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Gentlehands
Buddy Boyle lives year-round with his family in unfashionable Seaville, New York, in a cramped little house on the bay. Skye Pennington spends the summers nearby on lavish estate complete with ocean view and a butler named Peacock. But Skye and Buddy fall in love anyway. And every once in a while they visit Buddy's estranged grandfather, who makes them forget they're from opposite sides of town. Then a reporter appears, searching for a man known as Gentlehands, a man with a horrifying past. Who is Gentlehands? And what is his connection to Buddy's handsome, aristocratic grandfather? The mystery threatens to shatter Buddy and Skye's relationship, and change their lives forever.
208 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1978
25 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
M.E. Kerr
46 books58 followersM. E. Kerr was born Marijane Meaker in Auburn, New York. Her interest in writing began with her father, who loved to read, and her mother, who loved to tell stories of neighborhood gossip. Unable to find an agent to represent her work, Meaker became her own agent, and wrote articles and books under a series of pseudonyms: Vin Packer, Ann Aldrich, Laura Winston, M.E. Kerr, and Mary James. As M.E. Kerr, Meaker has produced over twenty novels for young adults and won multiple awards, including the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her lifetime contribution to young adult literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
March 14, 2009
Gentlehands would have been so much better if it was actually about Gentlehands, and not about Buddy. Buddy was boring. Skye got on my nerves. Everything annoyed me. And they had this whole, "HOLY SHIT!" thing going and then just basically ruined. The ending unfolded in like, five minutes. It pisses me offffff. I want the book, over again, from a different perspective. In fact, get rid of Buddy & Skye all together. They're boring and nobody cares. I want to hear about grandpa & the Italian cousin.
Oh, and the raccoon. We'll briefly discuss him.
Oh, and the raccoon. We'll briefly discuss him.
June 17, 2023
Update, 9/24/22:
Who is the villain of this story? Hint: It ain't the Nazi. Oh, make no mistake, he's definitely the villain in a different story, parts of which are shared here, but he's not the villain in this one. No, the villains are Buddy's parents along with bigotry, ignorance, hypocritical snootiness, and the like. Buddy's a bit of a shit, but I understand his frustrations. Hell, if I were in his shoes, his parents would be dead to me by the end of the book, especially the dad... Well, that's easy for me to say. Being 16 years old he doesn't have a lot of options, but still, I think once I graduated from high school and moved on, that would be the end of my association with them, within reason. I suppose I'd show up for a holiday get-together if I didn't have anything better to do, but they'd be at the bottom of my priority list, and all communication would have to be initiated on their end. "Hi ma, things going good? Well that's nice. Gotta run. Talk to you another time." Then at the end when their youngest son Boy, didn't I just love it when that chicken came home to roost, but of course they were clueless because they were invincibly ignorant.
Looks like a lot of people on here don't care much for this book. I think I understand why. It's not perfect. Some of the characters have annoying traits. Those annoyances don't annoy me but it's easy to understand why they would annoy others. I don't know; this book, even the love story part which turns some people off, just kind of hits me in the feels for some reason. I reckon that makes me a ninny, but whatever.
Side note apropos of nothing: I usually listen to music on low in the background when I read at home, and at this time of year I have Music Choice's "Sounds of the Season" on for Oktoberfest songs. It was kind of neat to be reading about German matters while listening to German music. Just so you're not left out of my fun, here for your listening pleasure is the Beer Barrel Polka (technically a Czech song, but let's not quibble), so roll out the barrel and we'll have a barrel of fun.
Original review, 8/22/13:
I first read this in eighth grade English class, probably around April or May of 1992. About three or four years ago I remembered it and scoped it out online. Being poor it went on my "to get" list on Amazon, and stayed there until last week when I needed to get one more thing to qualify for super saver shipping for some other item, and Gentlehands finally made it to the shopping cart and got checked out. When it got here, I opened it just to read the first page or so to see how I would like it, and I ended up setting The Mayor of Casterbridge aside to read this. The prose is nice and light, even if the subject matter isn't, so it didn't take too long. It is, after all, geared toward teenagers.
