Customer Reviews
A thoughtful and serious novel of teenage self-discovery. Carnegie Medal winner in 1999. - By: SB, 25 Sep 2008 
`Growing up is, after all, only the understanding that one's unique & incredible experience is what everyone shares.' (Doris Lessing, "The Golden Notebook"). - a quote taken from one of the chapter headings; snippets that Jacob's grandmother sends to him each week on a postcard.
With one central theme - the theme of love - there are two main stories to follow. Primarily, the story is about 17-year-old Jacob Todd from England, who lives with his grandmother Sarah, & is now visiting the Netherlands for the first time for the commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem, where his grandfather foughtin the Second World War. Jacob is visiting a Dutch family, at his grandmother's request, as she has hurt her hip & is unable to travel for the Arnhem commemorations. The eldest member of the family is the terminally ill Geertrui, & it's Geertrui's story of her experiences during the war that make up the other story throughout the novel.
Jacob begins his holiday with mixed feelings. He feels like an intruder into Geertrui's family, a strangerin a strange place. Even his long-held love for Anne Frank, through obsessive reading of her Diary, feels different after he has visited her housein Amsterdam. Jacob's brief holiday becomes a journey of self-discovery, encountering a gay friend, an elderly lady he befriends when she helps him after he is mugged, the liberal lifestyle of Daan (the son of the family he is visiting), the emotions of the Arnhem commemorations & his encounter with a girl to whom he feels instantly attracted, not to mention his exploration of the subject of euthanasia after meeting the terminally ill Geertrui. Through all of his experiences, Jacob finds he has begun to fallin love with the city of Amsterdam itself.
Where Jacob's story is one of discovery, Geertrui's story of her time as a young woman during the occupation is one of intensity, & living each day one day at a time. Geertrui's story is toldin the first person, looking back from her elderly years to the most significant time of her life. Geertrui makes you feel & live those days with her. Her worries are your worries; the immediacy of war is brought vividly to the reader to share & experience with the young Geertrui. Of her story - well, you must read the book to find out more!
A very rewarding read for sophisticated teens, especially those beginning to question the world & how they fit into the whole. Exploration of themes of sexuality, morals, personality, appearances, life, death, friendships & more, show how there is a place for everyone, however different. I would recommend the book for ages 12+, adults included.
wow. - By: , 22 Sep 2004 wow.I ahve just finished reading this book & feel totally blown over by it. i didnt find it was very catching at first- it certainly wasnt boring, just slightly complicated- but once i got into it i was totally hooked.
there are a MASSIVE amount of underlying themesin this book, literally hundreds, & as soon as finished it i felt i needed to go back & read through again & again, just to understand all the different stories & issues that it contains. it has quite an adult theme, but as a young teenage reveiwer i had no problem understanding the issues raisedin it.
the books title suggests that it is a war novel, but as you read through the book you begin to realise that like everthing elsein the book, the title is carefully callculated & nothing is as it seems. yes, the book does contain quite a lot of war stories & ideas,but the war is more of an underlying theme to the relaishonships between all the characters.
the book is divided into two story which run parralel to each other(one setin the second world war,one set now),this isnt an origanal idea,and i have read many books written like this, but this book pulls it off really well. most times when you have a double barrelled story like this, one story is more exiting,or better written & pulls all the attention, butin this book both stories are equally enthralling.
this is an amazing book & i would probably rate it as one of the best books ive read (its just as good as classics such as lord of the flies by golding & of mice & men by steinbeck)
read this book, its a stunning piece of imaginative & powerful writing.
Two brilliant stories entwined - By: , 20 Feb 2004 This book is aimed at young adults, but its themes & language mean that it is not restrictedin any upper age limit. The book entwines the story of a teenager being released into Amsterdam with a war time recount of a personal relationship behind the front line. The book is well written, although I feel that the modern day story is far better & has a tendancy to dominate the novel. The modern day story would stand up to being a stand alone novel. The link between the two stories is slightly tenuous & it does feel slightly contrived, however, the book is still a very enjoyable read. Perfect holiday reading.
Instantly Devourable - By: C. MCGHIE, 09 Feb 2004 I've had the pleasure of reading 10 brilliant books over the past two weeks. I feel as if I've been riding through a different world through all of this time, & this one did nothing to disturb that perception.
I fellin love with all of the characters, with how they were handled,in how they reacted. The descriptions are detailed, the language nearly experimental sometimes. The use of two languages (dutch)in the novel may irritate some, but I enjoyed it. Don't be put off by the fact that there are dutch phrases throughout this novel, english is surprisingly close to that language (and if you understand german, you'll be able to pretty much read it).
It needs patience & perseverance. Don't be tempted to skip paragraphs. Read it at ease,in your own time. Allow yourself to read all of it & take it in, because this one shouldn't be rushed. Expect to think, & you'll love this novel as much as I do.
another wonderful book from aidan chambers - By: , 30 Sep 2002 each time i read one of aidan chambers' books i feel like it was written specifically for me. his characters are both unique & universal at the same time, & they are drawnin a way that makes them compelling & easy to relate to. this particular title also provides a strong pair of intertwined stories & even slipsin a history lesson along the way. a great book!
