Faceless: A Suspenseful Historical Espionage Adventure About Sisterhood in WWII for Kids

by Kathryn Lasky

Newbery Honor winner Kathryn Lasky, author of the Guardians of Ga'hoole series, delivers a riveting adventure about young British spies on a secret mission in Germany in WWII.

Over the centuries, a small clan of spies called the Tabula Rasa has worked ceaselessly to fight oppression. They can pass unseen through enemy lines and "become" other people without being recognized. They are, essentially, faceless.

Alice and Louise Winfield are sisters and spies in the Tabula Rasa. They're growing up in wartime England, where the threat of Nazi occupation is ever near. But Louise wants to live an ordinary life and leaves the agency. Now, as Alice faces her most dangerous assignment yet, she fears discovery, but, most of all, she fears losing her own sister.

This upper middle grade novel is a mix of espionage and historical adventure and will appeal to fans of Elizabeth Wein and Ruta Sepetys. Lasky masterfully spins a tale filled with mystery, suspense, and intrigue that will have readers hooked.

Faceless is also a springboard for the study of Word War II, with special interest to classrooms that would like to teach subjects such as Hitler, the Nazi regime, and anti-Nazi resistance.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, World War II, Historical, War, Adventure

303 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 19, 2021

About the author

Kathryn Lasky, also known as Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann, is an award-winning American author of over one hundred books for children and adults. Best known for the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, her work has been translated into 19 languages and includes historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction.

Reviews

[cunong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Faceless follows the story of Alice Winfield, a young teenage spy belonging to a group of spies dating back to the reign of King Henry VIII, the Tabula Rasa. Her father, mother and sister also belongs to the same group. (A family of spies?!!!??? How cool.)

Tabula Rasa is a unique group. The members have faces that is forgettable, an advantage to their spying job. One day, Louise decides to renounce her anonimity via plastic surgery. Slight changes were made, thus making her face recognizable. Louise no longer wishes to work as a spy. Instead, she works as a code breaker, solving puzzles and intercepting messages during the WWII. Louise seems to enjoy her "new" life. Now, she can go on to make friends who will not ask for her name every 5 minutes and wore perfume, a rule forbidden for Rasa members as it gave away the chance for them to be recognized. Louise went on, discarding some aspects from her "old" life. She wishes to be called Louisa now.

These changes made Alice uncomfortable. She feels something has shifted between her and Louise. Her sister became someone that she doesn't know. But Alice don't have time to worry about her sister as she being offered new mission. Her first A level mission! None other to infiltrate Hitler's inner circle. Whoa!

Faceless is quite an amusing read. The worldbuilding for the Rasas is so cool and detailed, for example how the agents were to received instructions for their mission (sweetpaper, fake milk, etc.) and how young agents like Louise and Alice received their training via summer camp to learn about history, languages, and other practical skills related to their mission.

Also, Adolf Hitler, Eva Braun, and several historical figures appears in a cameo here 👀

However, there's some things that I find confusing in Faceless. For example, how the character of Alice was written. At the beginning of the book, Alice described as somewhat timid. A young spy unsure of herself. Having a talented sister with such legacy that left her a shoe too big to fill with. But then suddenly, in charge of her mission, she seemed to be doing just fine. She's excellent. Where did that self doubt go? I wish we could see more of Alice's inner conflict for executing her first A level mission.

In action, Alice is professional. No room for flaws. Perfectly disguised, blending in. But I find it confusing that she choose some decision that risked everything (her safety, her undercover identity revealed) when she befriends a homeless Jewish boy called David. David's existence even takes much more space compared to the mission that made us curious about this book. I would like to see more of Alice in action.

Also, I feel that the ending was too rushed. I didn't mind if this book is longer by several chapters because I wish things wouldn't unfold so easily like that. Some major events were squished in only one chapter... it'd be great if it went down into a long chapter with more details, or several shorter chapters. I have to part with the Winfields so abruptly and it made me sad 💔

3.5/5 🌟

[𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I were to rate the book “Faceless,” I would give it a 3 out of 5.
Faceless is a book about a young girl who is a spy who works for RASA, a spy organization whose spies’ faces no one can remember.
The setting is in the middle of World War II.
I found this interesting, as I don't know much about World War II.
The book gave a lot of information about World War II.

