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Wallflower: A Novel About Berlin at the Time of the Fall of the Wall
Wallflower is four hours in the life of Molly Lenzfeld, sixteen-year-old New Yorker in Berlin. It's Thanksgiving Day 1989, two weeks after the fall of the Wall. Molly, the daughter of a German-Jewish mother who fled the Nazis in 1938, is off to her mother's birth house in East Berlin. On the subway trip from West to East wallflower Molly meets East German wildflower Mick Maier, nineteen. It's love at first sight, and for both, a journey into an unknown land, into the labyrinth of Berlin's underground world, a terrain in which they discover each other, the absurdities of the divided city, and, of course, the wonder of love.
146 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Holly-Jane Rahlens
33 books59 followersHolly-Jane Rahlens, a born New Yorker, grew up in Brooklyn and Queens and graduated from Queens College. She moved to Berlin soon after where she has lived virtually all her adult life. While remaining an American citizen, she has flourished in the German media world, working in radio, television and film as an actress, producer, and commentator, and creating a series of highly-praised one-woman-shows. She has written two novels for adults, BECKY BERNSTEIN GOES BERLIN and MAZEL TOV IN LAS VEGAS. In 2003 her first novel for teens, PRINCE WILLIAM, MAXIMILIAN MINSKY, AND ME, earned the prestigious Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis as the best young adult novel published in Germany. In 2006 the Association of Jewish Libraries named it a Sydney Taylor Honor Book. It has since been published in 15 countries, seven languages, and was released in Germany as a major motion picture in fall 2007. The movie has become a festival favorite and the recipient of several awards, among them the highly regarded Dutch film prize "Cinekid-Lion." Rahlens is currently writing the screenplay to her second novel for teens, HOW TO REALLY KISS, and her most current novels, MEMOIRS OF AN EX-CHEERLEADER and WALLFLOWER, were published in Germany in the fall of 2008 and 2009, respectively. (http://www.holly-jane-rahlens.com/abo...)
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 3, 2011
Spanish/English
Amé Wallflower!
Molly es el patito feo, vive en Berlín Este porque su papá, un químico, trabaja ahí. Estando tan cerca de regresar a Nueva York, decide visitar la casa donde su mamá pasó su niñez, y revivir esas viejas historias que le contaba. En ese viaje en metro conoce a Mick, un chico espontáneo que la lleva a hacer el gran viaje de su vida, en el metro de Berlín.
Después de la muerte de su madre, y a una edad tan difícil, Molly lucha por encontrar su lugar en el mundo. Ella piensa que es "la chica que vive en una grieta". Su tristeza, su dolor y la poca confianza en sí misma se plasman en las páginas de éste libro. Con la narración en primera persona vemos el mundo a través de sus ojos, llenos de vívidos detalles, inseguridades y esperanzas. Y Mick, uno de esos lindos chicos de los que terminas enamorándote por su sentido del humor y porque parece que no hay nada más importante en el mundo, que lo que tú tengas para decirle o mostrarle.
Wallflower es un libro divertido, con una narración fluida y llena de vida, de emociones. Es de esos libros difíciles de soltar, fue difícil no reír a carcajadas con las charlas de Molly y Mick, fue difícil no enamorarme de ellos y con ellos, y no pude de ningún modo, evitar llorar con algunas escenas. El final es dulce y prometedor.
Creo que la señora Rahlens ha hecho un trabajo magnífico, que aún siendo sólo cuatro horas en la vida de dos adolescentes, nos demuestra que se requieren muy pocos momentos en nuestra vida para transformarla. Wallflower es una novela conmovedora, una lectura obligada y absolutamente inolvidable.
_____________________________
I loved Wallflower!
Molly lives in East Berlin because her father, a chemist, works there. About to return to New York, decided to visit the house where her mother spent her childhood and relive those old stories she told. In the subway ride meets Mick, a spontaneous guy who takes to make the great journey of her life in the Berlin subway.
After the death of her mother, at an age that hard, Molly struggles to find its place in the world. She thinks it's "the girl who lives in a crack." Her sadness, grief and low self-confidence is reflected in the pages of this book. With the first-person narration we see the world through her eyes, full of vivid details, insecurities and hopes. And Mick, one of those nice guys that we ended up falling in love for his sense of humor and because it seems that for him there is nothing more important in the world, that what we have to say or show.
Wallflower is a fun book, with narration smooth and full of life, of emotions. It is difficult to put down, it was hard not to laugh out loud with Molly and Mick talks, it was hard not to fall in love with them and with them, and I could not in any way prevent cry with some scenes. The finish is fresh, sweet and promising.
I think Mrs. Rahlens has done a great job, still being only four hours in the life of two teenagers, shows that require very few moments in our lives to transform. Wallflower is a poignant novel, a must read and absolutely unforgettable.
Amé Wallflower!
