Customer Reviews
Clever and gripping - By: J. Black, 02 Dec 2008 
I thought this book was cleverly written, from the view of a 9 year old boy - it is only because we have historical hindsight of the events that are being described by the boy, who does not understand, that the full story plays outin your imagination as the story unfolds.
I did not expect the story to end the way it did. I was gripped.
Try something different - By: canine companion, 01 Dec 2008 
This book was recommended to me & when I eventually got round to buying it, I was hooked fairly quickly & finished itin a couple of days. There are some annoying repetitions with words which are used as substitutes for the real-life words, but apart from that it was a very easy book to read. I will not say that the book was enjoyablein the normal sense, as the subject matter is one which cannot be enjoyed, but it was a really good, easy to read book with a twist which just took my breath away.
A real twist in the tail! - By: Mrs. D. M. Long, 01 Dec 2008 I borrowed this book from the library for my son who's very into WW2 but he didn't want to read it so I did. I loved it & was taken by surprise at the tragic ending. I will remember it for a very long time.
Unbelievable Patronising - By: L. Perkins, 30 Nov 2008 
I bought this book from Amazon after seeing that there was a film coming out about the book. I can honestly say this is one of the worst books about the holocaust that I have ever readin terms of inaccuracies, patronising views & poor writing.
The author is Irish & is writing as if he is a Concentration Camp officers son. The kid is ridiculously naivein that he has never heard of "The Fuhrer" & doesn't know anything about the Jews. Every German child - especially one of such a 'high ranking official' would have been a part of the Hitler Youth & would have been indoctrinated with this ever since he could remember. The fact that he can openly sit & chat with a 9 year old polish jew - Schmuel & pass food under the fence is ridiculous beyond belief.
Boyne has also put sum idiotic punsin the book such as "outwith" for Auschwitz & "Fury" for Fuhrer. Boyne seems rather proud of these puns (which were he actually thinkingin German they would not translate) & uses them throughout the book. The fact that the main character Bruno & his friends Daniel, Karl & Martin all have English names makes you wonder whether the author researched the holocaust at all or just wrote a twee English public school book & thought he'd include the holocaust to make it different.
I really would not recommend this book to anyone & definitely not for children. If this is their first experience of the Holocaust it is terribly inaccurate & would not educate them at all. Books like Hannah Goslar Remembers, The Diary Of Anne Frank & Schindlers List although heartbreaking are recommended.
Surprising - By: S. D. Williams, 23 Nov 2008 Ever since this book was released I have been attracted to it. In need of a "quick" read this weekend, I decided to purchase it & I am so glad that I did.
I wont tell you the story because that would spoil the book for you but what I will tell you is that it is a story about a boy called Bruno aged 9 & totally innocent & the story is told through his naive eyes.
I read the bookin two days & it was a pleasure to read. The style was simple but evocotive.
The ending was a total surprise, there were no hints at what was coming & I felt the desolation as the story ended.
I am not sure if this book would right for a younger reader but certainly onein the early teens & definately adults like me.