I've seen this described as a teen romance, but I don't know if I'd call it that. There are certainly elements of romance in this, but it's so much more than that. There's a kid dealing with his shitheaded family. The issues of class differences, antisemitism, drug use, alcohol, forgiveness (or lack thereof), acceptance (or lack thereof), and many others are explored. I found myself getting really pissed off while reading, and rooting for things to go the main character's way, and being so emotionally invested in the work is a sign of a good story. I found myself torn between a desire to see justice for crimes committed and forgiveness for a character I really liked.
I don't want to have to post a spoiler alert for this because I think everyone should read it. It seems my memories were correct: I did really like it, and I still do. It's not great writing, though I probably say that because I've been immersed in the classics for the past few years and those are tough acts to follow as far as careful sentence crafting is concerned, but this is still a great story. Check it out.
Who is the villain of this story? Hint: It ain't the Nazi. Oh, make no mistake, he's definitely the villain in a different story, parts of which are shared here, but he's not the villain in this one. No, the villains are Buddy's parents along with bigotry, ignorance, hypocritical snootiness, and the like. Buddy's a bit of a shit, but I understand his frustrations. Hell, if I were in his shoes, his parents would be dead to me by the end of the book, especially the dad... Well, that's easy for me to say. Being 16 years old he doesn't have a lot of options, but still, I think once I graduated from high school and moved on, that would be the end of my association with them, within reason. I suppose I'd show up for a holiday get-together if I didn't have anything better to do, but they'd be at the bottom of my priority list, and all communication would have to be initiated on their end. "Hi ma, things going good? Well that's nice. Gotta run. Talk to you another time." Then at the end when their youngest son Boy, didn't I just love it when that chicken came home to roost, but of course they were clueless because they were invincibly ignorant.
Looks like a lot of people on here don't care much for this book. I think I understand why. It's not perfect. Some of the characters have annoying traits. Those annoyances don't annoy me but it's easy to understand why they would annoy others. I don't know; this book, even the love story part which turns some people off, just kind of hits me in the feels for some reason. I reckon that makes me a ninny, but whatever.
Side note apropos of nothing: I usually listen to music on low in the background when I read at home, and at this time of year I have Music Choice's "Sounds of the Season" on for Oktoberfest songs. It was kind of neat to be reading about German matters while listening to German music. Just so you're not left out of my fun, here for your listening pleasure is the Beer Barrel Polka (technically a Czech song, but let's not quibble), so roll out the barrel and we'll have a barrel of fun.
Original review, 8/22/13:
I first read this in eighth grade English class, probably around April or May of 1992. About three or four years ago I remembered it and scoped it out online. Being poor it went on my "to get" list on Amazon, and stayed there until last week when I needed to get one more thing to qualify for super saver shipping for some other item, and Gentlehands finally made it to the shopping cart and got checked out. When it got here, I opened it just to read the first page or so to see how I would like it, and I ended up setting The Mayor of Casterbridge aside to read this. The prose is nice and light, even if the subject matter isn't, so it didn't take too long. It is, after all, geared toward teenagers.
I've seen this described as a teen romance, but I don't know if I'd call it that. There are certainly elements of romance in this, but it's so much more than that. There's a kid dealing with his shitheaded family. The issues of class differences, antisemitism, drug use, alcohol, forgiveness (or lack thereof), acceptance (or lack thereof), and many others are explored. I found myself getting really pissed off while reading, and rooting for things to go the main character's way, and being so emotionally invested in the work is a sign of a good story. I found myself torn between a desire to see justice for crimes committed and forgiveness for a character I really liked.
I don't want to have to post a spoiler alert for this because I think everyone should read it. It seems my memories were correct: I did really like it, and I still do. It's not great writing, though I probably say that because I've been immersed in the classics for the past few years and those are tough acts to follow as far as careful sentence crafting is concerned, but this is still a great story. Check it out.