Molly es el patito feo, vive en Berlín Este porque su papá, un químico, trabaja ahí. Estando tan cerca de regresar a Nueva York, decide visitar la casa donde su mamá pasó su niñez, y revivir esas viejas historias que le contaba. En ese viaje en metro conoce a Mick, un chico espontáneo que la lleva a hacer el gran viaje de su vida, en el metro de Berlín.
Después de la muerte de su madre, y a una edad tan difícil, Molly lucha por encontrar su lugar en el mundo. Ella piensa que es "la chica que vive en una grieta". Su tristeza, su dolor y la poca confianza en sí misma se plasman en las páginas de éste libro. Con la narración en primera persona vemos el mundo a través de sus ojos, llenos de vívidos detalles, inseguridades y esperanzas. Y Mick, uno de esos lindos chicos de los que terminas enamorándote por su sentido del humor y porque parece que no hay nada más importante en el mundo, que lo que tú tengas para decirle o mostrarle.
Wallflower es un libro divertido, con una narración fluida y llena de vida, de emociones. Es de esos libros difíciles de soltar, fue difícil no reír a carcajadas con las charlas de Molly y Mick, fue difícil no enamorarme de ellos y con ellos, y no pude de ningún modo, evitar llorar con algunas escenas. El final es dulce y prometedor.
Creo que la señora Rahlens ha hecho un trabajo magnífico, que aún siendo sólo cuatro horas en la vida de dos adolescentes, nos demuestra que se requieren muy pocos momentos en nuestra vida para transformarla. Wallflower es una novela conmovedora, una lectura obligada y absolutamente inolvidable.
_____________________________
I loved Wallflower!
Molly lives in East Berlin because her father, a chemist, works there. About to return to New York, decided to visit the house where her mother spent her childhood and relive those old stories she told. In the subway ride meets Mick, a spontaneous guy who takes to make the great journey of her life in the Berlin subway.
After the death of her mother, at an age that hard, Molly struggles to find its place in the world. She thinks it's "the girl who lives in a crack." Her sadness, grief and low self-confidence is reflected in the pages of this book. With the first-person narration we see the world through her eyes, full of vivid details, insecurities and hopes. And Mick, one of those nice guys that we ended up falling in love for his sense of humor and because it seems that for him there is nothing more important in the world, that what we have to say or show.
Wallflower is a fun book, with narration smooth and full of life, of emotions. It is difficult to put down, it was hard not to laugh out loud with Molly and Mick talks, it was hard not to fall in love with them and with them, and I could not in any way prevent cry with some scenes. The finish is fresh, sweet and promising.
I think Mrs. Rahlens has done a great job, still being only four hours in the life of two teenagers, shows that require very few moments in our lives to transform. Wallflower is a poignant novel, a must read and absolutely unforgettable.
January 7, 2019
Fin lille historie om Molly og Mick der møder hinanden i Berlin kort efter murens fald. Starten af bogen er lettere irriterende, sproget virker kantet og flyder ikke - men som man kommer længere ind i bogen, især da hovedpersonerne mødes og begynder at krydse rundt i s-bahnen, bliver det godt .
En lille historie om kærlighed ved første blik.
En lille historie om kærlighed ved første blik.
June 19, 2011
Wallflower is a powerful novel examining the history of Germany and the Berlin Wall, which is, unfortunately, a subject that many young people are unfamiliar with today. The Berlin Wall, it’s construction and destruction, is not something that many history textbooks get to throughout the year, and when I asked my students what the Berlin Wall was, they really didn’t know a whole lot about it. As I teach a 10th grade world literature class, I think Wallflower is a wonderful novella that my students would not only enjoy, but also learn from as the story unfolds. I am not an expert on the Berlin Wall either, but I learned a lot through Rahlen’s beautiful prose. The story seems to flow right off the page and, while it is educational, it does not overpower the reader with history, but rather deals with a love story, while subtly explaining the background of the Berlin Wall.
Molly is a snarky, sarcastic character that I just loved. I laughed aloud as I read her first person narrative, and I learned a lot about the Berlin Wall through her interactions with other characters and the story itself. The four hours Molly spends in East Germany, recently reopened to the West after 28 years, is a beautiful story of love and redemption, and I actually cried at one point, in sheer joy, as Mick expressed his feelings as he crossed the wall for the first time in his life. It’s a very powerful story, and I think all young adults should read it. The writing style is beautiful and Rahlens effectively captures the essence of a divided country and the hardships East Germany endured after the Wall was built in 1961...
To read my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
Molly is a snarky, sarcastic character that I just loved. I laughed aloud as I read her first person narrative, and I learned a lot about the Berlin Wall through her interactions with other characters and the story itself. The four hours Molly spends in East Germany, recently reopened to the West after 28 years, is a beautiful story of love and redemption, and I actually cried at one point, in sheer joy, as Mick expressed his feelings as he crossed the wall for the first time in his life. It’s a very powerful story, and I think all young adults should read it. The writing style is beautiful and Rahlens effectively captures the essence of a divided country and the hardships East Germany endured after the Wall was built in 1961...
