Briar Rose (the Fairy Tale) (Experientia Supplementum S.) (urspr publ 1992; utgåvan 1993)

This beautifully written, happy & sad book teaches the Holocaust better than any text book. A perfect rewrite of the fairy tale. ( )

Although a YA book, this was VERY VERY well written, especially the latter part about the holocaust.
I didn't hugely engage with the modern-day bulk of the book (though it wasnt bad, and IS aimed at 13+). Set in a middle class Jewish-American household, grandma is dying and leaves a secret to be uncovered by favourite granddaughter Becca.
This takes her to Poland, the remains of the extermination camp at Chelmno, and an old man who remembers...
After the fairly frothy teen narrative up till now, this is very dark and harrowing, and extremely powerful writing. ( )

3.5

Gemma, tell your story again.

I told myself I'd stop reading Holocaust books but this one tricked me into reading it by saying it was a Sleeping Beauty retelling

I mean technically it was but a very brutal one

the good: I liked the way the puzzle/mystery was set up, and gradually finding out what happened, and how it was all related to Sleeping Beauty. (the people who keep sleeping and the kiss that wakes her up? like wow). I also liked the way the Gemma flashbacks were alternating with the present.

the bad: I didn't care about the present-time characters or the romance at all, but then again that wasn't the focus.

TWs: uh, everything? Holocaust, genocide, extermination camps, suicide, homophobia, anti-semitism. you name it. ( )

This interesting story was filled with mystery and intrigue. It was a journey through history and a recollection of some very sad times. I was captivated by the story and became eager to see how everything would tie together.

I really thought the Author did a great job capturing the war feels in her historical retelling, but it lacked emotion. I expected to feel deeply, but it mostly just grazed the surface. I think what caused this disconnect was the flow and writing style. I often became confused as to who was telling which parts and what exactly was going on. It didn’t ruin the story, but it definitely impacted the essence.

Overall, I think there are better reads on this subject matter that pack the gut punch I like with historicals. It’s worth a read if you like mysteries. but don’t expect much in the ways of epicness. ( )

This is not a book you 'really like' because it deals with the holocaust. That said, it was a well written and interesting take on fairy tales and their purpose in society. The story is well told and horrifying, the more so for its elements of truth. ( )