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To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff at Costco with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.)

In the alternate world of Ryan Graudin's newest novel, Wolf By Wolf, Adolf Hitler remains in power. The year is 1956 and the reclusive Führer rules Europe and half of Asia.  Despite nonagression pacts with other nations, he's eyeing the rest of the continents, discontent until the entire globe belongs to him.  For now, though, Hitler is celebrating.  The Axis Tour is an annual motorcycle race across Europe and Asia, an event that pits teens from Hitler Youth and the Great Japan Sincerity Association against each other in a televised spectacular that applauds the joint victories belonging to Hitler and the emperor of Imperial Japan.  The prize?  A meet-and-greet with the Führer himself.

Yael has one goal: kill Adolf Hitler.  The 17-year-old Jew blames the leader for the extermination of not just her family, but also her people.  A victim of death camp science experiments, she has evolved into a skinshifter.  Thanks to Nazi innovation, Yael can change at will almost everything about herself—height, weight, eye color, the timbre of her voice, etc.  With the blessing of the Resistance, she will use this power to impersonate the Tour's only female winner—Adele Wolfe.  She will use her comely disguise to win the race, lure an unguarded Hitler onto the dance floor, and kill the man who stole everything from her.  Failure is not an option.

As Yael begins the 20,780 kilometer race, which will take her from her home in Germania (formerly Berlin, the city is now the capital of the Third Reich) to the glittering metropolis of Tokyo, she begins to understand just how dangerous her mission really is.  Not only must she stay in character as Adele Wolfe at all times, but she must fend off the attention of her competitors (one of whom is Adele's twin brother), and survive the underhanded dealings of the other riders.  If Yael manages to emerge victorious, she still has to find the strength to murder the most powerful man in the world—and get away with the crime.  Does she truly have the cold-blooded conviction to do such a thing?  Will she even get a chance?  It all depends on a Jewish death camp survivor-in-disguise winning a grueling and vicious race ... does Yael have what it takes to fulfill the most daring mission in history?

I loved Ryan Graudin's last novel, The Walled City, for of its vivid setting, heart-pounding plot, and sympathetic characters.  This one, however, wasn't nearly as compelling.  Yael is most certainly sympathetic, but for some reason, I just didn't feel much connection with her.  Most of Wolf By Wolf's cast, in fact, seems underdeveloped to me.  I wanted more complexity from them, more depth.  Plot-wise, the novel is interesting and exciting.  Not thrilling enough for me to read in one sitting (which is how I devoured The Walled City), but still engrossing.  Overall, I liked Wolf By Wolf, didn't love it.  I don't know if I'll bother with the sequel (Blood for Blood comes out November 1, 2016) or not.  We'll see.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

As a loyal member of the National Socialist Party and a pure-blooded German, Gretchen Müller knows to stay away from Jews.  They're dirty, sneaky, subhuman—so insists her Uncle Dolf.  Without a father to look to for advice, the 17-year-old must put her trust in the man he died to protect.  Adolf Hitler dotes on Gretchen, his favorite "niece," the daughter of Germany's famed martyr—in return, the 17-year-old owes him her respect and absolute obedience.  Gretchen knows her beloved "uncle" would never steer her wrong, but when a handsome Jewish reporter comes to her with accusations against him, she begins to wonder.  Did her father really die the hero's death for which he's been lauded, or did something much more sinister lead to his demise?  Can she trust Daniel Cohen, who's both a stranger and a Jew?  Especially over the word of Adolf Hitler, the most powerful man in Munich, maybe even all of Germany?

Against all reason, Gretchen finds herself falling for Daniel.  And believing the things he's telling her.  The more she searches for the truth behind her father's death, the more Gretchen questions what her Uncle Dolf has told her—not just about the martyrdom, but also about the Jews.  Fraternizing with Daniel is dangerous enough, but harboring traitorous thoughts against Adolf Hitler?  That could get her killed.  One wrong move and Gretchen's sadistic older brother will turn her in.  In an increasingly tumultuous time, she can't risk losing her uncle's approval.  But, what if Hitler's been lying to her all along?  What then?  Torn between loyalty to her protector and a growing dissatisfaction with his teachings, Gretchen must decide what—and who—she believes.  Even if it means putting herself and everyone she loves in grave danger.

Prisoner of Night and Fog, a debut novel by Anne Blankman, brings the fear and uncertainty of 1930s Munich to vivid life.  With tight prose, an engaging heroine, and a tense, compelling plot, it's a fast-paced page turner that will appeal to anyone who loves historical fiction.  Sure, there are some holes in the story, but overall, I enjoyed it.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of Pam Jenoff's adult novels about WWII, The Kommandant's Girl and The Diplomat's Wife)

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I've never understood why other December babies complain about celebrating a birthday at Christmastime.  I never have because I love this time of year.  Having been born a few days before Christmas, a time when, all over the world, people are focusing on joy and love, only makes turning another year older more special.  Plus, I arrived on my dad's birthday, in the middle of a swirling snowstorm, without the help of the doctor (whose car couldn't make it up the steep hill to the hospital)—it all makes for a pretty good story, if I do say so myself!