The book was ok, although the ending was too abrupt.
It was also very emotional.
I felt that the main character, Alice, was a fool.
Yes, she was a natural at memorizing things, but she was emotionally stupid.
She didn't realize that her sister was pretending to forget her and her mom.

Another thing I didn't like about this book was how quickly Max and the Winfield family trusted each other.
It was absolutely absurd and completely unrealistic!
Max went from trying to kill them to become their family in less than an hour!
Also, the Winfields shouldn't have adopted Max.
They should have just led him to safety.
What about the costs?
What about the bed?
They already have two daughters!
They don't need another child!
It is entirely unrealistic.

If a sequel came out, I wouldn't read it.

[Caylie Ratzlaff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4.5/5 stars.

The cover? Beautiful. The plot? Beautiful. The necessary world building for this secret organization of spies who have faces that can't be remembered? Amazing. Like...I was not expecting to like this as much as I did, and I hope that this becomes a series.

Alice is part of the Rasa...a branch of spies who have faces that are so common, they can't be remembered. They are faceless, and people consistently forget who they are. Because of this, they are able to take on missions and project who they need to be on their targets and ledgers. Seriously...this is amazing. Alice gets tasked with infiltrating Hitler's life which...I mean...I knew it was a WW2 novel but I didn't realize we were going to be right in the middle of it.

I sincerely could not put this book down, and I just wanted to keep reading it. The historical world building of the Rasas is phenomenal. Alice is incredibly likable. I only docked 1/2 a star because of the ~~twist~~ in the end.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faceless is the story of a family of spies that people don't remember. Alice is the youngest (13 years old), and goes with her mom and dad to Berlin (during WWII) with a part to help in one of many missions, including Valkyrie. The fantastical addition of her "faceless" family and generations of training spies, as well, as their current mission make this a thrilling read. As Alice is nearing the age of the Fount of Life program (a program Germans used to spread reproduce "pure" children), there are a few discussions of her older classmates becoming pregnant. For that reason, it would be hard to recommend to younger readers, but I would definitely recommend it to 7th grade+ .

I got this ARC from Netgalley; all reviews are my own.

[Allie Tribbett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! So many twists and turns! It was so cool to learn about a British spy during WWll! It was an easy read, and I finished it in about a week. For some of my next reads I will try out more books by Kathryn Lasky.

[Mallory Hartkopf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The basic plot of the book is that there are people with really forgettable faces, and so they work as spies. It is set during WWII. It is pretty interesting!

[Mag · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book and I finished it, so it's not a bad book per se, but the more I read it and the more annoyed I was getting. It is supposed to be a kid's book about the second world war and the problem with history is that you cannot make stupid things up because then people believe them. The spy network for which the heroine is working is supposed to be made entirely of people with unmemorable faces, and it's a family business too, meaning that the heroine's parents and her sister are all in it. As if it would be ethical to recruit kids from birth to become spies and send them to Germany to spy on the Nazis. As if kids would necessarily inherit specific features from their parents. Then there is the older sister who at the start of the book decides to get plastic surgery because she is tired of being unmemorable. Turns out she is also sent to Germany but they don't tell the heroine even though they're going to the same place, and the heroine, who is supposed to be a great spy, does everything she can to destroy her sister's cover because she wonders why she is there. And then there is the little Jewish boy that the heroine meets and brings food to which makes you think "OK, it's the feel good part of this Kid's book, she is going to save his life." But no, she helps him for a while, and then he dies anyway. I got so annoyed about this. You made this entire spy network out of thin air, and you can't even let your only Jewish character make it in this fantasy book? Apparently the author is Jewish herself but didn't want to write about the Jewish experience in this book, so that meant sacrificing this character I assume. It just felt pointless. They make this kid infiltrate the Nazis and get close to Hitler so she can report on his mental health, as if the allies need to make sure he is crazy before they kill him. And then Hitler commits suicide anyway so her entire work is pointless (the author didn't go as far as changing how Hitler dies at least, not like Quentin Tarantino in Inglorious Bastards, another of my pet peeves). I guess if you want to give your kids a book to educate them about the second world war, give them Anne Frank's diaries and not this one.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faceless
by Kathryn Lasky
HarperCollins Children's Books
HarperCollins
Children's Fiction | Historical Fiction | Middle Grade
Pub Date 19 Oct 2021