February 1, 2012
4 stars for thematic elements, 3 for the execution thereof.
Can a person be redeemed of past actions by present good deeds? Are there some events or actions that are simply unforgivable?
The protagonist and we the readers are left to decide that for ourselves.
Can a person be redeemed of past actions by present good deeds? Are there some events or actions that are simply unforgivable?
The protagonist and we the readers are left to decide that for ourselves.
January 24, 2011
This novel begins like a typical teenage love story. “Buddy” William Raymond Boyle is a 16 year old boy from a lower middle class family, living in a small village near Montauk, Long Island, NY, where his father is the local policeman. Buddy works part time in a soda shop for a pot-head named Kick Richards, where he sees Skye Pennington whenever she comes into the shop. Skye is the daughter of an oil mogul, who summers with her family at their beachfront estate. Attracted by Buddy’s good looks and her own root-for-the-underdog nature, Skye agrees to go out with him.
Buddy is completely impressed by the Pennington estate and the lavish, carefree life-style they live. He had to thumb three rides to get the estate for his date with Skye; the Pennington’s have 6 cars in their garage, including a Rolls Royce and a Jensen. But Buddy isn’t the only fish out of water at the Pennington’s. While waiting for Skye to finish getting ready for their date, Buddy meets Nick De Lucca, a short, bald man wearing yellow tinted glasses, a hearing aid that seems always to need adjusting and holding a fake cigarette to help him quit smoking. De Lucca is a journalist and guest of Mrs. Pennington, a collector of underdogs just like her daughter.
To impress Skye, Buddy does the only thing he can think of – visit his maternal grandfather in Montauk, a man Buddy barely knows and who is estranged from his mother. Frank Trenker is a cultured, sophisticated man, one who listens to music, loves animals and lives in an impressive house at the end of a long private driveway. The house is filled with books, paintings and antiques – all things the Skye is completely comfortable with while poor Buddy doesn’t have a clue about any of them. When they arrive, Madam Butterfly is playing on the stereo, one of Skye’s favorites. Skye is completely impressed by Buddy’s grandfather, as he had hoped she would be.
Buddy is blinded by his feelings for Skye and lives for the moment he can call her. When he promises his father that he will take his younger brother swimming, the promise is forgotten the moment Skye asks him to come over to see her. His feelings for her and his disregard of his brother begin to cause a riff between Buddy and his father, and even though Buddy knows he is in trouble, he is unable to do anything about it, other than go running whenever Skye calls.
Sunday comes and Buddy is supposed to take his brother fishing, but lies and promises something special when he comes back from seeing Skye. Once there, he can’t bring himself to leave. That night, as Skye and her friends are sitting around a bonfire on the beachfront part of the Pennington estate, Mr. De Lucca wanders over and joins them. It isn’t long before some anti-Semitic joke is casually made, causing everyone to laugh but De Lucca. This is followed by a girl’s poem about an alcoholic boyfriend she one had. De Lucca then begins to recite a poem he said was written by a 15 year old girl called Gentlehands. It is about an SS guard who plays the aria O dolci mani or gentlehands from the opera Tosca to torment the Italian prisoners and whom they nicknamed Gentlehands. The girl is his murdered cousin. She had been a prisoner in Auschwitz when this man was a guard there. Everyone has assumed that DeLucca was Italian, and are quite surprised when he tells them that he is, in fact, an Italian Jew. Upset, Skye tells Buddy she has to get away.
A few days later, they decide to drive out to visit Buddy’s grandfather again. The music for the evening is La Traviata, another of Skye’s favorites. They are offered a glass of wine, but only Buddy accepts. Skye and Trenker have a long conversation about expensive pipes and he tells her that his pipe is hand-carved block meerschaum imported from Turkey, costing about $8,000. Trenker also tells them about his one love, a woman he had lived with in Cuba and who had died before he could marry her. The two kids are, by now, completely impressed with Trenker. By the end of the evening, Buddy has had too much to drink and has to stay with his grandfather, while Skye drives herself home. Buddy ends up staying there for four days, using his grandfather’s jeep to go to work and visit Skye.
