Defiance

Resistance #2

by Carla Jablonski

When Nazis invade, what can kids do to fight them?

World War II has taken its toll on the French countryside. German soldiers patrol the towns, searching for any challenge to their rule. The Tessier siblings, Paul, Marie, and Sophie, keep their noses clean and their faces blank as the French military police tighten their grip on their small country town. But all three are secretly doing their part for the Resistance: the men and women working hard to undermine the Germans and win back France’s freedom . . . even if it ends up costing them their lives.

Written by Carla Jablonski and illustrated by Leland Purvis, Defiance is the second volume in a trilogy about children fighting on a secret front of World War II.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Comics, Historical, Fiction, War

124 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2009

About the author

Carla Jablonski is the author and editor of dozens of best-selling books for teenage and middle-grade readers. She grew up in New York City, where she attended public schools and the Bronx High School of Science. She has a BA in anthropology from Vassar College and an MA from NYU's Gallatin School, an interdisciplinary program for which she combined playwriting, the history of gender issues in 19th Century Circus, and arts administration. "I wanted to write the play, contextualize the play, and learn how to produce the play for my degree," she explains. "I think I may have been the happiest graduate student at NYU -- I SO loved working toward my thesis."

While still in graduate school she supported herself as the editor of The Hardy Boys Mysteries. "When I interviewed for the job they asked me if I'd ever read the Hardy Boys as a kid. 'No way,' I scoffed. 'Those are BOY books! It was Nancy Drew for me!' Luckily my future boss had a sense of humor. She hired me after I promised I'd read the books if I got the job."

She has participated in the renowned Breadloaf Writers' Conference as well as Zoetrope's All-Story highly competitive writing workshop held at Francis Ford Coppella's resort in Belize. She has taught writing for the children's market, as well as "cold-reading" skills for teachers as part of Project:Read. Several of her books have been selected as part of the Accelerated Reader's program.

She continues to work freelance as an editor for publishers and for private clients, even as she writes novels and creates new series. She also has another career (and identity!) as a playwright, an actress, and a trapeze performer. "I try to keep the worlds separate," she explains about her multiple identities. "The different work I do has different audiences, so I want to keep them apart. But they're all me -- they're all ways of expressing what I'm thinking and feeling -- just in different mediums."

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this series about the German occupation of France during WWII. I didn't realize it lasted for so long. I also didn't realize there were people in France wanting to survive and give in thinking Germany would win. I guess that would be a logical idea people would have, it just never occurred to me before. The resistance struggles on and people even date the Germans to gather intelligence that saves lives.

I enjoy the art here and the story is good. I'm learning, I'm entertained and I enjoy it. It's a nice quick read. I feel one more book in the series is not enough. There needs to be more.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Defiance is the second book in the Resistance trilogy by writer Carla Jablonski and artist Leland Purvis. It begins in 1943, a year after Book 1 ends. Tensions are now higher and supplies are lower. To make matter worse, the Germans have formed a paramilitary group of Frenchmen called the Milice to do their dirty work, as well as instituting a policy of sending young French men and women to labor camps in Germany to help in their war effort. Paul Tessier, his older sister Sylvie and younger sister Marie are still working underground with the French Resistance.

Paul is still posting his anti-Nazi pictures around the village, but now he is also directing his skills towards the Milice. And he is getting impatient with the resistance movement using propaganda instead of weapons, on orders from Charles DeGaulle in London.

One day, after making a propaganda delivery, Paul finds the house empty, and his mother in their winery cellar demanding more wine to convert into fuel.and pouring heating oil into the ancient casks used to age the wine, and ruining them, infuriating Paul even more.

Paul’s older sister Sylvie is asked by her boyfriend Jacques to cozy up to the Germans to try to get information for the resistance. But Sylvie storms off because she feels she is being used. Jacques tells Paul about the Marquis, resistance workers who are hiding out in the woods, and that he wanted Sylvie to find out how much the Germans know about Marquis.

Jacques is sent to Germany for labor service, but when she finds out he escaped and is hiding out with the Marquis, Sylvie changes her mind about helping the resistance by gathering intelligence through flirting.

Paul finally is seen hanging up one of his anti-Nazi posters and realizes he, too, must go into hiding. But will he be able to find the Marquis and even if he does, will they allow his to become one of them?

Once again the combination of Jablonski, Leland and Sycamore have produced an excellent graphic novel about events effecting the French in World War II. I have read some criticism of this second book in the Resistance trilogy that it does not stand alone. Yet, if you read the brief description at the beginning of the story and the Author’s Note at the end, Defiance can easily be read as a stand alone novel, though, of course, it is better if read after reading Book 1, Resistance.