I am reviewing a copy of Faceless through HarperCollins Children’s Books and Netgalley:



For centuries a small clan clan of spies called the Tabula Rasa has worked ceaselessly to fight oppression. They can pass unseen through enemy lines and “become” other people without being recognized. They are in essence Faceless.



Alice and Louise Winfield are spies in the Tabula Rasa. They are growing up,in England during the Second World War with the threat of Nazi Occupation always near. But Louise wants to live an ordinary life and leaves the agency. Now, as Alice faces her most dangerous assignment yet, she fears discovery, but, most of all, she fears losing her own sister.




Faceless is an upper middle grade novel full of espionage and historical adventure and will appeal to fans of Elizabeth Wein and Ruta Sepetys. Lasky masterfully spins a tale filled with mystery, suspense, and intrigue that will have readers hooked.


Faceless would make a great introduction to open discussions about the Second World War.


I give Faceless five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[Bonnie Grover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Faceless is an adventure story that follows a family of spies in Germany during WWII. Alice and Louise Winfield are sisters and spies in the Tabula Rasa. They are growing up in wartime England, where the threat of Nazi occupation is very real. They are able to pass unseen through enemy lines because they have a face that is not easily recognized or remembered. They are essentially, faceless. Alice has to face her most dangerous assignment as she fears being discovered. And Louise just wants to live an ordinary life and leave the agency.
If you are a history buff or know a student who prefers nonfiction, this is a great book to add to your shelves.

[Carol Youssif · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book! The writing style is definitely for older people than the intended audience, which drove me nuts. It read like an adult book for middle schoolers. I had a hard time getting past this.
Overall, the story has some interesting elements, ie spies during WWII, but ultimately the story moves slowly, there's a lot of German and period words (that even I as an adult had to look up, imagine a 12yo), and it's hard to connect with Alice, the main character.
This book was just ok.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine having the kind of face that is unrecognizable to people, a face that they just don't remember or recall even if they had been talking to you only minutes before. Now imagine how useful that forgettable face would be when it came to the art of spying. Well, that is the premise of Faceless.
Alice Winfield, 12, her mother Posie, father Alan, and older sister Louise, 18, are part of a unique group of people with forgettable faces, "nonfaces that were like tabulae rasas or blank slates." (pg 6) And British Rasas had been serving their country as spies since the days of Henry VIII. Now, however, Louise has decided to leaving spying and have plastic surgery that would give her a recognizable face - something that Alice just can't understand.

But it's 1944, and before she has too much time to think too much about it, Alice is parachuting into Germany with her mother on her first real spying mission and joining her father in Berlin. Her mission is to spy on Adolf Hitler. Posing as a schoolgirl named Ute, Alice wins the Reichs Praktikum for a chance to be an intern in Hitler's household, going where he goes and assessing his mental health. Her mentor for this spy mission is Count Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg, Reichs hero and secretly part of Operation Valkyrie, the plot to kill Hitler, and now Alice is right in the thick of that conspiracy.

In the midst of this intrigue Alice/Ute meets David, a starving Jewish boy who has been hiding out in the house his family used to lived in before they were deported. The house is now occupied by Colonel Ernst Schmelling, a high ranking Nazi. David has been eating scraps of food out of the Schmelling garbage cans to survive. Alice begins sneaking food to David and they gradually become friends. Oddly enough, David never forgets her, recognizing her face each time they meet.

On top of all that, one day Alice is sure she has seen Louise among the crowds of people in Berlin. But what would she be doing there? Is she a double agent, or has she gone over to the other side? Whatever it is, Alice is determined to find Louise and confront her.

With the war turning in the Allies favor, especially after the failure of Operation Valkyrie (not a spoiler, we all know what happened), and the success of the July 6, 1944 Normandy landings (D-Day), things are becoming quite dangerous as the tension mounts.