To read my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
March 5, 2019
En skøn der formåede at fortælle en fuldkommen roman på kun 140 sider.
June 22, 2022
Ein wunderbarer All Age Roman! Molly und Mick lassen einen nie wieder los! Sie lernen sich kurz nach dem Mauerfall in der Berliner U-Bahn kennen und scheinen aus zwei Welten zu kommen (USA und Ostberlin) und gehen in der (ehemaligen) DDR auf Entdeckungsreise. Dank reichlicher Recherche und Hinzuziehung zahlreicher Experten, informiert dieser Roman eindringlich über die Jugend in der DDR sowie über die Zustände in öffentlichen Einrichtungen und das Verhalten von Dienstleistungspersonal. Auch sprachlich überzeugt es dank vieler Stilmittel und humorvoller Äußerungen!
January 4, 2021
A cozy little novella about the meeting between East and West. Between consumerism and communism. Between Mick and Molly. A fine book for a long train journey, an afternoon in the bed or maybe even a visit to the former DDR.
June 13, 2022
slowburn? never heard of it
i had to read this book for school and i mean it was okay???? but lkke one things is i cant rlly get into german reading no matter how hard i try and second the end was so sudden HELPP anyways <3
i had to read this book for school and i mean it was okay???? but lkke one things is i cant rlly get into german reading no matter how hard i try and second the end was so sudden HELPP anyways <3
October 19, 2024
mick wie jagger und molly wie pick me (2,5 ⭐)
November 25, 2011
Article first published as Book Review: Wallflower by Holly-Jane Rahlens on Blogcritics.
Serendipity is a wonderful word and an even more interesting meaning. Making desirable discoveries by accident, good fortune, or luck, coincide in with finding something unexpected. Any way you look at it, the word has wonderful connotations.
In Wallflower, a novel by Holly-Jane Rahlens, we follow the life of Molly Beth Lenzfeld as she makes a stab at living the life she thinks she is looking for. Spending time with her father in Berlin is not what she expected, and she is leaving to head back to New York where he will join her later. In eleventh grade, she is ready to be back in the states, her own form of comfort zone. Having come to Berlin to stay with her father while he spends a year working, she thought she would feel closer to her mother. She died of cancer when Molly was just eleven, and she still misses her terribly.
Having received her father’s permission, she will be staying with her older sister until he returns. She has decided to take one last trek while she is here; she wants to visit her mother’s home. Molly plans on taking a part of the wall her mother helped put together, back with her. This will be a challenge, she will have to use the Berlin transit system and pass over the Berlin Wall. Having missed the excitement of the wall coming down this will be her first visit.
On her way, she runs into a girl she knows named Carlotta Smith. Carlotta is everything that Molly is not. She is attractive, small and well built. She dresses outrageously and behaves that way as well. Molly is rather shy, and quite tall. The other thing she really dislikes about herself is her big feet. So when a young man boards the train, she looks quickly, noting he is very good looking and then looks away. Carlotta goes in for the kill, and instantly they are talking. When Carlotta gets off at her stop, the boy stays on, but he doesn’t talk or seem interested in conversation. Having to change from train to train to reach her destination, Molly is concerned she will get lost. When she runs into some drunks, she is afraid.
It is here where Michael Maier (Mick) steps in and rescues her. So begins an interesting and unique relationship, built in a matter of hours, moving throughout East and West Berlin through the transit system. Will they become friends or is there more in the camaraderie they have experienced. Has Serendipity come into play one more time?
Rahlens has given us an in depth look into Berlin, and the differences of the East and West. The fall of the Wall comes into play, and she also takes us to the inside, using the Berlin transit system as a way to get around. The scenery comes to life and she does such an excellent job with her descriptors it is easy to picture the city.
Her characters are fun and somewhat typical of children the world over at that same age. She does a wonderful job of bringing them together and finding the things that they both find of interest that seem to link them, which draws them closer. As they make their way through the city, and between the different factions of East and West, she sets a fun and unique tone that keeps the intrigue and interest at its height. In Carlotta, Rahlens creates a foil that could either push them apart or draw them together, depending on how they react to her presence.
This is a charming story of a young woman coming of age and finding herself. In a simple matter of hours, can one’s life really change?
I would recommend this for the YA reader; it is full of charm and history as well. Learning more about Berlin and the Wall is an added enticement, and quite interesting as well. With the background and history, this would also be a good book for a reading or book club. It is well written, excellently researched and fun.
This book was received free from the publisher. All opinions are my
Serendipity is a wonderful word and an even more interesting meaning. Making desirable discoveries by accident, good fortune, or luck, coincide in with finding something unexpected. Any way you look at it, the word has wonderful connotations.
In Wallflower, a novel by Holly-Jane Rahlens, we follow the life of Molly Beth Lenzfeld as she makes a stab at living the life she thinks she is looking for. Spending time with her father in Berlin is not what she expected, and she is leaving to head back to New York where he will join her later. In eleventh grade, she is ready to be back in the states, her own form of comfort zone. Having come to Berlin to stay with her father while he spends a year working, she thought she would feel closer to her mother. She died of cancer when Molly was just eleven, and she still misses her terribly.