Another criticism is that the artwork depicting the female characters is confusing. I also thought this when I read Resistance, however, after a few pages I realized there is an each way to tell everyone apart. Each character wears the same color throughout. So - Paul wears a blue shirt, little sister Marie wears pink and though Sylvie and Aunt Celia both wear green, they are easy to tell apart.

The only thing that mars this otherwise excellent graphic novel is a lack of explanation about who Marshall Petain and General DeGaulle are and the role they played for France in World War II. On the other hand, if you are using this as a text in a class, it is definitely a teachable opportunity. Otherwise, Defiance is a exciting, informative novel based on real events in France while it was under Nazi occupation.

Book 3, Victory, will be available on July 17, 2012 and I am really looking forward to reading it.

This book is recommended for readers age 12 and up
This book was borrowed from the Webster Branch of the NYPL

[Raina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series makes me sad. It DOES get better as it goes along - as you get to know the characters. But it does not achieve what it wants to be. It feels contrived and not like the high adventure historical fiction it could be. Here's a piece of a review I wrote for another source:

Although the topic is fascinating and unique for this audience, there is a contrived feeling to this series. It feels just a little too dogmatic. The reader never truly connects with the characters, and the illustrations, though in beautiful full-color, feel amateurish and uneven. Purvis excels at drawing places and does not excel at drawing people. Unfortunately, there are a lot of human figures in this story. Although this topic is important and worth covering in an adventure-style historical fiction graphic novel like this, hopefully many other cartoonists will follow and be more successful at using this format to its greatest extent.

[Reading is my Escape · Rating 4 out of 5]

Resistance series  
 
This is a great middle-grade graphic novel series on the French resistance during World War II. Kids play their part and there is danger, but it is not overwhelming. My son brought this series home from his school library. He loved it and wanted to share it with me. I love when he does that!!

[Vinayak Hegde · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Resistance series is better than the first one. The narrative is much tighter and the artwork also much better. The narrative moves forward fast. The scenes around the raid in the jungle build up a lot of tension and well illustrated.

The protagonist (the small boy Paul) runs off into the jungle and joins the renegade Maqais. It is a difficult time for the family as the war has now moved along, the shortages of food have reached their peak and the pressure to collaborate with the Germans is higher. However the French Resistance is slowly coming together. The desire for freedom is pushing the kids to do more riskier things and the mother is a bundle of frayed nerves.

[Dov Zeller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like what this series is trying to do, but I don't connect to the art or the characters. Nothing really draws me into the story very deeply. I think giving it three stars is a bit of a stretch, but, then again, the idea is great and there is so much potential in it and it brings up a lot of the inner and inter-relational conflicts and excruciating choices people must make during times of war and violent political turmoil.

[Gage Daugherty]

I read about how Paul and the Resistance are planning how they are going to stop Germany from taking over the rest of France and how they are going to stop the french people from wanting them to take it away. I also read that the Maquis are hiding in mountains learning how to fight, hide, and run from the Germans to help France win the war.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the trilogy and like most series you would definitely have to read the first one before this. This book keeps you engaged through out the whole book and you never want to put it down. I recommend this book for people who loves history and mysteries.

[Ashlee G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this one as much as the first book because it was not as action-packed, but the book was still really good! Defiance is about the main character Paul, and he decided that he didn't want to sit around and do nothing while the Germans tried to tare the town apart. So he asked his leader what he should do, but soon after his leader got caught. So Paul stepped up and did what his leader told him to do. In the process of that, he got seen and chased by the Germans. When Paul thought that they were gone, he still thought that they might be following him so he didn't go back home. He went to the woods. Right when Paul thought he was lost he found a group of people called the Maquis. He found his leader in that group. A few days after Paul was missing, Pauls sisters took charge and went to find the Maquis group and to warn him that the Germans were trying to kill the Maquis. I still recommend these two books to people that like history. The two books: Resistance (book 1), Defiance (book 2).

[Madeleine R · Rating 3 out of 5]

resistance continues the plotline of Paul and his sisters surviving in france during the german occupation during world war two. I'd say this book is an improvement from the first, as the story is more interesting and moves along at a better pace, but the art is still lacking. While the artist has amazing backgrounds and obviously some skill, the story doesn't flow as well due to the badly drawn facial expressions and figures of the characters. It makes it harder to connect with the characters and overall, while the story is interesting and takes place somewhere that you don't usually see stories, it is hard to take seriously because of the art.

Paul becomes a rounder character in this book than the first, as he really devotes himself to fighting against the nazis, even at the expense of leaving his family. He struggles to find his place and what he can do in the war, along with his relationship with his sister. Overall though it's a decent story, but the art is distracting from it. I'd say if you like history and the art doesn't matter to you much, give it a read.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reason for Reading: next in the series

Continuing on from the second book, Paul and his older sister continue to work for the Resistance unbeknownst to their mother who has given up her part in the shady dealings to keep her family safe. The eldest girl's boyfriend is deeply involved with the movement causing her to wonder whether he really likes her or is just using her to get information from the Germans. Paul is working independently putting irreverent drawings around town of the Germans which are starting to cause a fuss. At this time in the history of the occupation we learn of the French police force started and run by the Germans called the Milice. A German military police force manned by French residents, obviously not a popular group with the locals. Throughout the plot we also learn of the Maquis, resistance groups hiding out in the forests planning for the moment when they can attack back. We learn of Philippe Petain, the leader of the new French State which worked in cooperation with the Nazis and we see the benefits that women were able to garner for themselves and their families if they fraternized with the Germans. Sometimes this was often a very hard decision to make when children were involved. The book ends with the family members not in accord with each other but with a ray of hope for the future as they celebrate a birthday and letter received from Papa. A grand sequel to the first book. I'm very much looking forward to where the final book will take us as I am expecting something tragic to happen.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Resistance is an excellent trio of graphic novels about one French family during World War II, living in the "free" part of France during German occupation. There is the artist son who is in his early teens, the social daughter in her late teens, and the isolated prepubescent daughter, along with their mom and aunt. Their absent POW dad impacts their dynamics.

Over the course of the three books, Resistance, Defiance, and Victory, each member of the family goes from mildly resentful to fully and dangerously involved in the resistance movement. None intends to get involved at the start and each takes his or her own path getting there, for many different, complicated reasons. Life is uncertain in an occupied state, for loyalties, motives, and honesty are always in doubt, even among friends, neighbors, and families. Everyone has secrets, trust is always a risk, and someone hostile is always near. This is not an easy or simple story, but it is a moving and realistic one.

My only real complaint was with the illustrations--I often had trouble determining facial expressions and body language, which should be some of the most important information communicated by the pictures in a graphic novel. This often left me awkwardly feeling as though I were missing part of the story, and I had to piece things together from the dialogue and context as much as I was able.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of the Resistance series is where this trilogy really begins to pick up steam. The Germans are now firmly rooted in just about all parts of France, even the unoccupied portion. The French police are nearly as bad as the German soldiers. Everyone in town must watch what they say and to whom they say it. Paul, Marie and Sophie are all trying desperately to help the resistance while keeping their family out of trouble.
It had never occurred to me that children would be as big a part of the resistance as any adult might be and these kids go above and beyond the call of duty. One can only imagine how much faster a child would grow up under such circumstances. Indeed, even little Marie, the youngest, handles her duties with a diligence generally reserved for those several times her age.

[Jennifer Mangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reviewing all three volumes - Book 1: Resistance, Book 2: Defiance, and Book 3: Victory - together because that's how I read them. They tell one story from beginning to end. I especially loved how the graphic novels captured the complexity of living under occupation as well as the complexity of the resistance movement. People on the same side disagreed and didn't get along and resented each other. It wasn't just "good guys" and "bad guys," and it wasn't always easy to see who was who. Each person had incredibly difficult decisions to make in order to survive and live by her/his own conscience. The novels also really captured the overall sense of fear and mistrust of living under occupation, never knowing who you could trust. I really enjoyed all three graphic novels immensely.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Struggling with my feelings here. Defiance is a graphic novel geared toward teaching children about the French resistance. The story encompasses a family who live on a winery in Vichy France. The members spy on Germans, put up resistance posters and aid French fighters in the forest. While I learned a lot from the story, I felt irritation because to have all members rolled into one family was incredible and unbelievable. It makes the danger the family was in less credible. The Germans are always stupid and fall for whatever lie the family members make up. Life was much more dangerous and this family would have been caught easily.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

World War II may be raging on in other parts of Europe, but here in the middle of France, Nazi rule is secure. However, young Paul Tessier isn't going to stand by and watch idly as the Nazis take over Europe; he wants to fight. Defiance, a Graphic Novel by Carla Jablonski and the second book in the Resistance series, Jablonski masterfully captures the emotions and actions of a young teenage boy as he struggles to survive in a time of war. Defiance is for anyone who wants to know more about the actual underground resistance in France during WWII, is looking for a moving graphic novel/historical fiction read, or just a quick book to sit down with.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series. Carla Jablonski deftly portrays all the complexities of living under occupation, particularly if one has relatives that disagree strongly on how to respond. I appreciate how she examines the dilemmas facing mothers, children, and young men. At what point does one stand up? How much is too much? How long can one go while turning a blind eye? And when one decides to make a stand what is the most effective way to do so? Can you do so without being harmed or putting your family in harm's way? Is it ever acceptable to put your family in danger?

