ARC Review: Rose Under Fire

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
5/5 stars
Hyperion, 2013
360 pages
YA Historical
Scheduled to release September 10

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I adored Code Name Verity, which became my favorite read of 2012. I encouarged others to read it and of course they loved it. Thus I was thrilled to discover that Wein had written a companion novel of sorts, again set during World War II but focusing on new characters. However I tried to temper my expectations because Code Name Verity was so amazing, how could anything else live up to that?

Well, this book didn't quite match my experience with CNV being a rather different tale though there are several superficial similarities. For example, both are set during WWII, focusing on young women pilots. There are even a few overlapping characters that led me to suggest you should definitely read CNV first. Both are told in journal/letters tracing an intense experience of confronting villainy up close. And both are based on real plausibilities even if not every event is exactly true.

But whereas CNV had a killer twist about halfway through that left me dying to reread the book, I don't think I could ever read Rose Under Fire again. It was such an intense read covering Rose's experience at Ravensbrück, a German concentration camp; the story of the "Rabbits", young Polish women who were experimented on by Nazis; and a peek into the Nuremberg trials with their intricate examination of how to assign blame and punishment in an attempt to get justice. I mean, I'm drained just thinking back on this book and I am a bit more nervous about recommending it, just trying to make sure the reader is careful when s/he embarks on the journey because it will wring you out.

I don't want to go to in depth about plot but there are some general themes I'd love to touch on briefly. Memory is one of the main themes explored.  One of the things about genocide is that we don't really know how many people were killed. How many people were taken from their everyday life and just killed as if that life meant nothing, as if they didn't have parents, siblings, lovers, friends, coworkers, etc. who wondered where they were and will never have an answer. Maybe the person did manage to survive but chose not to return to her original home and you will never know. Or, more probably, the person did die and the date and cause of death won't ever be known by loved ones but they will instead live forever hoping against hope that the person somehow did escape the horror. It's just heartbreaking to me especially thinking of today's current events-why can't we learn? So many lives just thrown away. I'm going to move on before I'm emotionally destroyed AGAIN.

A second element is friendship and bonding in the most horrific circumstances. Rose is taken in by the Rabbits basically without question and they share their meager resources with her just as she does what she can for them. It gave me such hope that people could still care about each other even when in situations designed to completely dehumanize them. They sacrifice so much for each other and dare too to get their names and their stories out there so the world will know. I'm not trying to go back to the memory part but I'm thinking about how every generation gets more and more removed from the Holocaust and WWII-will our children understand what happened? Or will it be something they see as happening just in the old days? Something abstract, kind of like my view of the Black Plague so many centuries ago?

I think my review kind of went off the rails...I really don't know what to say and am trying not to ramble. So for you I have included links for a few reviews below and I strongly urge you to consider giving this book a read, even if you don't tend to read historical fiction. Even if you don't usually read YA. Just give this a shot and then come talk it out with me.

Other Opinions:
A Reader of Fictions
Bananas for Books
Blood, Sweat and Books
Feminist Fiction 
Good Books and Good Wine
The Overflowing Library

The Winter Prince

The Winter Prince by Elizabeth Wein
2/5 stars
Open Road Media Young Readers, 2013
Originally published 1993
292 pages
YA Historical

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

After adoring Wein's Code Name Verity (my favorite 2012 release and still highly recommended), I was thrilled to see this older release from her. My excitement only grew after reading Liviania from In Bed With Books' enthusiastic review!

Unfortunately I ended up strongly disliking this book, I think largely because of my expectations. The Arthurian legends I am most familiar with are ones involving Merlin or are light like Disney's The Sword in the Stone. They are not dark with unfamiliar names, disorienting passages of time, and a confusing narration. With character names like Artos, Ginevra, and Medraut (I was expecting Arthur, Guinevere, and Mordred), I think this book harkens deep to tradition but it wasn't what I wanted. And the novel is written as a letter from Medraut to his godmother Morgause with frequent use of "you" that kept making me think he meant me even though that made no sense.

Most of the book is about Medraut's jealousy and anger of and toward his half-brother Lleu who is a legitimate son of Artos and heir to the throne. Medraut's hatred has been nursed by Morgause and leads him to take a dark path in regards to his relationship with Lleu. Though I can understand how Medraut would have those feelings, I didn't always follow why he took the actions he did and when I was able to follow, I often found them despicable. Basically every character is pretty awful and while I don't expect characters to be perfect, I want to be able to like at least one of the important ones and that didn't happen here.

Overall: I just could not connect with the writing or characters here; it was a slog to complete and I will definitely not be finishing this, instead preferring to focus on Rose Under Fire, which will hopefully completely enthrall me.

Other Opinions:
In Bed with Books
Susan Hated Literature
The Book Geek

Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
5/5 stars
Hyperion, 2012
333 pages
YA Historical

Source: Received an e-copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so scared to pick this book up! Although it has received near unanimous praise, I've been really picky lately and have found myself disappointed with books that the blogosphere has raved about. Happily that was not the case for this book as I absolutely loved it!

Like other reviewers, I will not share too much about the plot. This initially frustrated me when I was deciding whether or not to read it but I was very glad for their closed lips. You do not want anything spoiled for you. I do few comfortable sharing a few things though.

First the book is divided into halves. Although I have not bought my own copy yet, I am planning to because the second half illuminates the first half in a most kick-ass way. Upon finishing, all I wanted to do was go back and reread the whole thing again (couldn't because I needed to get up early the next day but very much wanted to). Thus I highly recommend buying your own copy so that you can do that.

Second the book is set during World War II from the Allied side-primarily Scottish, English, and French people make up the cast. It's mostly young women who are our focus, which is very exciting. I love getting to read about women doing what was traditionally considered men's work and, as Wein shares in her author's note, the things they do, while not common, are plausible.

Lastly I found this book incredibly affecting and powerful. I was still thinking about it a day later and managed to make myself cry a second and third time (that third time is just now as I write this review-it is highly possible that I will cry again thinking about this book as the days go back).

So that's about all I feel safe sharing. Is there anything stopping you from checking this book out? Please let me know and I will do my best to convince you otherwise as this has probably been my favorite read of the year so far and will definitely be a contender for best read overall of 2012.