The book, which is geared toward mature middle graders, gives the reader a good overview of WWII in Germany. It discusses the disappointments that led the German people to Hitler and thus to war - the country's humiliation after losing WWI; bitterness and great debt resulting from the Treaty of Versailles; widespread poverty; and growing unemployment. The people needed hope. It came in the form of Adolf Hitler, a charismatic man who promised change. Though some of his ideas were dangerous - defying the Treaty of Versailles, for example - they seemed to be the exact kind of radical thinking the country needed to rise again. No one could have foreseen how his extremism would lead directly to one of the greatest horrors in human history - the Holocaust. The book follows Hitler's rise to power, as he takes control of every school, church and household, then thrusts them all into another world war. It covers the horror of Jewish ghettos, concentration camps and the mass murders of anyone Hitler deemed unfit to live. It talks about the Allies' entrance into the war, liberation, and, finally, the fates of Hitler, SS men and others responsible for unspeakable crimes against humanity.
Bartoletti's focus is, of course, on the children. Hitler recognized the power of Germany's youth. He saw what a force they could be. So, he set about molding them into loyal servants. Not only did he re-write their textbooks, fire teachers who encouraged independent thinking, and do away with most youth groups, but he also persuaded them to join his own pro-Nazi club. Using snappy uniforms, bold flags, shiny badges, and the promise of adventure as bait, he lured boys and girls into becoming members of the Hitler Youth. Once there, the kids were plied with propaganda. They learned to become "good" Nazis, loyal to and supportive of The Fuhrer. As such, they were required to turn in anyone who made derogatory remarks about the Nazis, including their teachers, priests, friends and parents. The kids also performed hard labor, marched and drilled for hours, learned First Aid, and received weapons training. Above all, Hitler taught "unity" or the sacrifice of individual expression in favor of collective thinking. The stringent rules and demanding physical requirements became too much for some, but many stuck with it, happy to be part of the group.
By December 1, 1936, membership in the Hitler Youth became mandatory. Non-compliance meant fines, jail time, loss of job opportunities, even death. His demands were harsh, but Hitler had a purpose, of course: "A violently active, dominating, intrepid, brutal youth - that is what I am after. Youth must be indifferent to pain. There must be no weakness and tenderness in it" (43). For the most part, he succeeded in grooming his young army to become efficient killers, willing to die for their leader. The children knew they were fighting against the Allies, but most had no idea their revered Fuhrer was murdering millions of Jews. That grisly discovery led some, like the brave Scholl siblings, to take action against the Nazis. Others refused to believe, continuing to battle with blind allegiance.
In the end, although they caused numerous deaths, no members of Hitler Youth were tried at Nuremberg. The international court recognized that the children had been cruelly used by a power-hungry madman. Some were punished in civilian courts, made to pay fees, serve jail time, view gruesome films of corpse-strewn concentration camps, and rebuild what they helped destroy. Interviews of former Hitler Youth conducted by Bartoletti and excerpted in the book, reveal just how horrifying the situation was for the children involved.
No one can judge which victims suffered the most. We can only agree that one man's greed, hate and violent extremism brought about the physical and emotional murders of millions of people. Hitler didn't act alone, of course, but he, above all else, deserves to burn in Hell for what he did, not only to his "enemies" but also to the youth who served him with childlike devotion. With all the power he held over them, Hitler could easily have influenced Germany's children to do good. But, no, he led them away with the evilest of intentions. Hitler Youth shows numerous angel-faced children, arms raised in salute to the devil in brown - it's unbelievably chilling. Reading their stories makes my heart ache for the great loss of innocence, the marring of purity, the depraved indifference of adults toward the most vulnerable of German citizen.
The book never glosses over atrocities committed during the war, but it doesn't go into graphic detail either. Because it's meant for children, Hitler Youth dispenses information in an honest, readable format that allows readers to draw conclusions for themselves. While I don't think any book about Hitler and the Holocaust can be called "clean," I do feel this one is appropriate for older middle grade readers. It contains no profanity, really graphic violence or sexual content. While its subject is disturbing, the book does something very powerful for modern youth - not only does it teach them about what happened, but it also teaches them to question, to think and to never allow themselves to be coaxed down dangerous paths. Children are the future - only through knowledge of the past can they make sure it's a good one.
Grade: A
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for violence and mature themes
To the FTC, with love: I got this one for free - at the library.