goatsrsexy's Reviews (604)

3.5 stars. This was interesting. It's not normally my type of book but the reviews swayed me, I wanted to see what the secret was and I'll be honest, I didn't see it coming. It shook me, imagining being in her shoes. I'm not sure it was worth it for me though, the book was well written and entertaining but not quite compelling enough for me who usually prefers other genres.

"How would you like to go back in time? Most of us would say yes at once if we were given the chance. You have imagination and an enquiring mind. Let me send you back."

This was a favourite of mine growing up, and 15 years later it's just as good but hits me harder. Telling the story of homechildren from the perspective of a Canadian child makes it easier for a young mind to bear, but this book won't shield you from the atrocities children faced during this time.

Reading the way Victoria's perspective and way of looking at the world and the people in her life changed over time was a treat. I watched her go from an ignorant child, to a strong ally, to a heroine in her own right.

It wasn't all happy endings, but it was real and it was hopeful. It left me thinking about the world the very same way it did all those years ago when I used to read these books. I'd recommend this to kids and adults and anyone who wants to experience a little bit of Canadian history.

3.5 stars

I went back and forth on this one. In some places it felt a little bit too educational and almost read like an instruction manual on how to be Jewish, but on the other hand I am Jewish, so I appreciated having the details added into the story to truly give the reader an idea of Hanna and her family's culture.

I think this book will be very impactful on young readers, moreso than the books I read about the subject when I was a child. I worry the book might be too slow for young readers, but nevertheless, it was a touching and well researched book.

I routed for Hanna and felt sorrow for her and everyone else affected by the terrible things that happened in our history.

A satisfying ending to an addicting YA series

This was a hard one to rate, parts were slow and hard to come back to and parts had me turning pages. I really liked the way the book document sarats life while also basically telling us how it ended at the very beginning. Knowing how things came out in the end just made it more sad watching Sarat go from a naive child to a hardened and angry woman. A lot of people say they didn't feel sympathy for her, I'm not sure we were meant to.. but I did. Growing up in that kind of life with so much trauma changes you, I know this firsthand, and while I would never use someone's past as an excuse for their actions, it certainly offers an explanation. The ending for me was actually what brought me around, believe it or not. I felt that for her, in her mind, she did the right thing. As right as she could. The last paragraph of the book will stay with me for a long time, it was a very moving way to end Sarats story.

A quick and heart wrenching read. I really enjoyed this and found it quite original but I feel it was cut too short