Girl in the Blue Coat

Intended for a YA audience, the content and subject matter make this book engaging for adults as well. The setting is The Netherlands during World War II. The protagonist is a young woman involved in the black market. A page turning story of young love, war, survival and devotion, this historic novel is intense and powerful. Rich in detail and depth, the spirit of hope underlies the atrocities portrayed throughout this composition. The ravages of war and the price of freedom are issues that are broached with sensitivity and discernment. Losses are agonizing and the challenges of survival are considerable, but hope remains. Excellent reading!

Although this book is touted as a “young reader” selection, it is apropos to all readers. It is a mystery set in the midst of Nazi occupation, about a missing Jewish female hideaway. There is a surprise ending that is worth waiting for. Beautifully written.

Amazing read! Wow. Makes you think, a lot. I quickly started caring about Hanneke and admired her determination and courage. War brings out so many different parts of our humanity. Hanneke reminds us of the need to harden oneself and look for every way to survive. The story is written so well that you feel pangs in the heart with agonizing loss and hope. It is beautiful that our basic need to love and be loved does not disappear. Ollie is an unsung hero. He is good to the core and I so very much liked him. Judith and Mina are wonderful and thankfully people like Mina left us evidence of the atrocities. I appreciated all the characters and the detail given to them, their roles, and to their surroundings. These teenagers and young adults had to tackle issues and situations that are too complicated for adults. The story was true to emotions dominating until someone managed to steady the situation and be a voice of reason. Anger, frustration, fear, forgiveness, love, bravery and much more were well portrayed. It was incredible how well written the story is and how I did not want to put it down. There were many twists and turns with quite a few surprises. This book is not only for the YA readers. It’s a must read, especially if you enjoy historical fiction.

I listened to this audio book a few months ago and really enjoyed everything about this book. Because it’s been a while, I can’t remember all the details and won’t leave a full synopsis here. I will say the story involves the reader and touches on some more serious topics, but is entirely appropriate even for a young adult audience. Sure it’s classified as a young adult book, but I’ve read some of those other ones and don’t think they’ve been classified quite right. I don’t think you’ll be too concerned about this one.

As for recommendations, this may have been the first book I recommended to my wife that she actually really enjoyed. She’s said she’s liked others, but this is the first one she really seemed to get excited about. I think it even passed her book club worthy criteria. Unfortunately, the library doesn’t have many copies available so if you might as well just buy it. 😉

An absolutely riveting story based on historical events of the Dutch resistance in WWII. The storyline centers around a teenage girl who gets caught up in the black market after the German occupation. It will appeal to history buffs, but the main character and some of the plot twists have a very contemporary feel. The spirit of the main character and the geographical setting reminded me very much of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in some ways. I don’t usually read this genre, and the fact that I found it so interesting is a real compliment to the author. A really good read.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member