Having received her father’s permission, she will be staying with her older sister until he returns. She has decided to take one last trek while she is here; she wants to visit her mother’s home. Molly plans on taking a part of the wall her mother helped put together, back with her. This will be a challenge, she will have to use the Berlin transit system and pass over the Berlin Wall. Having missed the excitement of the wall coming down this will be her first visit.
On her way, she runs into a girl she knows named Carlotta Smith. Carlotta is everything that Molly is not. She is attractive, small and well built. She dresses outrageously and behaves that way as well. Molly is rather shy, and quite tall. The other thing she really dislikes about herself is her big feet. So when a young man boards the train, she looks quickly, noting he is very good looking and then looks away. Carlotta goes in for the kill, and instantly they are talking. When Carlotta gets off at her stop, the boy stays on, but he doesn’t talk or seem interested in conversation. Having to change from train to train to reach her destination, Molly is concerned she will get lost. When she runs into some drunks, she is afraid.
It is here where Michael Maier (Mick) steps in and rescues her. So begins an interesting and unique relationship, built in a matter of hours, moving throughout East and West Berlin through the transit system. Will they become friends or is there more in the camaraderie they have experienced. Has Serendipity come into play one more time?
Rahlens has given us an in depth look into Berlin, and the differences of the East and West. The fall of the Wall comes into play, and she also takes us to the inside, using the Berlin transit system as a way to get around. The scenery comes to life and she does such an excellent job with her descriptors it is easy to picture the city.
Her characters are fun and somewhat typical of children the world over at that same age. She does a wonderful job of bringing them together and finding the things that they both find of interest that seem to link them, which draws them closer. As they make their way through the city, and between the different factions of East and West, she sets a fun and unique tone that keeps the intrigue and interest at its height. In Carlotta, Rahlens creates a foil that could either push them apart or draw them together, depending on how they react to her presence.
This is a charming story of a young woman coming of age and finding herself. In a simple matter of hours, can one’s life really change?
I would recommend this for the YA reader; it is full of charm and history as well. Learning more about Berlin and the Wall is an added enticement, and quite interesting as well. With the background and history, this would also be a good book for a reading or book club. It is well written, excellently researched and fun.
This book was received free from the publisher. All opinions are my
October 11, 2011
Wallflower was sent to me by Dr. Eva Schweitzer of Berlinica Publishing for review. My copy says it is an uncorrected proof though this book is already released for purchase. I don't know if you can tell what's on the cover but it is what I presume is the Berlin Wall before it was taken down from the Western view. It's spray painted and graffitied and actually looks like a work of art. I'm sure it never felt like that. It's not pretty when you remember it's purpose.
Wallflower is a YA novel set in 1989 Berlin, two weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The main character, Molly is the narrator and describes herself as a giantess at six feet tall with size 12 shoes, a Jewish girl who is hopelessly lost. Her mother died of cancer five years earlier, quite suddenly and she is still struggling with this loss. Her boyfriend walked out on her during the middle of a class field trip to make out with another girl. And her father took her from New York City to Berlin for a year where she doesn't fit in any better than she did at home. She is a "wallflower in a crack."
Molly is odd and doesn't really do a lot to overcome that image. She can't help her height or shoe size, but the fact that she sleeps through the historical taking down of the Berlin wall is strange. She prefers to spend her time cooking, she doesn't like change such as moving from New York City to Berlin and she'd prefer to count the number of pharmacies on the street corners and ponder the mental health of the Germans. And oh yeah, she gets lost a lot! She's in a perpetual state of being lost. That's why, on Thanksgiving Day, we are traveling with her through the labryinthian maze of trains and subways to her destination in East Germany where she plans to visit, must visit before going home two days hence. She won't even stay for Christmas. (They are a mixed family.)
But during her journey, and it is one as the destination is her mother's birthplace, she meets a boy. And suddenly in many ways she is no longer lost, though it takes her time to sort that out, to trust that feeling. She's not good with feelings either. And the boy, Mick, "as in Jagger", from East Germany, also finds his way not understanding how lost he really was.
The entire story takes place over four hours. There are a whole cast of supporting characters adding a lot to the story so that it is a full and complex story. From one of Molly's frenemies showing up on the train to ill mannered waiters and confessions and misunderstandings, there is a lot that goes on in those four hours. The question is, is Molly hopelessly lost or does meeting Mick change everything?
Though the novel is set in 1989, I think YA readers will appreciate the historical significance of the time. The train transfers and names of the plazas and stations and the rules in East Germany would be incredibly daunting to me without a guide. As it was, I got hopelessly lost in the in the strasses and platzs and finally just let go of trying to pronounce everything and remember where they were and I concentrared on the story. But I found that the same platzs and strasses were repeated enough that I began to get my bearings. So I wasn't so lost after all, but I'm glad I didn't have to manuever through the stations anyway.