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did, I was hooked. The whole business about Rasa confused me at first, but once I realized it was a fiction, I just went with it. It was interesting to see the last days of the Third Reich through Alice's eyes, and Lasky included lots of good information about what it was like to be in Hitler's inner circle.

But there were some things that bothered me. It was a little to repetitive at times, especially in the beginning of the book. And I kept wondering how the local baker was about to bake such wonderful bread and cookies in 1944, when most people were starving (except Nazis, of course). There was also a big error on page 102, which I think was just a typo - it said that was the commandant of Auschwitz was Rudolf Hess, but it was actually Rudolf Höss. Rudolf Hess was a prisoner in the Tower of London in 1944. You can see how easy it is to confuse the two names, though. One last thing bothered me - on page 114 it says there isn't a cozy name for mother in German, but that's exactly was Mutti is. These things will definitely not spoil your reading of Faceless, but as a person with a PhD in Germanic Languages and Literature who's also a little OCD, I just couldn't let them go. However, despite these things, I really did enjoy reading this novel.

Faceless is a story that will appeal to readers who enjoy WWII fiction, historical fiction, and spy novels and I do recommend it.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was a digital book gratefully received from NetGalley

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alice is a Rasa. She comes from a long line of people in England that a man in Henry VIII's reign discovered make perfect spies because they have faces that are almost impossible to remember. It is now in the middle of WWII, and Alice is both put out and excited. She's put out because her older sister had surgery to make her face more memorable so she could get out of the family spying business. She's excited because MI6 has given her her first important assignment. She's done supporting roles with her family in the past, but this time she's moving to Berlin and has her own special assignment. They are going deep undercover as a family of Germans moving from one area to another. Her father is already in Berlin and has established himself as THE car mechanic to the head Nazis. Her mother has a placement in a government office, and Alice's job is to become the perfect student and athlete combo so she can win a special work assignment in Hitler's household and provide intel for Operation Valkyrie. But can she do it?

This definitely felt more like a reimagined fantasy than pure historical fiction. Alice and her family pretty much have super powers. No one can remember their faces. It isn't just that they are forgettable and good at their jobs; it is that they are born with faces so perfectly ratioed that isn't possible to remember their faces. This took a lot of the suspense out of their spying. On top of that, they have pretty much perfect memories, perfect hearing so they can mimic and remember any accent or sound. And thanks to all these superpowers, it never really felt like they were in danger of being discovered. What was more suspenseful was Alice's obsession with her sister's surgery and thinking she sees or smells her sister in Berlin. It felt like a fevered dream whenever this came up, and it started making me question her sanity or even if she was alive or not. I'm not going to spoil how it turns out, but it did eventually make sense even though it was woven in in an odd way. This was also hard to place interest level-wise. Alice hears a lot from the German girls around her about the pressure to produce babies for the Reich and some of their 14-15 year old peers start getting pregnant. There's also a bit more swearing than normal for a middle grade, but it also didn't feel quite YA either. I guess it would be good for those who are in that space between MG and YA wanting a less tense WWII spy thriller. It wasn't my favorite, but it did help make the Valkyrie attempt on Hitler's life more memorable and life in Berlin during WWII.

Notes on content: About 6-8 minor swears. No sex scenes. It talks about young teen girls getting pregnant to do their part for the Fatherland, but no details about how they get that way. Bombings are mentioned, an attempted assassination by bombing and subsequent repercussions is mentioned but not described in gory details. An attempted garroting is foiled. War fatalities are mentioned, and one death due to exposure is described.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explores the idea of what if, genetically, there were folks whose faces were completely unremarkable, almost invisible to others' memories, and they worked as spies during WWII? What if they were put to work, even -- or especially -- as children spying on Hitler? In an attempt to assassinate him?

In this unorthodox spy tale, young Alice's older sister, Louise, opts out of a life of anonymity and forever being forgotten with plastic surgery on her face to make it memorable. At the same time, Louisa (her new identity as a non-spy) seems to lose her ability remember her sister, Alice, at all.

