Young Adult Fiction
Reviewed by Gail-Morden Branch Administrator
I chose to read this book when I saw that the movie was on Netflix. The book is almost always better than the movie so I try to read before I watch. I have not watched the movie yet, but the book did not disappoint.
"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" tells the story of Bruno, a young boy living during the Holocaust. His life so far has been largely unaffected by the events that lead up to his father being promoted to Commandant. This changes when the family moves from Berlin to a place he calls "Out-With". Here, Bruno finds life lonely because theirs is the only house around. Young Bruno likes to think that he will someday be a great explorer, so he decides to make the best of his situation and explore his new surroundings. When he goes beyond the boundary given to him by his parents, he is happily surprised to find a large group of people milling around behind a fence. Bruno continues to explore the area until he meets another young boy.
The rest of the story is about how the friendship grows between the two boys, even though there is a fence between them. It presents the Holocaust in an innocent way, but with enough reality to keep an adult's interest and give them the ability to recognize the events for what they really are. The author captures what it's like to think simply like a child but also presents the reality of what it could have been like to be a child on either side of that fence in Auschwitz. While this is not a true story, it so easily could have been.
The story does not have a happy ending but it does have a surprise ending that sends a very clear message to the reader.
I have recommended this book to anyone who will listen to me, it's an important story that deserves to be read again and again.
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