This is a short story but because of the German words and wanting to understand what was going on it took two nights to read- still just a few hours. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys realistic fiction. You also get a look into history and what East Germany was like those first weeks after The Wall fell. And there is a light, sweet romance.
Heather in Sandwich
Wallflower is a YA novel set in 1989 Berlin, two weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The main character, Molly is the narrator and describes herself as a giantess at six feet tall with size 12 shoes, a Jewish girl who is hopelessly lost. Her mother died of cancer five years earlier, quite suddenly and she is still struggling with this loss. Her boyfriend walked out on her during the middle of a class field trip to make out with another girl. And her father took her from New York City to Berlin for a year where she doesn't fit in any better than she did at home. She is a "wallflower in a crack."
Molly is odd and doesn't really do a lot to overcome that image. She can't help her height or shoe size, but the fact that she sleeps through the historical taking down of the Berlin wall is strange. She prefers to spend her time cooking, she doesn't like change such as moving from New York City to Berlin and she'd prefer to count the number of pharmacies on the street corners and ponder the mental health of the Germans. And oh yeah, she gets lost a lot! She's in a perpetual state of being lost. That's why, on Thanksgiving Day, we are traveling with her through the labryinthian maze of trains and subways to her destination in East Germany where she plans to visit, must visit before going home two days hence. She won't even stay for Christmas. (They are a mixed family.)
But during her journey, and it is one as the destination is her mother's birthplace, she meets a boy. And suddenly in many ways she is no longer lost, though it takes her time to sort that out, to trust that feeling. She's not good with feelings either. And the boy, Mick, "as in Jagger", from East Germany, also finds his way not understanding how lost he really was.
The entire story takes place over four hours. There are a whole cast of supporting characters adding a lot to the story so that it is a full and complex story. From one of Molly's frenemies showing up on the train to ill mannered waiters and confessions and misunderstandings, there is a lot that goes on in those four hours. The question is, is Molly hopelessly lost or does meeting Mick change everything?
Though the novel is set in 1989, I think YA readers will appreciate the historical significance of the time. The train transfers and names of the plazas and stations and the rules in East Germany would be incredibly daunting to me without a guide. As it was, I got hopelessly lost in the in the strasses and platzs and finally just let go of trying to pronounce everything and remember where they were and I concentrared on the story. But I found that the same platzs and strasses were repeated enough that I began to get my bearings. So I wasn't so lost after all, but I'm glad I didn't have to manuever through the stations anyway.
This is a short story but because of the German words and wanting to understand what was going on it took two nights to read- still just a few hours. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys realistic fiction. You also get a look into history and what East Germany was like those first weeks after The Wall fell. And there is a light, sweet romance.
Heather in Sandwich
December 22, 2012
Diese Buch habe ich schon fast 2 Jahre auf meiner Buchwunschliste stehen. Es war also schon ganz lange ein Wunsch von mir dieses zu lesen.
Zum Inhalt:
Molly Beth Lenzfeld ist vor einem Jahr mit ihrem Vater, einem Chemiker, aus Amerika nach Deutschland gekommen. Jedoch gefällt es ihr in Westberlin überhaupt nicht und sie fühlt sich hier auch nicht wohl, weshalb sie beschlossen hat wieder zurück nach Amerika zu gehen. Am Tag vor ihrem Abflug möchte sie allerdings noch eine letzte „Mission“ erfüllen. Sie möchte noch einmal das Geburtshaus ihrer verstorbenen Mutter besuchen, in welchem diese während des 2. Weltkriegs bis zu ihrer Flucht aus Deutschland gelebt hatte. Das Haus befindet sich in Ostberlin und da die Mauer gerade erst vor zwei Wochen geöffnet wurde, kann Molly ihren Plan in die Tat umsetzen. Sie steigt in die S-Bahn und fährt Richtung Prenzlauer Berg. Während dieser Fahrt lernt sie Mick, einen Schauspielstudent aus Ostberlin, kennen und die beiden verlieben sich ineinander.
Zu Molly lässt sich sagen (und darauf wird auch in dem Buch ein besondrer Augenmerk gelegt), dass sie ein sehr großes Mädchen, um ca. 1.86m, ist und so natürlich auffällt. Sie wird deshalb auch gehänselt, wodurch sie auch ein geringes Selbstvertrauen besitzt. Vom Typ ist sie also eher ein „Mauerblümchen“. Schüchtern und Unauffällig.
Mick hingegen genießt sein Leben und erfreut sich an den neuen Wegen, die sich für ihn, gerade jetzt nachdem die Mauer gefallen ist, öffnen. Er ist das passende Gegenstück zu Molly und schafft es mit seiner Art ihre selbstgezogenen Schutzmauer zu überwinden.
Zum Schreibstil und Erzählweise:
Obwohl es nur ein kurzer Roman von ca.157 Seiten ist, erzählt Holly-Jane Rahlens sehr unterhaltsam. Der Schreibstil ist sehr flüssig, sodass man keine Probleme hat die komplette Geschichte in einem Rutsch zu lesen. Was will man mehr?