Alice mourns the loss of her sister, but eagerly awaits her first top-level mission: joining her father in Germany's Reich, where her dad fixes the automobiles for Hitler and his top aides. Alice's mission? Provide intel for Operation Valkyrie, an assassination attempt on Hitler. Her role? To rise to the top of her class and be named to Hitler's household, as a servant and sometimes actress in the plays put on in the Führerbunker, and report on Hitler's mental status.

She meets a Jewish boy living homeless under the nose of one of Hitler's top aides. David not only sees Alice, he never forgets her. But Alice fails to catch, in David's unflagging awareness of her, the warning signs that her genetic invisibility is not as iron-clad as she needs it to be. To the reader, it's an ominous foreshadowing of what's to come.

And it does come, after a shared dance with her sister, Louisa, just like old times. Alice stands out from the crowd around Hitler. She's downright memorable. And that is life-threatening to a spy.

This is a very different type of WWII spy book. For all its fantasy premise, it highlights the horrible and morally questionable things spies of all ages have to do during war.

Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?

Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/

[Momschooled · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I wanted a middle grade story about a child taking on the 'evil government' my library recommended this book.
While it is a fresh take on child spies and WW2, I would say that this is more appropriate for young adults, not middle graders.

while the main character is a 13 year old British spy working under cover as a Nazi, she hears many stories of 14 year old girls getting pregnant for 'the good of the country and Aryan race'. Older men (including Hitler) are attracted to her and make inappropriate comments to her. She witnesses older teens making out with men. In one case a man discusses another man's sex life with her (and she is repulsed, knowing that it is not appropriate - yet here a middle grade child is reading about it in a book!)

For the religious conscious:
-many characters use 'God' or 'Lord' in vain
-the book has an 'all religions go to heaven' perspective: the main character recites a Jewish prayer she has memorized, and 'prays' when someone is gravely ill - yet no mention of the deity she is praying to. the word 'pray' is used like 'wishful thinking'
-more than once Hitler is described as being evil because he wants to 'exterminate Jews and homosexuals'
-Eva Brown (Hitler's girlfriend) uses drugs and other drug use is mentioned in the book
-the main character dances the Charleston with her sister in front a crowd of drunk men for entertainment

In general, the main character gets along with her parents, and struggles, as all kids do, in getting along with her sibling. I thought it unrealistic that the girl doesn't tell her parents that she saw her sister in Berlin, when everyone thought she had left the spy world. She keeps it a secret that she is feeding a poor Jewish boy, and in the end, he doesn't get the help he needs and dies. The spy family interactions left a feeling of many members working individually, keeping secrets from each other, rather than being a team and working together.

[Elaine Bearden · Rating 4 out of 5]

gr 4-8
Super interesting book that took me a couple of tries to get into. Main character, Alice age 13, is part of a historic family of spies called the Rasas. Her older sister Louise, 19, is leaving the spy life and has her face altered so that people will remember it. Alice receives her first "A" level spy assignment in Nazi Germany with her family. Her father goes first and she and her mother fly from England and parachute into Germany. Stationed in Berlin, Alice is excited and also finds her role challenging as she misses real friends, especially because her sister is no longer around. Fascinating look at World War II from inside Hitler's household, as Alice has an assignment there. Alice's Fio is the man who led the failed Valkyrie assasination attempt on Hitler. The emotional connection between this story and the reader felt uneven and in a few cases inserted. There were also some copy editing errors, so I think this book would have done well with one more pass for editing/copy editing. The author gives info on the real characters in the story at the end of the book. Also has a very interesting author's note about her obsession with World War II growing up, including the military history. She also talks passionately about how writing outside of her experience engenders empathy and creativity. A good read! For kids interested in World War II, spies, secrets, etc. The "Faceless" concept was interesting - almost like historical fantasy.

