What do you think?
Rate this book
White Rose
A gorgeous and timely novel based on the incredible story of Sophie Scholl, a young German college student who challenged the Nazi regime during World War II as part of The White Rose, a non-violent resistance group.
Disillusioned by the propaganda of Nazi Germany, Sophie Scholl, her brother, and his fellow soldiers formed the White Rose, a group that wrote and distributed anonymous letters criticizing the Nazi regime and calling for action from their fellow German citizens. The following year, Sophie and her brother were arrested for treason and interrogated for information about their collaborators. This debut novel recounts the lives of Sophie and her friends and highlights their brave stand against fascism in Nazi Germany.
Disillusioned by the propaganda of Nazi Germany, Sophie Scholl, her brother, and his fellow soldiers formed the White Rose, a group that wrote and distributed anonymous letters criticizing the Nazi regime and calling for action from their fellow German citizens. The following year, Sophie and her brother were arrested for treason and interrogated for information about their collaborators. This debut novel recounts the lives of Sophie and her friends and highlights their brave stand against fascism in Nazi Germany.
358 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2019
278 people are currently reading
14305 people want to read
About the author
Kip Wilson
20 books246 followersKip Wilson is the critically acclaimed YA author of verse novels White Rose (Versify, 2019), The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin (Versify, 2022), and One Last Shot (Versify, 2023). Awards for her books include the Malka Penn Award and the Julia Ward Howe Award, and her books have been named a Massachusetts Book Honor title, an Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award finalist, and a Los Angeles Times Book Award finalist. Her next project, All the Love Under the Vast Sky, is a YA anthology of stories in verse (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025). Kip holds a Ph.D. in German Literature and is an enthusiastic high school library worker. Find her online at kipwilsonwrites.com and on Instagram @kipwilsonwrites.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 963 reviews
April 1, 2019
This was pretty average for me. I thought that combining two things I don't read a lot of (historical fiction and books written in verse) would be a really exciting way to approach the story, but I ultimately just ended up feeling like I didn't get enough time in the story or with the characters to appreciate everything that happened.
July 3, 2021
White Rose shares the real-life story of Sophie Scholl, a young activist who puts her life on the line as she distributes pamphlets during WWII that speak out against Hitler's regime and Nazi oppression. This book is a fairly easy read written in verse, a format that is quickly becoming one of my favorites in storytelling. I flew through the last 120 pages, absolutely absorbed.
April 3, 2019
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, via Edelweiss+ for an honest review.
RESPONSE
Fritz tells me
Officer’s mail
Isn’t
Censored,
That I should
Feel free
To say
What I like,
Which is good
Because I have
Plenty
To say.
If you want to know what true beauty, conviction, bravery and strength looks like….read this book.
White Rose is the rebellion story that begs to be witnessed.
White Rose is the story of how a young German student, Sophie Scholl, became part of an anti-Nazi resistance group that was formed by her brother Hans, Willi Graf and Christoph Probst. Having grown up as members of Hitler Youth and experiencing the brutality of war, the boys craved a Germany that followed rules of justice rather than one of genocide. And so, the White Rose was formed in June of 1942 and was made up of many University of Munich students who protested the mass murders of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. Though the group only lasted until 1943, hundreds of copies of six political resistance leaflets were drafted and distributed across Germany, in the hopes of inspiring German citizens and students to revolt against oppression.
AFTERMATH
We soon learn there’s been
An enormous wave
Of arrests throughout Germany
Of hundreds of teenagers
Including Hans, on his military base
All of them accused
Of getting together
In youth groups other than
The Hitlerjugend
Singing banned songs
Reading banned books
Things we do
Because
Ideas
Cannot
Be
Banned.
The group drafted six leaflets in total and distributed hundreds across Germany until the capture of its members. Due to the lack of paper and stamps that were available, the mailing of leaflets to different members of the White Rose was incredibly dangerous. The number of stamps and envelopes purchased by one person was tightly monitored by the Gestapo, and any suspicion of anti-Nazi propaganda was swiftly dealt with by arrest and biased trials at the People’s Court of Berlin, which usually ended in death by guillotine or imprisonment.
1940
…
Fritz doesn’t understand
Why this defiance matters
So much to me,
Won’t acknowledge
That our strongest weapon
Is our refusal
To follow blindly.
Vati says nothing
But his smile
My father’s approval
When I stand up
For what’s right
Means the world.
The beautiful and daunting telling of the White Rose group is so much more than I imagined it would be. When I requested this title from Edelwiess, I wasn’t even aware that it was a story told in poetry! But after reading it, I can’t imagine it being told in any other way. These poems give these brave young adults a HUGE voice. Their conviction and feelings are screaming through to the reader on every stanza, every page.
The members of this group quickly become a friend you could have known from school, a neighbor, a sibling. They are familiarized to you by their thoughts, and brought in close by their actions and movements. Kip Wilson has woven their story, and their actual letters to one another, into this riveting and gut-pummeling piece of artwork. By the end of the book I was fueled with an anger for what happened to these people, but also left in awe for how brave and fiercely they stood up for their beliefs of a better Germany.
SELFLESSNESS
Letter to Fritz: June 1940
Dear Fritz,
People shouldn’t be
Ambivalent
About the world around
Them simply because
Everyone else
Is ambivalent.
People who
Refuse
To open their eyes
Are more than ambivalent-
They are guilty.
How can we expect
Justice
In this world
If we’re not prepared to
Sacrifice ourselves
For what’s right?
My only complaint is that I wanted more time with this book…and more time for these beautiful people who took a stand when so few others in their country would. It is a frightening thought, to stand up against a power and force so strong as the Nazi regime. But it is a truly beautiful notion, to think that these young adults made up their own minds on what they thought was right, and then acted on it until their deaths.
Books like this, that tell the true story of people like Sophie and Hans Scholl, Kurt Huber, Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf and Christoph Prost, who stood up against tyranny with their lives, is what makes me incredibly happy to be human.
A REALIZATION
…
Our deaths
Will mean
Something.
The world will react,
And someday
Someone
Will punish
The people
Who are doing
These terrible things.
The ribbon widens,
Flooding
My mind
With a river of hope.
RESPONSE
Fritz tells me
Officer’s mail
Isn’t
Censored,
That I should
Feel free
To say
What I like,
Which is good
Because I have
Plenty
To say.
If you want to know what true beauty, conviction, bravery and strength looks like….read this book.
White Rose is the rebellion story that begs to be witnessed.