Insgesamt ist „Mauerblümchen“ ein wunderschöner und detailgenau beschriebener Wenderoman, der tiefere Einblicke in das Leben und die Gedankenwelt der Menschen nach der Wende gibt. Absolut empfehlenswert!
Zum Inhalt:
Molly Beth Lenzfeld ist vor einem Jahr mit ihrem Vater, einem Chemiker, aus Amerika nach Deutschland gekommen. Jedoch gefällt es ihr in Westberlin überhaupt nicht und sie fühlt sich hier auch nicht wohl, weshalb sie beschlossen hat wieder zurück nach Amerika zu gehen. Am Tag vor ihrem Abflug möchte sie allerdings noch eine letzte „Mission“ erfüllen. Sie möchte noch einmal das Geburtshaus ihrer verstorbenen Mutter besuchen, in welchem diese während des 2. Weltkriegs bis zu ihrer Flucht aus Deutschland gelebt hatte. Das Haus befindet sich in Ostberlin und da die Mauer gerade erst vor zwei Wochen geöffnet wurde, kann Molly ihren Plan in die Tat umsetzen. Sie steigt in die S-Bahn und fährt Richtung Prenzlauer Berg. Während dieser Fahrt lernt sie Mick, einen Schauspielstudent aus Ostberlin, kennen und die beiden verlieben sich ineinander.
Zu Molly lässt sich sagen (und darauf wird auch in dem Buch ein besondrer Augenmerk gelegt), dass sie ein sehr großes Mädchen, um ca. 1.86m, ist und so natürlich auffällt. Sie wird deshalb auch gehänselt, wodurch sie auch ein geringes Selbstvertrauen besitzt. Vom Typ ist sie also eher ein „Mauerblümchen“. Schüchtern und Unauffällig.
Mick hingegen genießt sein Leben und erfreut sich an den neuen Wegen, die sich für ihn, gerade jetzt nachdem die Mauer gefallen ist, öffnen. Er ist das passende Gegenstück zu Molly und schafft es mit seiner Art ihre selbstgezogenen Schutzmauer zu überwinden.
Zum Schreibstil und Erzählweise:
Obwohl es nur ein kurzer Roman von ca.157 Seiten ist, erzählt Holly-Jane Rahlens sehr unterhaltsam. Der Schreibstil ist sehr flüssig, sodass man keine Probleme hat die komplette Geschichte in einem Rutsch zu lesen. Was will man mehr?
Insgesamt ist „Mauerblümchen“ ein wunderschöner und detailgenau beschriebener Wenderoman, der tiefere Einblicke in das Leben und die Gedankenwelt der Menschen nach der Wende gibt. Absolut empfehlenswert!
May 12, 2011
A sweet tale of discovered teenage love along the cold oppressive Wall of Berlin.
Wallflower is a short delightful novel, 138 pages of pure fun. This book is a witty and charming Berlin love story you will want to read in one sitting. It is so engaging and Rahlens writing style is so easy to read and quite comical. The main character is 16 year old Molly a rather tall girl who is very self conscious about all the things that make her special. Molly struggles with these insecurities like most teenage girl at her age, comparing herself to other teenage girl. Other characters include a fr-enemy named Colletta and then Mick who is every girls foreign dream guy. Molly has her father who has brought her to Berlin on a work assignment and they socialize with some friends in the apartment building where they are staying. However Mick is the hot attraction guy with tall dark curly hair, a total stranger who is about to change her life forever. Mick is a sweet, tender guy who cares about everything a girl might have to say and is easy to fall in love with, yet also the kind of guy who gives you those jealousy pangs, dare he speak to another girl. Molly has just these feelings surface because just when she happens upon a reason to stay in Berlin she comes across competition.
Wallflower was just a joy to read and I learned about Berlin, The Wall, the surrounding city and most important of all the people who live there. If you have never traveled any where near Berlin or even if you have, Wallflower is a great way to step into Berlin, like a little time warp into the past, but not to far back. Just quick enough that maybe while you are there you may bring up some memories of your own past, maybe even memories of travel or even a crush of your own when you were a teen.
Wallflower is a short delightful novel, 138 pages of pure fun. This book is a witty and charming Berlin love story you will want to read in one sitting. It is so engaging and Rahlens writing style is so easy to read and quite comical. The main character is 16 year old Molly a rather tall girl who is very self conscious about all the things that make her special. Molly struggles with these insecurities like most teenage girl at her age, comparing herself to other teenage girl. Other characters include a fr-enemy named Colletta and then Mick who is every girls foreign dream guy. Molly has her father who has brought her to Berlin on a work assignment and they socialize with some friends in the apartment building where they are staying. However Mick is the hot attraction guy with tall dark curly hair, a total stranger who is about to change her life forever. Mick is a sweet, tender guy who cares about everything a girl might have to say and is easy to fall in love with, yet also the kind of guy who gives you those jealousy pangs, dare he speak to another girl. Molly has just these feelings surface because just when she happens upon a reason to stay in Berlin she comes across competition.
