AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ● THIS LIGHT BETWEEN US ●

BY ANDREW FUKUDA

NARRATED BY EMILY ELLET(5✯) & GREG CHUN (4✯)

●SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE●

THE DETAILS●●●

● UNLIKELY PENPALS

● A JAPANESE AMERICAN BOY --ALEX MAKI

● A FRENCH JEWISH GIRL --CHARLIE LEVY

● WWII BACKDROP --LOTS OF WAR SCENES

● INTERNMENT CAMP FOR JAPANESE AMERICANS

● JEWISH CONCENTRATION CAMPS

● LENGTH OF AUDIO - 10 HOURS, 40 MINUTES
● I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY

MY THOUGHTS●●●

If you like stories based on WWII then you should really read/listen to this...it gave me some Between Shades of Gray vibes...although it didn't quite deliver the feels that BSOG did, it really shined from an educational point of view.  It was enlightening, with the hate that his family endured from their hometown to the bus ride to Manzanar, the war scenes and, the atrocities of the concentration camps.  I never really knew about the camp for Japanese-Americans...I may have learned about it in school, but it's been a while since I was in school.  

Told mainly from the POV of Alex Maki...this is really his story.  Charlie Levy is just a significant part of it...so is his family, especially his brother, the internment camps, and lastly the war itself.  The war scenes did get a little monotonous for me...because I just wanted more Charley.  Overall though...this is totally worth the read/listen.

The narration by Emily Ellet was phenomenal, she did a bubbly teenage french girl really well.  I wish she would've had more parts in the story. Greg Chun as the Japanese-American boy was really well performed for the most part, too.  His yelling-voice was really awkward and there are several instances where he does that, especially once he enlists.

BREAKDOWN●●●

● Narration Rating ⇢ 4½ STARS 

● Plot ⇢ 4.3/5

● Characters ⇢ 5/5

● The Feels ⇢ 4/5

● Pacing ⇢ 4/5

● Addictiveness ⇢ 4.3/5

● Theme, Tone or Intensity ⇢ 4.5/5

● Originality/Believability ⇢ 4.5/5

● Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ⇢ 4.3/5

● World-Building ⇢ 4.5/5

● Ending ⇢ 4/5

● Summation ⇢ 4¼ STARS

REVIEW⤏ BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY

BY RUTA SEPETYS

SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
1941 – Fifteen-year-old Lina Vilkas is arrested by the Soviet secret police and deported to Siberia with her mother and younger brother. Lina fights for her life, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by burying her complete story in a jar on Lithuanian soil. Lina’s writings and drawings chronicle her fight for survival, her difficulty accepting help from a Soviet guard she’s supposed to hate, and her struggle to retain faith in mankind amidst the terror.

BOOK TAGS⇣

⤏ WWII 
⤏ LITHUANIAN DEPORTATION
⤏ SIBERIAN WINTER
⤏ THE BRUTALITIES OF WAR
⤏ A STORY ABOUT THE POWER OF LOVE & THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SOUL

BOOK DETAILS⇣

AUDIO PERFORMED BY⇢ EMILY KLEIN
NARRATION RATING⇢  4/5
BOOK COVER⇢ IT GOES WITH THE STORY WELL, IT'S ALSO PRETTY

SETTING⇢ SIBERIA

SOURCE⇢ LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)

AUDIOBOOK LENGTH⇢ 7 HOURS, 47 MINUTES

MY THOUGHTS⇣

An enlightening yet brutally harsh look at the atrocities committed to Lithuanians by Stalin/Russia during WWII.  Between Shades of Grey is Ruta Sepetys' first novel and maybe she was still warming up to the caliber she set in Salt to the Sea because this wasn't quite as heartfelt and poignant for me.  I love how she writes about the obscure elements of history, you know the ones that very few know about, and gives them life and a voice.

After tearing up while listening to the Author's note, I can tell that this story is something near and dear to her heart.  I thought the narration by Emily Klein was decent but it didn't feel like she put enough heart into it. Also, there is a movie based on this book with a different name...Ashes in the Snow...I have not seen it...but maybe I will someday.

MY RATING⇢ 4¼✰STARS✰

BREAKDOWN⇣

Plot⇢ 4.3/5

Characters⇢ 4.3/5

The Feels⇢ 4.3/5

Pacing⇢ 4/5

Addictiveness⇢ 4/5

Theme or Tone⇢ 4.5/5

Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 4/5

World-Building⇢ 4.3/5

Originality⇢ 5/5

Ending⇢ 4.3/5

BOOKS WITH A SIMILAR VIBE...