[Sheila Bracken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This upper middle grade novel is a mix of espionage and historical adventure about a young British spy on a secret mission in Germany in WWII. Alice Winfield, her parents, and her sister are spies in the Tabula Rasa–a small clan of spies that can pass unseen through enemy lines and "become" other people without being recognized. Rasa’s are called faceless because their faces are unremarkable, forgettable. In fact, people forget them as soon as they pass by, which is a perfect situation for those engaged in espionage.
With the threat of Nazi occupation ever near, Alice faces her most dangerous assignment yet. She will enter Nazi Germany and report on what she sees as she infiltrates the homes of the upper echelons of the Nazi party. Among her experiences are flashbacks to spy training, uncovering mission assignments and the actual events of her mission, which are full of suspense and bursts of high adrenaline.
Most of the time, Alice feels older than her years. She’s confident and well-prepared for her assignment. But there are a few moments when her insecurities peak through. She fears discovery, but, most of all, she fears losing her sister who chose to leave the agency in order to live an ordinary life.
Readers should not be surprised by mentions of violence or a few incidences when characters use inappropriate language as that is common in war stories, particularly those based on actual events from WWII and the Holocaust. 3

[Traci · Rating 3 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC
Alice, a thirteen year British girl, is a Rasa spy. So are her parents and her older sister. Rasas have a condition that prevents anyone from remembering their faces. As children they attend summer camps where they learn multiple languages and other useful skills. This book is about Alice’s first mission, in which she infiltrates Hitler’s inner circle toward the end of WWII, by assuming the identity of a top German student who is allowed to serve as part of his household staff at various locations, including his bunker.
Pros
You learn a lot about Hitler’s inner circle, his movements and his state of mind towards the end of the war, in addition to the conditions in Berlin at that time.
The intended audience will enjoy the fact that a character so close in age to their own not only has a job, but an important and dangerous one.
Cons
There same information was repeated in several places.
There were three storylines( Alice’s mission, the young Jewish boy she helps, and a mystery surrounding her sister) & none of them were really fleshed out so therefore I wasn’t that invested in any of them.
I will recommend it to fans of WWII fiction because of the main character’s unique perspective from inside Hitler’s inner circle.

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Faceless starts out with a good hook, but it takes more than a few pages to get your bearings. Once you do, however, you understand the storytelling choices author Kathryn Lasky has made.

Most of the time, Alice feels older than her years. She’s confident and well-prepared for her assignment. But there are a few moments when her insecurities peak through, and that’s what makes her interesting. There are a few “main” supporting characters, but it’s Alice’s experiences that take center stage.

Among Alice’s experiences are flashbacks to spy training, uncovering mission assignments and the actual events of her mission, which are full of suspense and bursts of high adrenaline. All these moments play out cinematic pacing and smooth prose.

Faceless is the sort of story I would have loved as a middle-reader and that I still enjoy today. Her mix of espionage and historical drama make for a fast-paced and engaging adventure. I would recommend this for fourth- and fifth-graders.

[Emily Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kathryn Lasky is an author I have read before and adored her books. So I was excited to give this one a try. I’m also a huge WW11 reader, one of my favorite things to read about.

For me Faceless started out really slow and felt repetitive until about 30% in. However after that the story picked up pace and was more interesting.
My favorite part was Alice’s interactions with David .
This book made me cry at a certain part that I will leave unsaid so this review is spoiler free, just know I cried.

Alice was a likable character and I enjoyed the story from her perspective.

There is one instance where she finds herself being looked over in a threatening way by an older man and while nothing happens ,I just wanted to mention that for triggering reasons.

All in all an ok read , but not in my top favorites of Kathryn Laskys.

Thank you for Netgalley for the review copy!

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over the course of history a small clan of spies called the Tabula Rasa have worked to fight oppression due to their unmemorable faces. They can pass unseen through enemy lines more than one time and still remain unrecognized. Alice and Louise are sisters and spies in Tabula Rasa they're grown up in wartime England where the threat of Nazi occupation gets closer by the day. Whilst Alice decides it's time for her first real mission Louise decides to leave the spy organization to live a more normal life- with a memorable face. Now as Alice prepares for her new mission- infiltrating's Hitler's inner sanctum to report on the Nazi's- she fears both being discovered and for her sister.

Looking for a WWII spy novel that's not like all the rest? Here you go. The faceless idea was super interesting and there were some good parts- I am just not a WWII spy novel kind of person.