Wallflower was just a joy to read and I learned about Berlin, The Wall, the surrounding city and most important of all the people who live there. If you have never traveled any where near Berlin or even if you have, Wallflower is a great way to step into Berlin, like a little time warp into the past, but not to far back. Just quick enough that maybe while you are there you may bring up some memories of your own past, maybe even memories of travel or even a crush of your own when you were a teen.
June 6, 2011
This review is hard for me to write, because this books was just okay for me, so I don't really have much to say. There was nothing I really liked, nothing I really hated. I feel like it has a small target audience, and people in that audience will like this book, but it just so happens that I am not in the target audience. I felt sort of out of the loop. Let me explain... The book takes place over a couple of hours in Berlin, right after the fall of the Berlin wall. In the story, the main character is traveling by subway/train for most of the book. The author keeps naming streets, subway stations, etc. all in german, which kind of got overwhelming. After a lot of words such as Schonhauser Allee, Schoneweide, Greifenhagener Strasse and Zuruckbleiben, I started to get frustrated and just skipped over the words.
Also, I felt like not much happened... I did like how the story took place over such a short amount of time (four hours), that was different, but it felt sort of uneventful. I was never begging for the book to end, or anything like that, I just wanted there to be more.
So, that's what I thought, but then again, I don't feel like me and the book were a good match. If you can speak german, or have any personal connects to Berlin, maybe you'd like this story better than I did. I have read reviews of people who really liked it, I'm just sorry to say that I am not one of them.
Also, I felt like not much happened... I did like how the story took place over such a short amount of time (four hours), that was different, but it felt sort of uneventful. I was never begging for the book to end, or anything like that, I just wanted there to be more.
So, that's what I thought, but then again, I don't feel like me and the book were a good match. If you can speak german, or have any personal connects to Berlin, maybe you'd like this story better than I did. I have read reviews of people who really liked it, I'm just sorry to say that I am not one of them.
November 20, 2011
Molly Lenzfeld always considered herself a wallflower. She said no one ever asked her to dance or paid attention to her since she was so tall. Coming from New York City and being in Berlin while her father was working as a theoretical chemist was an adventure for her in more than one way.
On Thanksgiving Day, she was on her way to see where her mother had lived as a child. She was not to be gone the entire day, but as she rode the subway system, a handsome young man caught her fancy and she caught his.
The book tells of their day and how Molly turned a trip to visit the town where her mother lived into a love story.
The book is a quick, sweet read. You get to experience the emotions Molly experiences as she is with this stranger whom she feels is her real first love.
The author did a great job with conversation which made up the most of the book. I really enjoyed the chapter titles....they were clever and stretched your imagination concerning what was going to happen in the next few pages.
You will love Molly...a sweet, innocent character who wears her emotions on her sleeve. Mike her friend from the subway is an interesting character as well. He is unique in his dress, his humor, and his manner.
I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in love...and that would probably be just about all of us.
Excellent book...well written and interesting content. It is a true love story with added suspense and hope. 5/5
On Thanksgiving Day, she was on her way to see where her mother had lived as a child. She was not to be gone the entire day, but as she rode the subway system, a handsome young man caught her fancy and she caught his.
The book tells of their day and how Molly turned a trip to visit the town where her mother lived into a love story.
The book is a quick, sweet read. You get to experience the emotions Molly experiences as she is with this stranger whom she feels is her real first love.
The author did a great job with conversation which made up the most of the book. I really enjoyed the chapter titles....they were clever and stretched your imagination concerning what was going to happen in the next few pages.
You will love Molly...a sweet, innocent character who wears her emotions on her sleeve. Mike her friend from the subway is an interesting character as well. He is unique in his dress, his humor, and his manner.
I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in love...and that would probably be just about all of us.
Excellent book...well written and interesting content. It is a true love story with added suspense and hope. 5/5
November 25, 2011
Wallflower is a pretty quick read. I read it in an afternoon. It takes place soon after the fall of the Berlin wall. Molly is an American who is in Germany with her father. She is planning on leaving and returning to America soon because she is feeling lost and doesn't fit in. Before she leaves she sets out on a trip to East Germany to find the house her mother grew up in. During this quest, she meets Mick, as in Jagger, and it is like, or maybe love, at first sight. During the 4 hours they spend together, Molly really opens up and learns that she can fit in.
This book was very interesting because the author draws a lot of comparisons between East and West Germany. You get a real sense of what it was like right after the wall came down. Especially the uncertainty of what the future will bring for those who have been in the East for their whole lives. I remember when the wall fell. It was an exciting event, but I never really thought about how it really impacted the people living right there or how it took a long time for changes to really be made.
I definitely recommend this one. It is a sweet story about 2 people on opposites sides who find friendship on a train. I only wish it were longer!