Very powerful graphic novel that speaks to all ages.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book two of Resistance shows just how involved children were in the Nazi resistance in France during WWII. The Tessier children, Paul, Sylvie, and Marie, all play roles for the resistance groups. Sylvie starts dating a German soldier in order to gain information. Paul continues to draw anti-Nazi propaganda posters and hang them about town. The resistance is hiding in the mountains and at one point Paul joins them and learns more about what life in the resistance is like. The most interesting aspect of this story continues to be the collaborators. How many were collaborating to survive, to help the resistance and how many were collaborating for their own benefit?

[Hillary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as memorable as Book 1, but still very good. The children get more involved in anti-Nazi activities but the sense of danger wasn't as well portrayed as in Book 1.
I liked how this seemed to show more "war themes" in general. In Book 2, their family unit is affected and it seems they can't trust their own family members; the resistance fighters are hiding in the woods; soldiers are interested in the town's daughters.
I really want to see the next book to see how everything plays out.

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another compelling book in Jablonski's trilogy. What her Resistant books do is to raise questions of loyalty, patriotism, and self-preservation. She doesn't completely complicate the moral issues surrounding these, but she does present them for discussion. As such, younger readers -- the audience for much of her fiction -- can find the narrative accessible without too much complexity. At the same time, adult readers can find the kernels for moral dilemmas created by the was and the Occupation.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in the Good Reads Giveaway. I did not know it was in comic book format, and I usually do not read comic books, but I enjoyed it a lot! It was an easy reading, and it was also informative. I want to pass it to my husband's cousin now (she is 12 years old), because in my opinion it was also very educative. Overall, suprisingly great reading!!!!!

[Ania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teachers, please add the Resistance trilogy to your resources while studying WWII!
The theme of this trilogy is very serious: WWII. There are many students very interested in the war and social history of conflicts. I think Jablonski and Purvis deserve our attention as they created a very interesting book for teens and keep questioning readers on ethical issues like war, sacrifice, humanity.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

the graphic novel series touches on basic of the resistance movement in france while they were occuped by germany. even vichy france became more occupied as the war progressed and germany needed food and men to work in their war factories. each graphic novel has facts before and after about the situation as it happened.

[Brenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Resistance graphic novel trilogy. The characters are not always likable, but they are very real, which is why the books are so good. It gives a very realistic picture of ordinary people trying to survive the war and German occupation. The books are realistic, but not super gritty, as they are for kids. The info at the beginning and end give very good information.

[Ariel Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The details in this book really flesh out the characters, and their predicaments: from the kids' mum saying she wished for a steak, to the ambiguous relationship between Jacques and Sophie, to the difficulty of having a collaborator Aunt Celia living with three kids doing resistance work in their own ways.

I am lucky enough to have #3, Victory, out from the library at the same time!

[Jenifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second volume a lot. The historical allusions were well integrated into the narrative, and I continued to feel involved in the characters as they've developed in response to living under Nazi occupation. The pacing issuers from volume one were not completely resolved, but this one was more cohesive than the last. I will definitely try to finish the trilogy.

[Austin Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a non-fiction book. I would recommend this book to whoever is into war because this book is about a family trying to live in France during World War 2. Paul ( The main character)runs away because he thought he was in trouble with the germans and his sisters try to find him.This book is really good because I like to read/learn everything about war.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really glad that I waited to read the first volume when I had the second volume ready to go. This is a fast pased adventure comic about the resistance in France after WWWI. I'm not sure if the kids like, but it's a lot more engaging than some historific I've read.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sequel is better than book one and gives more of an idea about the inner workings of the Resistance during WWII. Particularly, the "maquis" in the woods planning to signal a plane with supplies and Marie's reluctance to sing a song honoring Marshal Petain.

[Jeanette Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one a lot. It was easy to follow and told a compelling story about the French resistance in during the Nazi occupation. Everyone helps to defeat the Germans and French Militia in any way they can as they try to survive. The graphics are great as well as the reviews I've gotten.