 

Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen

SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
Chaya Lindner is a teenager living in Nazi-occupied Poland. Simply being Jewish places her in danger of being killed or sent to the camps. After her little sister is taken away, her younger brother disappears, and her parents all but give up hope, Chaya is determined to make a difference. Using forged papers and her fair features, Chaya becomes a courier and travels between the Jewish ghettos of Poland, smuggling food, papers, and even people.
Soon Chaya joins a resistance cell that runs raids on the Nazis’ supplies. But after a mission goes terribly wrong, Chaya’s network shatters. She is alone and unsure of where to go, until Esther, a member of her cell, finds her and delivers a message that chills Chaya to her core, and sends her on a journey toward an even larger uprising in the works — in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Though the Jewish resistance never had much of a chance against the Nazis, they were determined to save as many lives as possible and to live — or die — with honor.

THE KEY POINTS OF THE STORY⇣

⬥WWII

⬥YOUNG ADULT/MIDDLE-GRADE

⬥RESISTANCE FIGHTERS

⬥OCCUPIED POLAND

STATS⇣

AUDIO PERFORMED BY⇢ Jesse Vilinsky
BOOK COVER⇢ The cover is spectacular.

SETTING⇢ Throughout Poland

SOURCE⇢ Libby Audiobook (Library)

AUDIOBOOK LENGTH⇢ 9 hours, 28 minutes

MY THOUGHTS⇣

Billed as Middle-Grade Young Adult, this holds no punches when it comes to the atrocities inflicted on the Jewish people of Germany and Poland.  This book, in particular, revolves around the country of Poland, more than Germany.  Featuring Chaya (the C is silent when it is pronounced) who I liked and didn't like at different intervals throughout.  Esther...or maybe her name was Hester...was kind of forgettable which is kind of obvious...because I'm not even sure what her name is.

The story started out strong for me, I was really feeling it, but somewhere along the way it lost something, it felt bogged down, a little sluggish even...it could be just the subject matter itself, though.  Overall, it was a decent look at the resistance fighters in WWII and how difficult it was for them.  I'm glad I took the time to listen to it.  Jesse Vilinsky's narration was performed very well.

MY RATING⇢ 4 STARS | GRADE B+

BREAKDOWN⇣

Plot⇢ 3.8/5

Characters⇢ 3.7/5

The Feels⇢ 4/5

Pacing⇢ 3.8/5

Addictiveness⇢ 4.3/5

Theme or Tone⇢ 4.3/5

Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 4/5

Backdrop (World Building)⇢ 4.3/5

Originality⇢ 4/5

Ending⇢ 4/5

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

Prisoner of Night and Fog #1

๏ ๏ ๏  Highlights ๏ ๏ ๏

 

Historical Fiction Based in Truth

Germany Pre-WWII Times

Mystery

Family Secrets

Ravings of a Madman--Adolf Hitler

Splash of Romance

๏ ๏ ๏ Links ๏ ๏ ๏

Kindle eBook | Audio

Add to Goodreads | Add to Booklikes 

With Narration Performed by Heather Wilds

๏ ๏ ๏  My Thoughts ๏ ๏ ๏ 

This was a little different from my usual kind of read, but sometimes different is just what you need.   While my knowledge of Germany and Hitler is limited, I learned about it in school, but I only remember the basics, I still believe that this feels very well researched...and I soaked all the history up like a sponge.  That added to the interesting characters and the side-mystery makes this a worthwhile read/listen.  There is a bit of romance, but it feels so natural that it only enhances the story.  

The narrator's accent was just right...giving Gretchen's voice just the right amount of German, without making it difficult to understand.  

๏ ๏ ๏  MY RATING ๏ ๏ ๏ 

☆4.3☆STARS - GRADE=A-

๏ Breakdown of Ratings ๏ 

Plot⇝ 4.2/5
Narration Performance⇝ 5/5

Main Characters⇝ 4.3/5

Secondary Characters⇝ 4.5/5

The Feels⇝ 4.5/5

Pacing⇝ 4.3/5

Addictiveness⇝ 4/5

Theme or Tone⇝ 4.5/5

Flow (Writing Style)⇝ 4.5/5

Backdrop (World Building)⇝ 4/5

Originality⇝ 4.3/5

Ending⇝ 4.3/5 Cliffhanger⇝ Not really...but there is a second book.

๏ ๏ ๏

Book Cover⇝ Gorgeous...love the cover model, she seems perfect for the story.

Setting⇝ Munich, Germany

Source⇝ Audiobook (Library)
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