Literally Leander discussion

Our featured book for June 2019 is Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen.

This book is Matt Killeen's first full-length novel. It's been pitched as a World War II drama, following the story of a Jewish girl who decides to spy for the cause, and infiltrates a Nazi boarding school to do so. Reviewers say it's emotional and nail-biting.

Are you excited for this book? What are your expectations for it?

I was excited to read this book when it first came out. I love books that take place in boarding schools and are about espionage. I guess I thought this book would be like a historical version of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series. But then I was hesitant after reading some of the Goodreads reviews. One reviewer stated that the book was "cringeworthy violent", which is hard for me to read. I am willing to try this book, but am keeping that disclaimer in mind.

I'm really excited for Orphan Monster Spy. I love historical fiction, and war fiction is a special, macabre little niche that I find wholly interesting. I like books that make me feel like I've learned something new, even when that something is a part of some horrible history that most would rather forget happened.

World War II books are super prominent (both in fiction and in nonfiction), and I'm looking forward to reading this. This might sound a little masochistic, but I'm sorta looking forward to having my heart broken with this one.