About the author:

ellieerose_ is a Watty award-winning writer who enjoys bubble tea, traveling (especially to Germany), historical fiction books, violin, and swing dancing. Her motivation is: "I write to inspire."

Title:

The title is great and fits the story well. I don't have much to say with this one. ^_^ 

Cover:

I personally feel that this cover is too bland and that this story deserves better. It's not very eye-catching and the text doesn't stand out very well. 

Blurb:

Again, this would make a great synopsis for this book. For a blurb, I feel it should be more condensed to really have the right impact. 

The Good: 

This book is written in a style very much like Marcus Zuzak's The Book Thief. I think Death is the narrator in a similar way, and a lot of similar themes were present in this story. That said, there were a lot of differences, most of which were good. 

Though we never were shown an in-depth view to the characters themselves, they were portrayed in a very clear way. I found myself caught up in their emotions and fears despite the fact that they were always shown at a distance. The showcasing of Germany beneath Hitler's regime was also well-portrayed by being realistic without necessarily getting into gritty detail. The book itself is written in a more child-like and simplistic manner while dealing with very difficult and mature topics. So, as someone who could by no means pull that off, well done. 

The Bad:

My main issue is the plot. There's a lot of jumping in places, which may be due to narration. However, I feel like this story could be better if the plot was more clear. For instance, when Max meets Rosaline and then Else finding him again was confusing and I wasn't quite sure what and when everything was taking place. Clarity on this would definitely make this book a lot stronger. 

What the Reader Thought:

You should know by now that I'm a sucker for anything Ellie writes. Even her earliest writing is nice to read because the thematic elements are still there, even if the writing itself is young and not as strong yet. This story was no exception. 

The story was beautiful and it was broken. While it was true to history, there were several parts that broke my heart. I can't say what, because spoilers, but in true Ellie fashion, this book is emotional and tragic. I loved the little lines here and there that had so much power in them, so much truth, that they take your breath away. Me reading this book was a mixture of crying and gasping on the inside.

So, if you enjoy WWII, The Book Thief, and stories with broken characters and the beauty of healing art, go check this one out. ^_^ And bring tissues. 

Score: 8/10