On her third visit to Montauk, Trenker plays the opera Tosca. At the end, she explains to Buddy that they are singing the aria O, dolci mani or O gentle hands, the same thing the SS guard played at Auschwitz Somewhat freaked, she lets slip that De Lucca has been sitting outside Trenker’s house, watching it, but Trenker just shrugs it off. Soon after this night, DeLucca publishes a story in the newspaper accusing Frank Trenker of Montauk of being an SS guard that tortured and killed people in Auschwitz, including his cousin. His proof is irrefutable.
If this story began like a typical teenage love story, it doesn’t end like one. It was, in fact, a very disturbing story. Kerr plays around a lot with the idea of appearance and reality with a good dose of irony and asks the reader to look at their own definitions of what, for them, is a good person. Basing our definition of a good person on those who appear to be refined, knowledgeable and sophisticated and whose possessions reflect this can be very seductive, as they were for Buddy. But what happens when harsh reality comes knocking and it doesn’t fit this picture? That is what Buddy must contend with in this coming of age novel
The story seemed to drag somewhat in the beginning, but that appears to be Kerr’s style. There is a lot of time spent on Buddy’s relationship with his family and with Skye. I felt it was a little too much time. Then, all of a sudden, things really moved. The flat, expository style at the beginning increased to a sharp contrast at the height of the story, only to slip into a sort of flatness again at the end. But that reflects the rhythm of life.- most days just go along and then, boom, an event of some kind breaks the sameness of ours days for a while, then back to going along, hopefully changed and wiser.
I always find that when I read Kerr’s books, I can’t put them down. This was also true of Gentlehands, making it a book I would highly recommend.
This book is recommended for readers age 12 and up.
This book was borrowed from the Hunter College Library.
Gentlehands was honored with the following well deserved awards
1966-1992 ALA Best of the Best Books
1978 ALA Notable Children’s Books
1978 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
1978 School Library Journal Best Children’s Books
1978 Christopher Award winner
1978 NYT Best Children’s Books
1993 cited for Margaret A. Edwards Award
Buddy is completely impressed by the Pennington estate and the lavish, carefree life-style they live. He had to thumb three rides to get the estate for his date with Skye; the Pennington’s have 6 cars in their garage, including a Rolls Royce and a Jensen. But Buddy isn’t the only fish out of water at the Pennington’s. While waiting for Skye to finish getting ready for their date, Buddy meets Nick De Lucca, a short, bald man wearing yellow tinted glasses, a hearing aid that seems always to need adjusting and holding a fake cigarette to help him quit smoking. De Lucca is a journalist and guest of Mrs. Pennington, a collector of underdogs just like her daughter.
To impress Skye, Buddy does the only thing he can think of – visit his maternal grandfather in Montauk, a man Buddy barely knows and who is estranged from his mother. Frank Trenker is a cultured, sophisticated man, one who listens to music, loves animals and lives in an impressive house at the end of a long private driveway. The house is filled with books, paintings and antiques – all things the Skye is completely comfortable with while poor Buddy doesn’t have a clue about any of them. When they arrive, Madam Butterfly is playing on the stereo, one of Skye’s favorites. Skye is completely impressed by Buddy’s grandfather, as he had hoped she would be.
Buddy is blinded by his feelings for Skye and lives for the moment he can call her. When he promises his father that he will take his younger brother swimming, the promise is forgotten the moment Skye asks him to come over to see her. His feelings for her and his disregard of his brother begin to cause a riff between Buddy and his father, and even though Buddy knows he is in trouble, he is unable to do anything about it, other than go running whenever Skye calls.
Sunday comes and Buddy is supposed to take his brother fishing, but lies and promises something special when he comes back from seeing Skye. Once there, he can’t bring himself to leave. That night, as Skye and her friends are sitting around a bonfire on the beachfront part of the Pennington estate, Mr. De Lucca wanders over and joins them. It isn’t long before some anti-Semitic joke is casually made, causing everyone to laugh but De Lucca. This is followed by a girl’s poem about an alcoholic boyfriend she one had. De Lucca then begins to recite a poem he said was written by a 15 year old girl called Gentlehands. It is about an SS guard who plays the aria O dolci mani or gentlehands from the opera Tosca to torment the Italian prisoners and whom they nicknamed Gentlehands. The girl is his murdered cousin. She had been a prisoner in Auschwitz when this man was a guard there. Everyone has assumed that DeLucca was Italian, and are quite surprised when he tells them that he is, in fact, an Italian Jew. Upset, Skye tells Buddy she has to get away.
A few days later, they decide to drive out to visit Buddy’s grandfather again. The music for the evening is La Traviata, another of Skye’s favorites. They are offered a glass of wine, but only Buddy accepts. Skye and Trenker have a long conversation about expensive pipes and he tells her that his pipe is hand-carved block meerschaum imported from Turkey, costing about $8,000. Trenker also tells them about his one love, a woman he had lived with in Cuba and who had died before he could marry her. The two kids are, by now, completely impressed with Trenker. By the end of the evening, Buddy has had too much to drink and has to stay with his grandfather, while Skye drives herself home. Buddy ends up staying there for four days, using his grandfather’s jeep to go to work and visit Skye.
On her third visit to Montauk, Trenker plays the opera Tosca. At the end, she explains to Buddy that they are singing the aria O, dolci mani or O gentle hands, the same thing the SS guard played at Auschwitz Somewhat freaked, she lets slip that De Lucca has been sitting outside Trenker’s house, watching it, but Trenker just shrugs it off. Soon after this night, DeLucca publishes a story in the newspaper accusing Frank Trenker of Montauk of being an SS guard that tortured and killed people in Auschwitz, including his cousin. His proof is irrefutable.
If this story began like a typical teenage love story, it doesn’t end like one. It was, in fact, a very disturbing story. Kerr plays around a lot with the idea of appearance and reality with a good dose of irony and asks the reader to look at their own definitions of what, for them, is a good person. Basing our definition of a good person on those who appear to be refined, knowledgeable and sophisticated and whose possessions reflect this can be very seductive, as they were for Buddy. But what happens when harsh reality comes knocking and it doesn’t fit this picture? That is what Buddy must contend with in this coming of age novel
The story seemed to drag somewhat in the beginning, but that appears to be Kerr’s style. There is a lot of time spent on Buddy’s relationship with his family and with Skye. I felt it was a little too much time. Then, all of a sudden, things really moved. The flat, expository style at the beginning increased to a sharp contrast at the height of the story, only to slip into a sort of flatness again at the end. But that reflects the rhythm of life.- most days just go along and then, boom, an event of some kind breaks the sameness of ours days for a while, then back to going along, hopefully changed and wiser.
I always find that when I read Kerr’s books, I can’t put them down. This was also true of Gentlehands, making it a book I would highly recommend.
This book is recommended for readers age 12 and up.
This book was borrowed from the Hunter College Library.
Gentlehands was honored with the following well deserved awards
1966-1992 ALA Best of the Best Books
1978 ALA Notable Children’s Books
1978 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
1978 School Library Journal Best Children’s Books
1978 Christopher Award winner
1978 NYT Best Children’s Books
1993 cited for Margaret A. Edwards Award
July 6, 2011
Oh, boy. The thing I find truly useful about this book is its exploration of the heavy themes of the Holocaust without being a "Holocaust book." Written at a time (1978) when one's grandfather could have been a Nazi strongman in a concentration camp, the story doesn't center on the terrible things Buddy's grandfather might have done -- instead, the focus is on Buddy, trying to find his way as a blue-collared "townie" in love with a super-rich girl outside of Montauk, New York.
Without spoiling, I'll ask -- Can humans change? Is redemption possible? Are there crimes so godawfully heinous that they cannot be forgiven?
This book shows its age only because tape decks, polyester, and Barbra Streisand are no longer de rigeur -- otherwise, the eternal themes of love, loss, and betrayal are poignantly rendered in this early offering from a master of teen literature.
Without spoiling, I'll ask -- Can humans change? Is redemption possible? Are there crimes so godawfully heinous that they cannot be forgiven?
This book shows its age only because tape decks, polyester, and Barbra Streisand are no longer de rigeur -- otherwise, the eternal themes of love, loss, and betrayal are poignantly rendered in this early offering from a master of teen literature.
November 26, 2008
Hate, hate, hate this book. Very predictable plot; flat characters; cheesy.
May 23, 2017
Classic poor boy/rich girl love story (not a romance) meets coming of age tale, with an undercurrent of history. In 1970s Long Island, blue collar Buddy falls in love with the decidedly upper-crust Skye Pennington, which leads to clashes with his class-conscious parents, and sends him searching for his mysterious German immigrant grandfather, who opens his eyes to a new way of life. Grandpa Trenker takes Buddy in hand, teaching him how to dress, pour wine, and plan out his future. Grandpa Trenker has a garden, a lapdog, and charms Skye when Buddy brings her to visit. When a local journalist suspects an SS criminal is living on the island, Buddy refuses to believe Grandpa Trenker could be the infamous Gentlehands, but part of growing up is accepting hard facts, and this is certainly Buddy's summer for that.
There are no Mary Sues in this book: Buddy is, and admits to being, a less than ideal big brother, and his father at one point takes out his anger in physical violence. This is not a cut and dried book, where X is good and Y is bad, which fits the turmoil of adolescence, and the historical periods, both the "now" of the 1970s and the horrors of WWII. The characters and story will stay with readers long after the story is done. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
There are no Mary Sues in this book: Buddy is, and admits to being, a less than ideal big brother, and his father at one point takes out his anger in physical violence. This is not a cut and dried book, where X is good and Y is bad, which fits the turmoil of adolescence, and the historical periods, both the "now" of the 1970s and the horrors of WWII. The characters and story will stay with readers long after the story is done. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
June 20, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. There's so much happening, that it's hard to classify the story. On the outside, it looks like a teen romance novel that explores class differences. It also talks about drug and alcohol use. Antisemitism, and family communication issues. A mom who won't forgive her father for not being a part of her life, and chooses to ignore him now. Bringing us to the eccentric grandfather, who turns out to be a Nazi war criminal known as Gentlehands.
The story is told from Buddy's point of view, and I enjoyed how that led us thru his discoveries and emotions.
When we meet Gentlehands, he truly is a gentle person. We're left to decide for ourselves if his actions today should erase his actions during the war.
The story is told from Buddy's point of view, and I enjoyed how that led us thru his discoveries and emotions.
When we meet Gentlehands, he truly is a gentle person. We're left to decide for ourselves if his actions today should erase his actions during the war.
March 3, 2018
I read this book as a child and it always stuck with me . Thanks to google I was able to find out what the book was. I remembered reading about a boy who’s grandfather was accused of being an SS officer. Reading this book now as an adult it is filled with so many lessons and is much bigger than a boy getting to know his grandfather without really knowing him at all. The main part of this story is the fact that Buddy is falling in love with the idea of his summer crush and he will stop at nothing to impress her, including carrying on in a life that is not his with someone who is really not who they think it is. Loved so many things about this book even more now then ever. I’m glad I was able to reread this and find it again!!!!
November 6, 2018
This book started out as a "poor town boy meets rich summer girl" story. There was a bit of class tension, but nothing really serious. Then it took a turn. Someone accuses Buddy's grandfather, who he only recently met, of having been a guard at Auschwitz in WWII. Buddy doesn't want to believe it, and he has to try to stand up for him against the rest of the town.
June 11, 2010
I know my colleagues are sick of this one, but the kids still LOVE it! It does seem dated, but unfortunately, there is always something in the news to which we can relate it. And I'm a fan of anything that gets kids to read. Kerr does that.
