Customer Reviews
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.
Some wry irony but a little lightweight for the subject - By: John M, 17 Nov 2008 
This is a very simply written short novel describing Auschwitz from the perspective of a nine year old boy. The writing is clear & very easy to read, divided into short chapters, some wry irony throughout. However, I personally felt that the naivety of the boy was somewhat overplayed: would a nine year old really be so unaware? Some of the boy's language & mispronounciation producing puns that only workin English, such as 'Fury' & 'Out with', I found a bit contrived & the constant repetition began to grate. I'm not sure I could really believe the storyline, although the ironic impact of the ending was strong. It provided a much lighter treatment of the subject than offered by Primo Levi & Ken Keneally for example, but because of this the book is somewhat lightweight & lacking impact. However, it is still an easy & thoughtful read.