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirteen-year-old Alice Winfield from Great Britain belongs to a family line who for generations have had forgettable faces. Her family, called Rosas, thus make perfect spies and have been doing so since the days of Henry VIII. Now it's 1944 and it's Alice's time to join the family business to spy on Adolf Hitler.
The idea that the family had forgettable faces is a hook I've never seen in other stories, and the concept working well with this WWII story. I enjoyed vicariously entering the world of Adolf Hitler during his last days and even seeing his pet dog through Alice's eyes.

Young readers may not understand Hitler's Fount of Life program, which he promoted and is mentioned in the story.

I hope Ms. Lasky writes more about the Tabla Rosa people, she invented, who have unmemorable faces.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel. This did not affect my review at all.

This was a great book about spying on the Nazis! Alice is a member of the Tabula Rosa, an elite group of spies who are almost “faceless” and are very easy to forget. She is cleared for a Level A mission and is sent to England to try and earn a position spying on high ranking Nazi officers, eventually even working her way up to being near Adolf Hitler himself. She helps the Allies get very useful information to attack.

Faceless was a great novel for an older middle grade/younger young adult audience! It was very exciting and full of twists and turns! However, some parts were a bit dull, but the right reader would not care at all. Kathryn Lasky does not disappoint!

Grades 7+.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this audio book fascinating. I've read several books by this author & found them all quite good. This had such an interesting premise. A group of spies formed during Elizabeth I's reign, has continued through the years & they all have a face that conforms to the golden mean. Their faces are so perfect that they are unmemorable, in that people literally can't remember meeting them. They work & go to school with the same people day after day & have to remind them of their name. A British family is in Germany to assist with operations to defeat Hitler & while there, the main character, Alice, has many interesting adventures & interacts with major Nazis.

[R Waterfall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know exactly what to think about this one. 🤷‍♀

It was fascinating and slightly confusing at the same time. There were a couple of disturbing parts, and the Fount of Life program was really strange to me. But I did like Alice as a character, and David Bloom was the best! It was cool to know more about what it was like being a spy in WWII Germany, and I learned more about Hitler and his comrades. It was an interesting perspective, since no one could remember Alice's face (hence the title). I also enjoyed being exposed to more of England and Germany during WWII.

[Heather Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not surprised to see another WWII novel by Lasky. I was a big fan of her Ashes novel. I thought this novel really combined a interesting plot device of people who are easily forgettable. These people would make excellent spies and worked for the Tabula Rasa. Although this is not a real organization the idea of it is interesting. I am a sucker for spy novels and I think that Lasky does a good job of balancing the adventure story with the history of WWII. The historical world building of the Rasas is awesome. Excellent novel.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have devoured books about WWII since I was in elementary school. This one was not one of my favorites, but it was definitely a worthwhile read. I would recommend reading it yourself before sharing it with a young child, because there are scenarios that could be very upsetting to a particularly sensitive child, but as long as you're aware of that it's definitely a solid piece of historical fiction. I felt it was a bit slow paced sometimes and that hurt my enjoyment of it a bit, but overall it held my interest.

[Saskia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It seemed to slip from YA to Children's fiction and back again at odd moments, which was a little jarring. The made-up counter-prosopagnosia 'syndrome' was a little hard to swallow, and I think the author knew that by the way it was hammered home.

Good storyline with a fleshed out story of Hitler's assassination attempt, which was something I've always been interested in. Also, loved the insight into Eva B's personality. Lolz.

3.5 rounded down for too much schmaltz at the end of the book.

Y9

CW: holocaust, death, attempted murder

[Mollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rate this book a 3 out of 5 it was exciting and one of my favorite genres of book it also gave you a little insight into what it was like during Hitler and World War 2. The only thing I think should be changed was the rising action, nothing encouraged me to keep reading because it just didn't have anything exhilarating. there was never a time when it got super exciting that kept me reading so toward the end of the book it was really hard to finish

[Kati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you have a child who is a history buff? Prefers non-fiction… great book

Do you have a child who prefers fiction? Enough fiction and fun while sneaking in facts.

Great for bright 8 years old -14 year old readers in my opinion

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 2 out of 5]

C-. fiction YA, historical fiction, WWII, young girl in trained as a spy