is a Commandant under Hitler. When Bruno and his family are taken away from their lovely home in Berlin to a grim new house, his life is turned upside down. There is no one to talk to and no one to play with, there are unpleasant soldiers hanging around the house at all hours of the day, and right outside Bruno's bedroom window is a huge wire fence, stretching as far as the eye can see. On the other side hundreds of men and boys live in huts, being told what to do by the soldiers, all wearing grey striped pyjamas and little cloth hats. Who are they, and why does no one like to talk about them? Exploring the fence boundaries one day, he comes across a little boy sitting on the other side of the fence, and he and Schmuel strike up a strange but devoted friendship that changes both their lives.

One thing I would say is that although this is marketed as a young adult novel, I certainly wouldn't place it in that category. It is written in a childish style, but the themes and the undercurrents are decidedly adult. Like 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time', much of the heartbreaking sadness of this novel comes from the fact that the reader has a much greater awareness than the main character of what is really happening around him. Bruno calls his home 'Out-With' and Hitler 'The Fury' because he can't pronounce them properly, and he assumes that the salute 'Heil Hitler' means 'Well, goodbye for now, have a pleasant afternoon.' His struggle to understand what the reader already knows is devastating to read, and the inevitable tragedy of the novel is even worse than I had expected. (Not really a spoiler - it was hardly going to be a happy sending, set in Auschwitz, after all...). I was sat in bed at 1.30am sobbing and had to get up to compose myself before I could sleep! I wouldn't recommend it to a child under, say, 14 or 15.

There was a long section of the novel at the beginning where Bruno is a tad irritating in his complete naivety, and Schmuel doesn't actually appear for a long time, but ultimately I thought it was a brilliant book. There may have been inaccuracies, there may be things that just wouldn't have happened, but it was still a brutal reminder of the capacity for human cruelty and the horror of one of the worst atrocities in our history. Bruno's sister's change in attitude from uncomprehending to profoundly anti-Semitic also clearly demonstrated the way children's natural innocence can be so easily corrupted by the views of the adults around them.

Highly recommended... ( )