This book was very interesting because the author draws a lot of comparisons between East and West Germany. You get a real sense of what it was like right after the wall came down. Especially the uncertainty of what the future will bring for those who have been in the East for their whole lives. I remember when the wall fell. It was an exciting event, but I never really thought about how it really impacted the people living right there or how it took a long time for changes to really be made.
I definitely recommend this one. It is a sweet story about 2 people on opposites sides who find friendship on a train. I only wish it were longer!
June 29, 2011
Being 16 is hard, even if you are the most popular, pretty, out-going girl in the school. And it is especially hard when you are taller than the other kids, shy, and in a strange country. The latter is the situation that Molly Lenzfeld finds herself in.
The story takes place in 1989, two weeks after the toppling of the Berlin Wall. It is a type of coming of age story, as well as a tale of how one can find themselves in the strangest of places. What starts off as a mission to visit her dead mother's childhood home becomes so much more. Heart ache, loneliness, and a desire to fit into a world that doesn't seem to have a place for her are all mirrored in the stark, distrustful backdrop of an East Berlin coming to terms with the changes history has bestowed upon it.
Holly-Jane Rahlens has written a wonderful story that will be hard for anyone to put down. The entire story takes place over only 4 hours in one person's life, but the affect it had on me has lasted much longer. This is a Must Read for girls 16 and up, and any adult that remembers how hard adolescence can be but also the joys that came with it.
The story takes place in 1989, two weeks after the toppling of the Berlin Wall. It is a type of coming of age story, as well as a tale of how one can find themselves in the strangest of places. What starts off as a mission to visit her dead mother's childhood home becomes so much more. Heart ache, loneliness, and a desire to fit into a world that doesn't seem to have a place for her are all mirrored in the stark, distrustful backdrop of an East Berlin coming to terms with the changes history has bestowed upon it.
Holly-Jane Rahlens has written a wonderful story that will be hard for anyone to put down. The entire story takes place over only 4 hours in one person's life, but the affect it had on me has lasted much longer. This is a Must Read for girls 16 and up, and any adult that remembers how hard adolescence can be but also the joys that came with it.
December 25, 2009
I know I only gave this book one star, for the reasons that its story is stereotypical and it portrays 17 year old girls as having low self-esteem, no self-confidence and being overly self-conscious.
Despite all this I do feel it has some merit, it did give quite a realistic view of a West German's (although the main character is American) outlook on East Germany.
I would recommend this to: people who have low self-esteem, no self confidence and who are overly self conscious.
People who are interested in German (West or East) general social life in and around 1989.
Despite all this I do feel it has some merit, it did give quite a realistic view of a West German's (although the main character is American) outlook on East Germany.
I would recommend this to: people who have low self-esteem, no self confidence and who are overly self conscious.
People who are interested in German (West or East) general social life in and around 1989.
October 10, 2011
I'd really like to give this 3 and a half stars. It's a cute teenage romance that takes place in Berlin in 1989, just a few weeks after the wall fell. I love Germany and Berlin and it was fun to learn about the stark differences between East and West during that period. The writing is good, and overall I enjoyed it. I just wasn't blown away, and I thought the narrator was a little annoying.
Here's my full review: http://thebluebookcase.blogspot.com/2...
Here's my full review: http://thebluebookcase.blogspot.com/2...
August 3, 2010
Ein sehr schönes Buch über die Zeit nach dem Fall der Mauer in Berlin, verknüpft mit einer schönen Liebesgeschichte. Ich finde das Buch war sehr authentisch und das eine oder andere Mal musste ich auch schmunzeln, wenn ich Dinge las, von denen mir meine Eltern schon so oft erzählt haben. Meine Mama wird das Buch als nächste lesen, ich habe sie neugierig gemacht, sie kann mir dann auch gleich sagen, ob das Buch wirklich so authentisch ist, wie ich vermute.
April 4, 2023
3 stars
A light and quick read, this book didn’t make manage to uprise any revelations or life changing moments in me. The book depicts well how miscommunication is the real enemy in many cases, although comparing the short-lived romance between protagonist Molly and the love interest Mick to WWII and the Cold War might be a reach…
A light and quick read, this book didn’t make manage to uprise any revelations or life changing moments in me. The book depicts well how miscommunication is the real enemy in many cases, although comparing the short-lived romance between protagonist Molly and the love interest Mick to WWII and the Cold War might be a reach…
January 31, 2015
A really nice sweet book. Not too much drama which i liked after having read a lot of drama filled books. I thought it was a really nice story that lifts up your mood. I found it very interesting and good
September 2, 2012
I absolutely loved this book! It reads less like a novel and more like reading someone's journal. The writing is clever and the storytelling makes you not want to put the book down!
November 28, 2014
Very interesting perspective.
November 16, 2014
Fin lille kærlighedshistorie og et godt tidsbillede af Tyskland lige efter murens fald
August 28, 2016
Den var da meget sød.
March 25, 2022
re-read.
first time i gave it 3 starts, but now it deserves 4 stars.
first time i gave it 3 starts, but now it deserves 4 stars.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews