Great Middle Grade Reads discussion

This book won for September. Leave your thoughts about the book here!

What I am finding rather refreshing with regard to The War That Saved My Life is that the author is clearly showing that the main villain here is the protagonist’s mother and not the German people in general even though the story is set in WWII and indeed that the mother actually is being shown by the author as totally abusive, as totally horrible and as totally akin to the Nazis with their hatred of physical and mental illness and challenges.

To call Ada’s mother akin to the Nazis and their philosophy of punishing and destroying those they considered physically lacking and infirm is the only way I will be able to read this story (and I stand by my attitude).

Honestly, knowing this book is set in WWII London, and that Ada and her bother end up evacuated to the country, I would love it if the mother ended up blitzed!

Most reviews I have read so far are positive, but it does bother me that there actually seem to be a few out there where Ada (who is both neglected and horribly abused both physically and emotionally by her mother) is being severely faulted and condemned for supposedly not being sufficient “respectful” and honouring her mother (who in fact is the one in need of a darn good spanking).

I just finished this one (a bit late) and I absolutely loved it. I thought it was a great historical fiction from a POV that was interesting and different from the usual. The war was part of the story, but it wasn't the main focus. Ada's war with her mom and herself was far more important. I admired her courage and thought the author wrote from the POV of an abused child with incredible believability. I just put the second book in the series on hold because I have to find out how the war turns out! :)

SaraKat wrote: "I just finished this one (a bit late) and I absolutely loved it. I thought it was a great historical fiction from a POV that was interesting and different from the usual. The war was part of the st..."

Yes, I also loved that the war was not the main focus and that the main villain (and very Nazi like with her attitude towards the physically challenged) was in fact not Germany and all Germans but a British mother.