White Rose is the story of how a young German student, Sophie Scholl, became part of an anti-Nazi resistance group that was formed by her brother Hans, Willi Graf and Christoph Probst. Having grown up as members of Hitler Youth and experiencing the brutality of war, the boys craved a Germany that followed rules of justice rather than one of genocide. And so, the White Rose was formed in June of 1942 and was made up of many University of Munich students who protested the mass murders of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. Though the group only lasted until 1943, hundreds of copies of six political resistance leaflets were drafted and distributed across Germany, in the hopes of inspiring German citizens and students to revolt against oppression.
AFTERMATH
We soon learn there’s been
An enormous wave
Of arrests throughout Germany
Of hundreds of teenagers
Including Hans, on his military base
All of them accused
Of getting together
In youth groups other than
The Hitlerjugend
Singing banned songs
Reading banned books
Things we do
Because
Ideas
Cannot
Be
Banned.
The group drafted six leaflets in total and distributed hundreds across Germany until the capture of its members. Due to the lack of paper and stamps that were available, the mailing of leaflets to different members of the White Rose was incredibly dangerous. The number of stamps and envelopes purchased by one person was tightly monitored by the Gestapo, and any suspicion of anti-Nazi propaganda was swiftly dealt with by arrest and biased trials at the People’s Court of Berlin, which usually ended in death by guillotine or imprisonment.
1940
…
Fritz doesn’t understand
Why this defiance matters
So much to me,
Won’t acknowledge
That our strongest weapon
Is our refusal
To follow blindly.
Vati says nothing
But his smile
My father’s approval
When I stand up
For what’s right
Means the world.
The beautiful and daunting telling of the White Rose group is so much more than I imagined it would be. When I requested this title from Edelwiess, I wasn’t even aware that it was a story told in poetry! But after reading it, I can’t imagine it being told in any other way. These poems give these brave young adults a HUGE voice. Their conviction and feelings are screaming through to the reader on every stanza, every page.
The members of this group quickly become a friend you could have known from school, a neighbor, a sibling. They are familiarized to you by their thoughts, and brought in close by their actions and movements. Kip Wilson has woven their story, and their actual letters to one another, into this riveting and gut-pummeling piece of artwork. By the end of the book I was fueled with an anger for what happened to these people, but also left in awe for how brave and fiercely they stood up for their beliefs of a better Germany.
SELFLESSNESS
Letter to Fritz: June 1940
Dear Fritz,
People shouldn’t be
Ambivalent
About the world around
Them simply because
Everyone else
Is ambivalent.
People who
Refuse
To open their eyes
Are more than ambivalent-
They are guilty.
How can we expect
Justice
In this world
If we’re not prepared to
Sacrifice ourselves
For what’s right?
My only complaint is that I wanted more time with this book…and more time for these beautiful people who took a stand when so few others in their country would. It is a frightening thought, to stand up against a power and force so strong as the Nazi regime. But it is a truly beautiful notion, to think that these young adults made up their own minds on what they thought was right, and then acted on it until their deaths.
Books like this, that tell the true story of people like Sophie and Hans Scholl, Kurt Huber, Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf and Christoph Prost, who stood up against tyranny with their lives, is what makes me incredibly happy to be human.
A REALIZATION
…
Our deaths
Will mean
Something.
The world will react,
And someday
Someone
Will punish
The people
Who are doing
These terrible things.
The ribbon widens,
Flooding
My mind
With a river of hope.
June 4, 2019
The White Rose was a German non-violent student resistance group that protested against the Nazi regime for a few years in the 1940s. The group mainly conducted an anonymous leaflet and graffiti campaign.
https://hitraveltales.com/munich-soph...
There are now many books about the group, many of which focus on Sophie Scholl, the younger sister of Hans, and his University of Munich Professor Kurt Huber, all of whom were executed for treason in resisting and defaming the Nazi state.
I'm reading it with my middle school daughter who was recently on the crew of a play about The White Rose. We also read Antigone, a related text, and will read two other more informational non-fiction texts. Kip Wilson’s book, probably most appropriate for middle school readers, is a great place to start in learning about the group and exploring the roots of student activism, as it is a verse novel, alternating between the thirties and the time of their interrogation and trial in the forties. We learn a bit about her activist father who was also jailed for a time, and others who take part in the struggles. Some of the best moments focus on letters between Sophie and her boyfriend Fritz, fighting on the Russian front:
Letter to Fritz: June 1940
Dear Fritz,
People shouldn’t be
Ambivalent
About the world around
Them simply because
Everyone else
Is ambivalent.
People who
Refuse
To open their eyes
Are more than ambivalent-
They are guilty.
How can we expect
Justice
In this world
If we’re not prepared to
Sacrifice ourselves
For what’s right?
Hans and Sophie Scholl were executed on February 22, 1943. Professor Huber was executed on July 13, 1943. From the perspective of a narrative arc we already have a good idea they will be killed, so this is a challenge in the story. Sophie comes from an activist family, her brother is an activist, and Sophie is one from the very beginning. There’s no real moral "struggle" or character development in the story, as she sees the wrong and she fights bravely against it. But it’s still inspirational and accessible and tells a really important and well-written story of German student resistance, something that isn’t commonly highlighted in historical accounts of WWII.
Her hope, as she faced death, was that:
The world will react,
And someday
Someone
Will punish
The people
Who are doing
These terrible things.
Unfortunately, the horrible fact of the killing of several members of the group actually had a chilling effect on German resistance, but maybe now, as some of us, and young people in particular, face fascism and injustice anywhere, we and they can take Wilson’s story of Sophie as inspiration.
Wilson quotes Thomas Mann, who in a radio broadcast on July 27, 1943, said, “Good, splendid young people. You shall not have died in vain; you shall not be forgotten.”
Here’s a brief article if you are considering reading more about this group or Sophie:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-...
https://hitraveltales.com/munich-soph...
There are now many books about the group, many of which focus on Sophie Scholl, the younger sister of Hans, and his University of Munich Professor Kurt Huber, all of whom were executed for treason in resisting and defaming the Nazi state.
I'm reading it with my middle school daughter who was recently on the crew of a play about The White Rose. We also read Antigone, a related text, and will read two other more informational non-fiction texts. Kip Wilson’s book, probably most appropriate for middle school readers, is a great place to start in learning about the group and exploring the roots of student activism, as it is a verse novel, alternating between the thirties and the time of their interrogation and trial in the forties. We learn a bit about her activist father who was also jailed for a time, and others who take part in the struggles. Some of the best moments focus on letters between Sophie and her boyfriend Fritz, fighting on the Russian front:
Letter to Fritz: June 1940
Dear Fritz,
People shouldn’t be
Ambivalent
About the world around
Them simply because
Everyone else
Is ambivalent.
People who
Refuse
To open their eyes
Are more than ambivalent-
They are guilty.
How can we expect
Justice
In this world
If we’re not prepared to
Sacrifice ourselves
For what’s right?
Hans and Sophie Scholl were executed on February 22, 1943. Professor Huber was executed on July 13, 1943. From the perspective of a narrative arc we already have a good idea they will be killed, so this is a challenge in the story. Sophie comes from an activist family, her brother is an activist, and Sophie is one from the very beginning. There’s no real moral "struggle" or character development in the story, as she sees the wrong and she fights bravely against it. But it’s still inspirational and accessible and tells a really important and well-written story of German student resistance, something that isn’t commonly highlighted in historical accounts of WWII.
Her hope, as she faced death, was that:
The world will react,
And someday
Someone
Will punish
The people
Who are doing
These terrible things.
Unfortunately, the horrible fact of the killing of several members of the group actually had a chilling effect on German resistance, but maybe now, as some of us, and young people in particular, face fascism and injustice anywhere, we and they can take Wilson’s story of Sophie as inspiration.
Wilson quotes Thomas Mann, who in a radio broadcast on July 27, 1943, said, “Good, splendid young people. You shall not have died in vain; you shall not be forgotten.”
Here’s a brief article if you are considering reading more about this group or Sophie:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-...
February 24, 2021
Well, if I were to in fact ONLY AND SOLELY consider Kip Wilson’s 2019 White Rose (and in my opinion, Wilson’s narrative is suitable for readers from about the age of twelve onwards) with regard to how factually solid the text is, then yes indeed, I would definitely be rating White Rose with a very solid and warmly recommended four stars. For albeit I do have a few personal issues with the fact that Kip Wilson has in her presented story quite majorly expanded on the fact that Sophie Scholl’s brother Hans might have been bisexual, and yes indeed, that I really do not understand why Hans’ sexuality even needs to be mentioned and discussed in White Rose, in a book which main purpose is of course to show the White Rose as a Southern German university-based resistance group against Adolf Hitler and National Socialism (and how its members, how Hans and Sophie Scholl and many of their friends and allies were all interrogated and executed, were basically martyred for attempting to resist Naziism and to with primarily printed leaflets show Germany and in particular the German people the failures and the inherent evils of Adolf Hitler and his Third Reich), for the most part and generally, Kip Wilson has obviously and definitely done much very decent and academically sound research and does in White Rose present the historical, the factual details of Hans and Sophie Scholl’s lives, of their heroism and ultimate arrest and execution for treason as members of the White Rose both realistically and authentically with regard to contents and thematics, with regard to factuality.
However, concerning Kip Wilson’s writing style for White Rose and how she has chosen to present the above mentioned contents and thematics, no, I have personally not been all that impressed. Because for one, Wilson starting White Rose at the end of Hans and Sophie Scholl’s story so to speak (with the White Rose’s revolt having failed and its incarcerated members being brutally interrogated by the Gestapo) and then often moving and meandering back and forth between different time lines, this sure does tend to get rather distracting, not to mention that while I of course come to White Rose fully aware of what transpired, that Hans and Sophie Scholl and many of their compadres were executed by the Nazi authorities for their revolt, for readers encountering the White Rose and their ultimately futile attempts at resisting the National Socialists for the very first time, in my opinion, Kip Wilson starting White Rose at the back basically tells newbies the tragic outcome of the White Rose resistance movement way way too early. And for two (and yes, this is also a very personal reaction), I do not AT ALL enjoy the fact that White Rose is a novel in verse, and that yes indeed, I do quite find both Wilson’s presented free verse text and that there are so many short and choppy chapters in White Rose not only annoying but also distancing, and thus also making me not really able to understand and to become acquainted with in particular Sophie Scholl on a sufficiently emotional and personal level. And honestly, my three star rating for White Rose is in my opinion therefore also quite generous, as I really do not at all find the novel in verse format appropriate for White Rose and rather think that it kind of trivialises both the White Rose as a group and their resistance against Nazism.
However, concerning Kip Wilson’s writing style for White Rose and how she has chosen to present the above mentioned contents and thematics, no, I have personally not been all that impressed. Because for one, Wilson starting White Rose at the end of Hans and Sophie Scholl’s story so to speak (with the White Rose’s revolt having failed and its incarcerated members being brutally interrogated by the Gestapo) and then often moving and meandering back and forth between different time lines, this sure does tend to get rather distracting, not to mention that while I of course come to White Rose fully aware of what transpired, that Hans and Sophie Scholl and many of their compadres were executed by the Nazi authorities for their revolt, for readers encountering the White Rose and their ultimately futile attempts at resisting the National Socialists for the very first time, in my opinion, Kip Wilson starting White Rose at the back basically tells newbies the tragic outcome of the White Rose resistance movement way way too early. And for two (and yes, this is also a very personal reaction), I do not AT ALL enjoy the fact that White Rose is a novel in verse, and that yes indeed, I do quite find both Wilson’s presented free verse text and that there are so many short and choppy chapters in White Rose not only annoying but also distancing, and thus also making me not really able to understand and to become acquainted with in particular Sophie Scholl on a sufficiently emotional and personal level. And honestly, my three star rating for White Rose is in my opinion therefore also quite generous, as I really do not at all find the novel in verse format appropriate for White Rose and rather think that it kind of trivialises both the White Rose as a group and their resistance against Nazism.
February 27, 2020
Wow okay so this was my first book written in verse.
I was lucky enough to go to Berlin for school in 2012 where I got to visit the Sophie and Hans memorial. It's small but just important so I'd suggest going if you get the opportunity.
It's disappointing how few people know about what Sophie and the White Rose resistance did. It's disappointing that their deaths weren't a catalyst for change. It's disappointing our world is circling back to Nazi's being a thing because apparently, we learnt fuck all from World War II.
I think wondering "how the hell did people let things get like that" is always something we'll wonder about genocides especially which is why this book is important. Just because you aren't the target, doesn't mean it's not your problem. We forget that so often as humans until that evil or government suddenly sets its eyes on us.
Basically:
-fuck Nazis
-fuck bigots
-fuck the state of Georgia
-use your fucking voice and privilege to make a better world
-vote
I was lucky enough to go to Berlin for school in 2012 where I got to visit the Sophie and Hans memorial. It's small but just important so I'd suggest going if you get the opportunity.
It's disappointing how few people know about what Sophie and the White Rose resistance did. It's disappointing that their deaths weren't a catalyst for change. It's disappointing our world is circling back to Nazi's being a thing because apparently, we learnt fuck all from World War II.
I think wondering "how the hell did people let things get like that" is always something we'll wonder about genocides especially which is why this book is important. Just because you aren't the target, doesn't mean it's not your problem. We forget that so often as humans until that evil or government suddenly sets its eyes on us.
Basically:
-fuck Nazis
-fuck bigots
-fuck the state of Georgia
-use your fucking voice and privilege to make a better world
-vote
August 30, 2019
Tried a few times to write something down only to erase it. Still not quite sure what to say here.
This is my second experience with a novel in verse. The first experience didn't go so well so I was wary of trying one again and probably wouldn't have picked this up for awhile if it had been for it being included in my Second Star book box and seeing it being praised on Instagram.
This is a tragic but powerful story beautifully told. Its a shame more people don't know about Sophie and the White Rose. The bravery of these people should be taught and discussed in schools.
Some of the Verse is simple but still packs a punch. Many times I was showing parts of this to my friends and was speechless. The last 100 or so pages I couldn't tear my eyes away.
This is definitely going on the shelves at home and something I will share with my niece when she is old enough.
Highly recommend!
This is my second experience with a novel in verse. The first experience didn't go so well so I was wary of trying one again and probably wouldn't have picked this up for awhile if it had been for it being included in my Second Star book box and seeing it being praised on Instagram.
This is a tragic but powerful story beautifully told. Its a shame more people don't know about Sophie and the White Rose. The bravery of these people should be taught and discussed in schools.
Some of the Verse is simple but still packs a punch. Many times I was showing parts of this to my friends and was speechless. The last 100 or so pages I couldn't tear my eyes away.
This is definitely going on the shelves at home and something I will share with my niece when she is old enough.
Highly recommend!
August 21, 2019
I will read this over and over again.
September 21, 2018
4.5
Thank you NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group, and Kip Wilson for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What initially drew me to this book wasn't necessarily the description of the book itself, but the fact that it is written in poetic form. As an Ellen Hopkins fan, I love reading works written in a poetry style. The problem is, some authors nail the craft, and some are just not good. Great news: Kip Wilson's poetic form is gorgeously dazzling, and not a disappointment! The only thing that makes this a 4.5 instead of a 5 is that there are some stylistic choices that can be executed better, and perhaps in the final version they will be altered. For example, when another person (not the narrator) is talking, the lines or stanza is indented and in italics, but so is the dialogue tag. Having the dialogue tag in italics too threw me off a bit. Another thing I thought was super creative was stretching out certain words with spaces, such as "l o n g," and other words of similar meaning, making the word literally longer or stretched on the page. This happens about four or five times, but the stretch is in a line with other words. This would be an even greater effect if the word was isolated and spaced out even more:
"l o n g"
Aside from a few minute things like that, I loved the poetic form of this piece and the language has amazing flow. It was fun and easy to read, all while being an educational journey.
This story takes place during World War II in Germany, during Hitler's reign. One of the aspects I love about this novel is its reflection on actual history. The end of the book has a sort of glossary that highlights who the people actually, historically were, as well as defining some of the German words (I didn't see the glossary until I finished the book, since it's e-book and not print. This wasn't a huge deal for me since I'm familiar with German and was able to figure out some words based on context). This historical accuracy and development for the novel is no surprise, considering Kip Wilson's Ph.D. in German Literature.
The narration features a young girl named Sophie Scholl, an activist in the White Rose group--a non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany. Although this story is told from the perspective of one living during the events of WWII, I find that, despite there being a number of novels out there that feature this time period, this one is unique in its telling and resonates with events today.
As an English teacher myself, I know a number of educators who would be interested in this book for Literature Circles/Book Club Groups, and it's workable for grades 7-12. This book would also be a nice alignment to read in English class if students are simultaneously studying the Holocaust. Overall, highly recommend to young readers, Holocaust historians, historical fanatics, and educators!
Thank you NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group, and Kip Wilson for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What initially drew me to this book wasn't necessarily the description of the book itself, but the fact that it is written in poetic form. As an Ellen Hopkins fan, I love reading works written in a poetry style. The problem is, some authors nail the craft, and some are just not good. Great news: Kip Wilson's poetic form is gorgeously dazzling, and not a disappointment! The only thing that makes this a 4.5 instead of a 5 is that there are some stylistic choices that can be executed better, and perhaps in the final version they will be altered. For example, when another person (not the narrator) is talking, the lines or stanza is indented and in italics, but so is the dialogue tag. Having the dialogue tag in italics too threw me off a bit. Another thing I thought was super creative was stretching out certain words with spaces, such as "l o n g," and other words of similar meaning, making the word literally longer or stretched on the page. This happens about four or five times, but the stretch is in a line with other words. This would be an even greater effect if the word was isolated and spaced out even more:
"l o n g"
Aside from a few minute things like that, I loved the poetic form of this piece and the language has amazing flow. It was fun and easy to read, all while being an educational journey.
This story takes place during World War II in Germany, during Hitler's reign. One of the aspects I love about this novel is its reflection on actual history. The end of the book has a sort of glossary that highlights who the people actually, historically were, as well as defining some of the German words (I didn't see the glossary until I finished the book, since it's e-book and not print. This wasn't a huge deal for me since I'm familiar with German and was able to figure out some words based on context). This historical accuracy and development for the novel is no surprise, considering Kip Wilson's Ph.D. in German Literature.
The narration features a young girl named Sophie Scholl, an activist in the White Rose group--a non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany. Although this story is told from the perspective of one living during the events of WWII, I find that, despite there being a number of novels out there that feature this time period, this one is unique in its telling and resonates with events today.
As an English teacher myself, I know a number of educators who would be interested in this book for Literature Circles/Book Club Groups, and it's workable for grades 7-12. This book would also be a nice alignment to read in English class if students are simultaneously studying the Holocaust. Overall, highly recommend to young readers, Holocaust historians, historical fanatics, and educators!
February 5, 2019
This is a really meaningful book told in verse. It does not have a happy ending, and although I was kind of sad (I usually like books with happy endings), I really couldn’t see the book going any other way for it to still be as meaningful and realistic. I liked how the story was told in verses and I found it more interesting. However, I found that the random changes in perspective were kind of confusing but they were readable. The changes between past and present were good from a storytelling view but I have a personal preference of books told in chronological order. I don’t usually read and like much historical fiction (which is the main reason why I didn’t give this book more stars) but I think it’s a really good book for those who enjoy that genre. Anyways, I’m glad I read it though and I appreciate how the author brought attention to one important defiance in Nazi Germany.
January 17, 2020
✨ Fabulous historical fiction verse novel - based on a true story about Sophie Scholl and the real German resistance group White Rose during WWII. So glad I picked it up (and finished it!) this afternoon 😊 The messages about standing up against injustice and being the voice for those who are too frightened are timeless.
.
I believe this is technically YA but IMO totally fine for all middle school and even mature younger students. 1 vague mention of sexual activity and the usual and unavoidable horrors of war. Beautifully written with stellar back matter.
.
I believe this is technically YA but IMO totally fine for all middle school and even mature younger students. 1 vague mention of sexual activity and the usual and unavoidable horrors of war. Beautifully written with stellar back matter.
January 30, 2022
The true story of Sophie Scholl, a young activist who put her life on the line as she tried to rally her fellow Germans against a fascist regime. Told as a novel in verse. An inspiring story particularly as it involved anti-Nazi activities resisting one of the most brutal regimes in history. There are other excellent books and films about the White Rose organization and Sophie Scholl!
July 31, 2021
when will
people realize
that hitting the
enter button
every three words
doesn’t make
a text
poetic?
people realize
that hitting the
enter button
every three words
doesn’t make
a text
poetic?
August 29, 2019
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I remember reading the description for this book a few months ago and being interested in it. Then a month or so after that seeing it in a bookstore, but deciding that I wasn't going to purchase it. Then it seemingly disappeared off of my radar; I never saw it on Goodreads or at Barnes & Noble. But after returning to college and going to back to one of my favorite places, the public library, it seemingly made its way back into my life.
Yes I had read this description and was interested by the subject matter, however I didn't know going into this that it was written in verse. I didn't know, but it was exactly what I needed to help pick me up out of my reading slump. It went by so fast that I didn't have to plot chase because the story just glided along smoothly, in a way that was enjoyable for me. I think the verse is what made this good. The author did the research on the true story, but presented it in a way where only the most important details were discussed and not much was fabricated. I liked this a lot.
It really is heartbreaking to learn about what happened to these people for their efforts to try to stop one of the most horrific parts in world history. But it also is important for these kinds of stories to be written, for people to know of the ones who fought against what was perceived as right in that time. World War 2 is one of my favorite historical events to learn about, despite it also one of the most heartbreaking and horrible. Usually, the stories I read about the war are about soldiers or generals or allies or something along those lines. However, this story was about the rebellious Germans who distributed pamphlets hoping to get people to abandon Hitlers cause. What made this story even better was the alternating time perspectives between before they get caught and after they get caught. I also like how some side characters thoughts are featured as well.
Overall I'm glad I picked this up on whim after not hearing about it for some time. It was exactly what I needed right now.
Pre-Review
This truly was a beautiful and heartbreaking story. The author really put in the time to research this true story which makes it even more remarkable.
I remember reading the description for this book a few months ago and being interested in it. Then a month or so after that seeing it in a bookstore, but deciding that I wasn't going to purchase it. Then it seemingly disappeared off of my radar; I never saw it on Goodreads or at Barnes & Noble. But after returning to college and going to back to one of my favorite places, the public library, it seemingly made its way back into my life.
Yes I had read this description and was interested by the subject matter, however I didn't know going into this that it was written in verse. I didn't know, but it was exactly what I needed to help pick me up out of my reading slump. It went by so fast that I didn't have to plot chase because the story just glided along smoothly, in a way that was enjoyable for me. I think the verse is what made this good. The author did the research on the true story, but presented it in a way where only the most important details were discussed and not much was fabricated. I liked this a lot.
It really is heartbreaking to learn about what happened to these people for their efforts to try to stop one of the most horrific parts in world history. But it also is important for these kinds of stories to be written, for people to know of the ones who fought against what was perceived as right in that time. World War 2 is one of my favorite historical events to learn about, despite it also one of the most heartbreaking and horrible. Usually, the stories I read about the war are about soldiers or generals or allies or something along those lines. However, this story was about the rebellious Germans who distributed pamphlets hoping to get people to abandon Hitlers cause. What made this story even better was the alternating time perspectives between before they get caught and after they get caught. I also like how some side characters thoughts are featured as well.
Overall I'm glad I picked this up on whim after not hearing about it for some time. It was exactly what I needed right now.
Pre-Review
This truly was a beautiful and heartbreaking story. The author really put in the time to research this true story which makes it even more remarkable.
July 10, 2020
A fascinating part of history I did not know about but a story that left me detached from the characters themselves.
Now, I love books in verse they are my JAM however this one just left me feeling completely skewered from the story itself. I was reading it without absorbing a lot nor picking up enough about the secondary characters to build any sort of emotional connection to them.
Our main character Sophie is very vividly portrayed but even then we are rushed through every aspect of her life; this book could have been a lot longer and I wouldn’t have minded at all.
Overall a decent book but not one high up on the list.
Now, I love books in verse they are my JAM however this one just left me feeling completely skewered from the story itself. I was reading it without absorbing a lot nor picking up enough about the secondary characters to build any sort of emotional connection to them.
Our main character Sophie is very vividly portrayed but even then we are rushed through every aspect of her life; this book could have been a lot longer and I wouldn’t have minded at all.
Overall a decent book but not one high up on the list.
March 27, 2019
"May we all be as noble one day"
I honestly don't know where to begin. Reading this book was an experience. The fact that Kip Wilson chose verse to portray a story like this is still fascinating me. I was honestly skeptical but I felt more rushed, more on my toes, more sense of urgency reading the pages in this way. Urgent is what this book is so the choice was genius.
This book tells the story of a Nazi resistance group called White Rose, a group that was brave enough to mail leaflets and share what would be considered treasonous materials with others at the time. They wanted to wake up the German conscience and let them see the atrocities that were happening. There weren't many members, but they were determined. We see this story through several POVs, but mainly through the eyes of Sophie. It is Sophie who opens the story in the midst of an intense investigation by Robert Mohr, the Gestapo investigator. In those first two verses in the book, I had so many visuals. Maybe it's because I have read a lot of Non-fiction about this time in history, but I could see her there being interrogated, them being angry, her sense of dread.
This is why you keep reading. Every couple of pages the verses go from the present to the past and vice versa, helping to fill in the gaps of any questions you might have had. It fills a timeline between 1938-1943 in snippets of memories, events, thoughts, and letters. You get to see the inner workings of a German Family that did not sympathize with the Reich. Some were for it some were against it and this is a point of view rarely touched on. There must have been Germans who didn't think what Hitler did was right. It begs the question, Why didn't they do anything? Why were they complicit?
"Boom, Boom"
"Boom, Boom"
Every time the lines above came up in the book, I read it like a heartbeat, I found it strange. However, this must have been Sophie's feelings about everything that was going on in her life. Sophie is strong in so many ways, strong mind, strong will, she had an uncanny way of seeing the world, considering how complacent everyone else outside her family was being. In reality, it is scary to remember how ambivalent society was during that time yet, Sophie refused to be quiet just to be safe. I'm sure there were others, they were just afraid to speak up. Her actions make us face one daunting question, would we sacrifice ourselves for the sake of doing the right thing? Would we speak up if we were in her shoes? In this political climate, it is important that we have some kind of answer to this question because injustices are happening all around us.
"Today you'll hang us, but you'll be next"
Most of us must know how the story ends but I won't spoil it for those who don't. Sophie, Hans, and Cristoph, who are also members of the White Rose experience it all together. They all hoped that what they did would cause revolt and change but they didn't. Even to me, it was the first time encountering the story of this brave group and those who stood tall in the representation of it. White Rose and Sophie might not have caused a wave then but I hope they do now. I hope a whole new generation is inspired by the members of the White Rose and Sophie, and this brilliant book. I hope it makes every single reader think, question others, and ask of society, will you stay silent? It isn't your family today but it could be. So will you be the first person to take a step for what's right? That's is what Sophie told the judge,
"Someone needed to make a start."
Rating 5\5 ❤❤❤❤❤
What I liked about this story was that it was genuine. Kip Wilson made an effort to make Sophie as realistic as possible based on historical documents available about this amazing young woman and those in the White Rose group. It's only fiction because you couldn't possibly know everything Sophie was thinking at the time and even then, she tried to write those in the way of her personality and bring her character to life. Sophie loved and hurt in a realistic manner, she tried and failed, she was for the Reich and then She wasn't. She was human and I think that is what Kip Wilson wanted us to now. That for all our flaws, we can still choose to do the right thing.
"I did the best I could for my country. I don't regret what I did and I'm ready to accept the consequences for my actions."
I honestly don't know where to begin. Reading this book was an experience. The fact that Kip Wilson chose verse to portray a story like this is still fascinating me. I was honestly skeptical but I felt more rushed, more on my toes, more sense of urgency reading the pages in this way. Urgent is what this book is so the choice was genius.
This book tells the story of a Nazi resistance group called White Rose, a group that was brave enough to mail leaflets and share what would be considered treasonous materials with others at the time. They wanted to wake up the German conscience and let them see the atrocities that were happening. There weren't many members, but they were determined. We see this story through several POVs, but mainly through the eyes of Sophie. It is Sophie who opens the story in the midst of an intense investigation by Robert Mohr, the Gestapo investigator. In those first two verses in the book, I had so many visuals. Maybe it's because I have read a lot of Non-fiction about this time in history, but I could see her there being interrogated, them being angry, her sense of dread.
This is why you keep reading. Every couple of pages the verses go from the present to the past and vice versa, helping to fill in the gaps of any questions you might have had. It fills a timeline between 1938-1943 in snippets of memories, events, thoughts, and letters. You get to see the inner workings of a German Family that did not sympathize with the Reich. Some were for it some were against it and this is a point of view rarely touched on. There must have been Germans who didn't think what Hitler did was right. It begs the question, Why didn't they do anything? Why were they complicit?
"Boom, Boom"
"Boom, Boom"
Every time the lines above came up in the book, I read it like a heartbeat, I found it strange. However, this must have been Sophie's feelings about everything that was going on in her life. Sophie is strong in so many ways, strong mind, strong will, she had an uncanny way of seeing the world, considering how complacent everyone else outside her family was being. In reality, it is scary to remember how ambivalent society was during that time yet, Sophie refused to be quiet just to be safe. I'm sure there were others, they were just afraid to speak up. Her actions make us face one daunting question, would we sacrifice ourselves for the sake of doing the right thing? Would we speak up if we were in her shoes? In this political climate, it is important that we have some kind of answer to this question because injustices are happening all around us.
"Today you'll hang us, but you'll be next"
Most of us must know how the story ends but I won't spoil it for those who don't. Sophie, Hans, and Cristoph, who are also members of the White Rose experience it all together. They all hoped that what they did would cause revolt and change but they didn't. Even to me, it was the first time encountering the story of this brave group and those who stood tall in the representation of it. White Rose and Sophie might not have caused a wave then but I hope they do now. I hope a whole new generation is inspired by the members of the White Rose and Sophie, and this brilliant book. I hope it makes every single reader think, question others, and ask of society, will you stay silent? It isn't your family today but it could be. So will you be the first person to take a step for what's right? That's is what Sophie told the judge,
"Someone needed to make a start."
Rating 5\5 ❤❤❤❤❤
What I liked about this story was that it was genuine. Kip Wilson made an effort to make Sophie as realistic as possible based on historical documents available about this amazing young woman and those in the White Rose group. It's only fiction because you couldn't possibly know everything Sophie was thinking at the time and even then, she tried to write those in the way of her personality and bring her character to life. Sophie loved and hurt in a realistic manner, she tried and failed, she was for the Reich and then She wasn't. She was human and I think that is what Kip Wilson wanted us to now. That for all our flaws, we can still choose to do the right thing.
"I did the best I could for my country. I don't regret what I did and I'm ready to accept the consequences for my actions."
August 18, 2020
"Attacks on freedom can be countered by appealing to intellect. Attacks on people must be countered by appealing to morality. I can only hope all morals aren't already lost."
Based on the history of a student resistance group that defied the Nazis, White Rose tells the story of Sophie Scholl, the youngest and only female member in the group. Told in verse, it takes readers forward and backward in time, always staying grounded in the few days leading up to Sophie's execution. This books speaks of the dangers of complacency, and the power a few sentences can have. Sophie fought the only way she knew how; with words and ideas. When most of her nation turned a blind eye, she took it upon herself to speak out, no matter the danger. The author does an excellent job of getting inside her head, even if she isn't as good at connecting readers to the other characters. What gave this book such power was the fact that people featured in it were real, managing to capture their voices long after they died. White Rose allows readers a glimpse into the pass while carrying on a heartfelt message that will continue to echo throughout the centuries.
Based on the history of a student resistance group that defied the Nazis, White Rose tells the story of Sophie Scholl, the youngest and only female member in the group. Told in verse, it takes readers forward and backward in time, always staying grounded in the few days leading up to Sophie's execution. This books speaks of the dangers of complacency, and the power a few sentences can have. Sophie fought the only way she knew how; with words and ideas. When most of her nation turned a blind eye, she took it upon herself to speak out, no matter the danger. The author does an excellent job of getting inside her head, even if she isn't as good at connecting readers to the other characters. What gave this book such power was the fact that people featured in it were real, managing to capture their voices long after they died. White Rose allows readers a glimpse into the pass while carrying on a heartfelt message that will continue to echo throughout the centuries.
May 13, 2019
WHITE ROSE was phenomenal. The novel is inspired by the true story of Sophie Schnoll, a brave young woman who desperately wanted her fellow Germans during Hitler’s rule to recognize the madness consuming her beloved country. Beautifully written in free verse poetry, this fast-paced, courageous novel gives voice to the evil of fascism when the world turns a deaf ear. Have courage, my dear friends to like yourself for who you are and in a world so desperate for morality, hold on tight to integrity, self-respect, and kindness! All the stars for WHITE ROSE
April 21, 2021
I love the concept of this book, however, the events feel dragged out across 300+ pages when it would have had a stronger emotional punch if it was shorter. Too many of the poems were repetitive of the same desire/needs thus weighing the text down. The abruptness of a shorter book to reflect the short life of the movement and those involved would have had a lot stronger of a poetic affect.
September 20, 2019
It was ok but the story didn’t suck me in as much as I hoped. Usually I really like books written in verse but this one just didn’t work for me. I wanted to know more of the history and the backstory and that was lost in the poetic form of the book.
April 11, 2020
Wow ok, I bought this because I thought the cover was cute and DID NOT ask for this level of heartbreak. Even more absolutely tragic being that it’s a true story, my only big issue was the writing style. I would’ve preferred a more traditional novel setup over the abstract poem-ish vibe it had.
December 29, 2021
I've always loved learning more about humankind's history. History is one of my favourite subjects in school and I really loved learning more about this horrific incident from the second World War through this book.
RTC.
RTC.
May 21, 2019
“We have a duty to share the truth with the masses." How far are you willing to go to fulfill that duty? Sophie Scholl gave her life in the attempt to share the truth with people in Germany during World War II. Her story, beautifully written by Kip Wilson, is the subject of White Rose, a must-purchase novel in verse for middle school and high school libraries.
Sophie Scholl was a member of the White Rose, a secret resistance group in Nazi Germany that strove to organize against Hitler's regime. Hans, Sophie's brother, wrote treasonable leaflets that Sophie then helped distribute around the university to bring awareness and promote a revolution against Hitler. Eventually the White Rose was discovered by the Gestapo and several members, including Sophie and Hans, were executed.
Some readers will be confused by the jumps in time back and forth from her interview with the Gestapo to the start of her resistance efforts and eventually back to her childhood when Hans and Sophie were enthusiastic members of the Hitler Youth and eager nationalists. Sophisticated readers, however, will love the suspense and intensity this effect creates. Besides free-verse poems from Sophie's perspective and letters from Hans and her boyfriend, Ftitz, there are also occasional poems from the Gestapo investigator, which add additional tension. This is a powerful novel about difficult choices in the face of facism and brutality. Rather than stay silent and complicit, Sophie chose to fight back. Her story is inspirational and so necessary in these similarly fraught times.
Sophie Scholl was a member of the White Rose, a secret resistance group in Nazi Germany that strove to organize against Hitler's regime. Hans, Sophie's brother, wrote treasonable leaflets that Sophie then helped distribute around the university to bring awareness and promote a revolution against Hitler. Eventually the White Rose was discovered by the Gestapo and several members, including Sophie and Hans, were executed.
Some readers will be confused by the jumps in time back and forth from her interview with the Gestapo to the start of her resistance efforts and eventually back to her childhood when Hans and Sophie were enthusiastic members of the Hitler Youth and eager nationalists. Sophisticated readers, however, will love the suspense and intensity this effect creates. Besides free-verse poems from Sophie's perspective and letters from Hans and her boyfriend, Ftitz, there are also occasional poems from the Gestapo investigator, which add additional tension. This is a powerful novel about difficult choices in the face of facism and brutality. Rather than stay silent and complicit, Sophie chose to fight back. Her story is inspirational and so necessary in these similarly fraught times.
June 11, 2019
I'm not generally a fan of books like this, made up of instapoetry. This does not prove an exception, even though I love reading about the White Rose. I was upset with the liberties the author took--things she briefly acknowledges in the Author's Note--because this story is so important, because--as she herself notes--most information about the White Rose is in German (meaning that her "liberties" could misinform readers), and because they add nothing to the story. I also think it's rude to posit that someone could be bisexual when there is NO PROOF. I don't want people to look up to Hans as an LGBTQ icon when Kip Wilson has no evidence to suggest that he even was. Bisexuality is fraught enough; we don't need bi icons that were not actually bi. (If someone comes across proof, of course I would be thrilled to learn that Hans was bi! But I believe in proof. He isn't a made-up character, and this book isn't supposed to be unhistorical like My Lady Jane (in which the authors derail history completely, but in a hilarious and amazing way); it's a serious "true-to-how-it-happened" book.
March 22, 2019
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
White Rose by Kip Wilson is absolutely stunning novel in verse about the life of Sophie Scholl. Scholl was an anti-Nazi political activist and pamphleteer with the non-violent resistance group called the White Rose. The detail and research that has gone into presenting her story and the story of the group is amazing. It's also quite gut-wrenching to read considering that I already knew her fate before going into the story. While novels in verse aren't usually my thing, this 100% worked for me and I can't recommend it highly enough. If you're a fan of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, do yourself a favor and pick up Kip Wilson's White Rose. I can't wait to see Wilson's future projects. Thanks again, NetGalley!
White Rose by Kip Wilson is absolutely stunning novel in verse about the life of Sophie Scholl. Scholl was an anti-Nazi political activist and pamphleteer with the non-violent resistance group called the White Rose. The detail and research that has gone into presenting her story and the story of the group is amazing. It's also quite gut-wrenching to read considering that I already knew her fate before going into the story. While novels in verse aren't usually my thing, this 100% worked for me and I can't recommend it highly enough. If you're a fan of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, do yourself a favor and pick up Kip Wilson's White Rose. I can't wait to see Wilson's future projects. Thanks again, NetGalley!
April 2, 2020
3.5 stars!
May 24, 2021
Sophie Scholl and her brother grow up in Hitler's Germany. Sophie is brought up in a home where her father is openly critical of Hitler's actions and so she feels a growing urgency to do something about what she sees happening around her.
Her older brother, Hans, serves in the Wehrmacht and sees first hand the atrocities of war. It's under his guidance that Sophie begins to distribute leaflets in opposition to Hitler's regime.
The book is written in verse, but also makes use of correspondence between Sophie and her brother as well as Sophie and her sometimes boyfriend, Fritz. The story also starts at the end. This is an interesting way to tell the story.
Wilson gives extensive notes in the back which I found helpful. I just wanted more emotional investment in Sophie - she needs to be developed more fully.
Her older brother, Hans, serves in the Wehrmacht and sees first hand the atrocities of war. It's under his guidance that Sophie begins to distribute leaflets in opposition to Hitler's regime.
The book is written in verse, but also makes use of correspondence between Sophie and her brother as well as Sophie and her sometimes boyfriend, Fritz. The story also starts at the end. This is an interesting way to tell the story.
Wilson gives extensive notes in the back which I found helpful. I just wanted more emotional investment in Sophie - she needs to be developed more fully.
April 6, 2021
Books in verse don't always work for me, but this one was so well done there were moments where I forgot it was in verse. White Rose is a story of resistance and bravery. Sophie and her friends worked together to non-violently protest the Nazi regime. They created anonymous leaflets and graffiti, hoping to inspire others to resist as well.
Though the story has a very tragic ending, I don't feel like the story itself was sad - the poetry was powerful and moving, and the overall feeling this book gave me was one of hope. Even in the darkness of Nazi Germany, there were people who were willing to stand up and say that this isn't right.
Though the story has a very tragic ending, I don't feel like the story itself was sad - the poetry was powerful and moving, and the overall feeling this book gave me was one of hope. Even in the darkness of Nazi Germany, there were people who were willing to stand up and say that this isn't right.
March 23, 2019
*I received an ARC of this novel at Yallfest 2018.*
I have only read one or two novels written in verse and I don't think the style is for me. I don't tend to hold details in my head as much when reading this format. I got better at it as I read this one, because I started thinking about it in a different way, but it still didn't hit me as hard as something like this might have had it been written differently.
One thing that I liked a lot about this was the constant shift between The End and Before. This is a type of storytelling that I enjoy and I think it worked well here. Our main character in this story is a real person, so we already know what the outcome of the story will be, but it's neat to piece things together with this shift back and forth between different times.
I am always interested in learning about history surrounding World War Two, so I did like learning more about something that I knew little about. I have heard of Sophie Scholl, I think, but never looked much beyond surface information, so it was interesting to have her story (a version of her story at least) told and to try and imagine what she might have thought and felt.
This is worth a read if you enjoy World War Two or novels written in verse. I would have connected more had it been a traditional novel, but I did find it informative and thought provoking.
I have only read one or two novels written in verse and I don't think the style is for me. I don't tend to hold details in my head as much when reading this format. I got better at it as I read this one, because I started thinking about it in a different way, but it still didn't hit me as hard as something like this might have had it been written differently.
One thing that I liked a lot about this was the constant shift between The End and Before. This is a type of storytelling that I enjoy and I think it worked well here. Our main character in this story is a real person, so we already know what the outcome of the story will be, but it's neat to piece things together with this shift back and forth between different times.
I am always interested in learning about history surrounding World War Two, so I did like learning more about something that I knew little about. I have heard of Sophie Scholl, I think, but never looked much beyond surface information, so it was interesting to have her story (a version of her story at least) told and to try and imagine what she might have thought and felt.
This is worth a read if you enjoy World War Two or novels written in verse. I would have connected more had it been a traditional novel, but I did find it informative and thought provoking.
February 11, 2020
Wonderful.
Normally novels in verse have many, many overused craft moves that supposedly add to the meaning or power of the words or moment, and this was no exception, but I feel that it is very easily overlooked because of this: this book, along with only one other novel in verse I can think of (October Mourning), has a plot+setting that deserved and needed this kind of writing.
Set in WWII, every moment was filled with power and emotion, which fit perfectly with everything this book had to offer. I merely picked it up because I was in need of a book and it was the only book I haven’t already read from my English teacher’s shelf.
Another notable thing about novels in verse is that is quite difficult to have sufficient character development for attachment. Of course this doesn’t apply to the main character, given that all of the emotions and drawn out scenes give us infinite depth into their heads, but rather the supporting roles. In books I find myself wanting to attach to the supporting characters, but in novels in verse it’s just not possible.
It was a thrilling read, dramatic and emotional in its essence. I highly recommend it, but please be aware that it is a novel in verse and has it’s drawbacks as I mentioned.
The ending.... wow. That is all I have to say of it.
Normally novels in verse have many, many overused craft moves that supposedly add to the meaning or power of the words or moment, and this was no exception, but I feel that it is very easily overlooked because of this: this book, along with only one other novel in verse I can think of (October Mourning), has a plot+setting that deserved and needed this kind of writing.
Set in WWII, every moment was filled with power and emotion, which fit perfectly with everything this book had to offer. I merely picked it up because I was in need of a book and it was the only book I haven’t already read from my English teacher’s shelf.
Another notable thing about novels in verse is that is quite difficult to have sufficient character development for attachment. Of course this doesn’t apply to the main character, given that all of the emotions and drawn out scenes give us infinite depth into their heads, but rather the supporting roles. In books I find myself wanting to attach to the supporting characters, but in novels in verse it’s just not possible.
It was a thrilling read, dramatic and emotional in its essence. I highly recommend it, but please be aware that it is a novel in verse and has it’s drawbacks as I mentioned.
The ending.... wow. That is all I have to say of it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 963 reviews