August 24, 2015
The love story was bad but the Grandfather and Gentlehands part was interesting
July 24, 2024
I feel the idea was far better than the execution, nonetheless I can't affirm that I understood the book completely. On the bright side is the first book I've finished this month, hence 3 stars.
November 12, 2023
I just got a bunch of M E Kerr Audibles for free and thought it might be fun to take a jog down Memory Lane and see if anything rings a bell, because I know I read some MEK back in the day but I'm not sure which ones except Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack. The Nazi grandfather sounds vaguely familiar, but if I didn't actually read it I didn't miss much. I know it's not 100% fair to judge a book written in the late '70's by today's standards, but practically every character besides blando Buddy and his grandfather (up until his reprehensible past caught up with him, that is) were in one way or another profoundly cringeworthy: either punchably annoying or a complete asshole, and in the case of the stoner ex-actor (Kip?) both. Buddy's mother deserves a Stupidest Mother Ever in All of YA-dom award. Even as a kid I would've been like, "I'm so sure!" over any mom seriously telling their son that his father was going to knock his block off!
I'll keep making my way down the list of freebies because I do remember MEK's being a bit more challenging than other YA books.
I'll keep making my way down the list of freebies because I do remember MEK's being a bit more challenging than other YA books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2025
This novel was published in 1978, but is a tale as old as time; part of it is a romance between Buddy, who lives in unfashionable Seabrook, NY, and Skye, who summers in the Hamptons I always love a Gatsby-esque "rich girls don't marry poor boys" theme, but we know how that often turns out. The other part of this novel centers around a secret: Buddy's new relationship with his estranged and elegant grandfather, a man whose mysterious past is enthralling to both Buddy and Skye, but certainly not Buddy's working class parents.
Could this sweet and gentle man who teaches Buddy about the finer things in life actually be Gentlehands, the Nazi soldier responsible for horrific and unspeakable acts, including playing opera to torment his prisoners? Could Buddy's parents get over the class differences and celebrate his summer love? Can Buddy learn to grow up and be a responsible young man who can think for himself?
Overall, a good read, but trigger warning for animal violence and Nazi references.
Could this sweet and gentle man who teaches Buddy about the finer things in life actually be Gentlehands, the Nazi soldier responsible for horrific and unspeakable acts, including playing opera to torment his prisoners? Could Buddy's parents get over the class differences and celebrate his summer love? Can Buddy learn to grow up and be a responsible young man who can think for himself?
Overall, a good read, but trigger warning for animal violence and Nazi references.
May 25, 2018
My son was reading this for his 8th grade English class. He asked if I might read it too, to discuss it with him and help a bit on his book report. It was short and a quick read (for me anyway, still took him a while). I didn't love it but could see how it has historical significance and points to ponder. It was just everything that lead up to that ... the "summer romance" between the poor kid and the rich girl would have been okay, but I just didn't care for Buddy much as a character, as he'd blow off his brother and lie to his family (and tell his mother to lie to his father).
Interesting to read some of the reviews that loved the book. Just okay for me ... complete struggle for my son! They had been given a list of books to choose from and I wish he'd enlisted my help at that point, as I think he would have found a book actually happening in the war time period more interesting (here it was the 1970s so all context was what had happened years ago).
Interesting to read some of the reviews that loved the book. Just okay for me ... complete struggle for my son! They had been given a list of books to choose from and I wish he'd enlisted my help at that point, as I think he would have found a book actually happening in the war time period more interesting (here it was the 1970s so all context was what had happened years ago).
March 6, 2024
I rated this four stars based on what it is as a YA book... not necessarily in comparison to the other four star books on my shelf.
I picked this up for my son but ended up reading it first. Two reasons: I wanted to be sure it was "appropriate," and honestly, anything that gives a deeper consideration to the German perspective hooks me instantly.
As another reviewer said, it's not perfect... First of all, it's dated. As an adult reader, I found both Buddy and Skye believable but a little annoying. On the other hand, as a character, I LOVED Buddy's grandfather. And I loved the questions the book begged readers to ask themselves.
