All Plot. No Emotion

I love reading World War II historical fiction, so I so wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, the storytelling didn't live up to my expectations. I almost stopped halfway through, but decided I should push through so I could give a fair review.

You could tell Susan Meissner had thoroughly researched her topics. I enjoyed learning more about WWII internment camps in the United States. I honestly had no idea that German and Japanese citizens were repatriated back to their respective countries.

Unfortunately, the book didn't make me feel anything. The whole story hinges on Elise and Mariko's friendship, but I didn't really feel like they were undying friends.

The phrase that kept coming to mind was "Show. Don't Tell." The book just told and told and told, but didn't show. The plot just kept rolling on, but none of the events prompted anything more than a cursory reflection.

* I received an advanced review copy of this book for free on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.