Monica Hesse

Interesting in theory but poorly executed

A historical mystery with an unreliable narrator, this post-war page-turner is set primarily in a displaced persons camp. It tells the story of Zofia, desperately searching for her little brother Abek...and the possibility of a life after trauma. (Sydney Taylor Young Adult Honor Book)

Amsterdam, 1943. La joven Hanneke se dedica a comprar y vender todo lo que encuentra en el mercado negro, a escondidas de sus padres. Es su manera de rebelarse ante la ocupación alemana y sobrellevar la pérdida de su novio en el frente. Pero su vida da un giro cuando una de sus clientas le hace un encargo inusitado: que localice a una chica judía que mantenía oculta y que ha desaparecido sin dejar rastro.

Tiene que dar con ella antes de que la encuentren los nazis.

I think I would really give his book a 3.5 rating - I had hyped it up a lot in my mind and it didn't end up blowing me away, but the images and characters from it will stick with me. It felt like the idea of the story was a gem, but the fleshing out of the novel could have used more time to really do it justice.