I admit I was kind of let down by the ending, and a few other things gave me pause as far as handing it off to my 13 year old (did she really have to use the word "horny"?) But the theme of the book had already hooked me: I read it in one afternoon and then handed it off to my son.
I picked this up for my son but ended up reading it first. Two reasons: I wanted to be sure it was "appropriate," and honestly, anything that gives a deeper consideration to the German perspective hooks me instantly.
As another reviewer said, it's not perfect... First of all, it's dated. As an adult reader, I found both Buddy and Skye believable but a little annoying. On the other hand, as a character, I LOVED Buddy's grandfather. And I loved the questions the book begged readers to ask themselves.
I admit I was kind of let down by the ending, and a few other things gave me pause as far as handing it off to my 13 year old (did she really have to use the word "horny"?) But the theme of the book had already hooked me: I read it in one afternoon and then handed it off to my son.
May 26, 2023
Everything about this was terrible. The pacing - either too slow or too fast. The plot - very predictable. The characters - all of them were annoying and downright unlikeable (the main character being both, and the grandfather being neither - he’s only unlikeable at the end when you “figure out” everything). The ending - rushed. I had to read this for English and the only reason we read it was to kill time since we were ahead of the curriculum. And boy all that time was wasted reading this trash. The only good thing about it was that the writing was somewhat entertaining and kept you’re attention despite some scenes being very cringey.
October 22, 2018
I can't even remember why I read this, except that I must have seen it on some list or other. It's a bit dated. Explores lots of class issues (the townies vs. the summer people), though in a fairly shallow way. But it has interesting themes about whether redemption from horrible deeds in the past is even possible. A quick read, and it moves very quickly. Everything is very surface-y though - not a lot of depth here. Buddy is a bit annoyingly passive in that he just tries to copy/echo other people and make himself sound more important that way.
May 14, 2024
Have you ever wished for a book where every other sentence is “I said”, and where the characters don’t really get much development aside from being whiny and complaining? If so, this book is for you.
The thematic elements are great, but they’re the only redeeming quality of this book in my opinion. It’s poorly written, and the first half seems to have almost nothing in common with the second. It gets to a point where, by the end, you’re wondering what the whole point of the book even was.
The thematic elements are great, but they’re the only redeeming quality of this book in my opinion. It’s poorly written, and the first half seems to have almost nothing in common with the second. It gets to a point where, by the end, you’re wondering what the whole point of the book even was.
December 18, 2019
This one surprised me. Is a seemingly simple story about two teenagers from very different socioeconomic backgrounds until the rumors of the narrator’s grandfather begin. It kinda sideswiped you probably as the author intended. It’s a quick read and makes you think about how much a persons past should dictate what you think of them in the present.
May 18, 2021
i really liked this book. it was interesting to see a nazi from a different point of view, though they really are terrible people who commuted horrific crimes. what looks like a cliché teenage romance turns out to be a question on what crimes are redeemable, and can someone make up for their past actions in the present.
February 18, 2023
Read this as a child and somehow it has stayed with me all these years. It is not the best writing or indeed the best character development but it has a very poignant ending and woven amongst the sometimes predictable story is something quite profoundly moving and sad.
May 15, 2023
I remember reading a lot of M.E. Kerr books when I was a pre-teen and teenager - revisiting them as an adult - it is a little disorienting- also the recent discovery that Kerr is Marijane Meaker, lover of Patricia Highsmith - a favorite writer of mine in my adult years.
June 7, 2025
I read this book when I was in middle school and I remember liking it a lot. I was scrolling on TikTok and something similar to this story popped up. I couldn’t remember the name of the book and finally AI found a book from my description.
June 10, 2017
Twist!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2018
Strange.
September 5, 2018
Really want to give it 4.5. Remember when it was serialized in a magazine 40 years ago! A good read, but a bit dated.
January 29, 2021
I read this years ago and i just recently reread it and honestly still one of the best books i’ve ever read
April 13, 2022
The book was amazing. The ending wasn't expected.
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