An unusual plotline, massacred by the condescending and uneven manner of writing. [Spoiler Alert] Boyne seems to have begun writing a children’s tale, and somewhere along the lines it became a grown ups’ tale, but with an irritatingly slow narrative pace that is usually typical of children’s bedtime stories. Bruno, 9, all too often expresses an adult’s point of view, and then immediately regresses to a 4 year old’s point of view. Unusually dim witted, bad at communications – at least the listening part – and very very selfish, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, gets friendly with a Jew boy living in the Auswitch concentration camp. His sister, who again oscillates between a little girl with her dolls, and a teenager who flirts with another young Nazi officer (make up you mind, Boyne!) is repetitively called a Hopeless Case, for reasons never explained. Boyne keeps repeating many many phrases throughout the book, perhaps in an attempt to be funny, but overdoes it, and ends up being merely boring, condescending and vastly irritating. With Jews dying or disappearing left, right and center, the reader cannot designate this as a children’s book. However, the pace and the extra extra extra details fail to hold an adult reader’s interest. To get back to the plotline, the dim witted Bruno makes friends with Shmuel, talks to him daily from the other side of the fence, in a corner of the camp that is not under surveillance – presumably for the convenience of the plot. On the last day, Bruno crosses the fence and enters the camp through another convenience – a loose fence post at exactly the spot where the boys meet. Bruno is never heard from again. The captured Jew doctor, and the suspect Nazi officer are mediocre sub plots, but narrated with a rare touch of subtlety. Overall a good story, vitiated by a vastly irritating way of writing. A book this reader will never touch again, and an author this reader will perhaps never read again.

(Hail Hitler) No, I don't hate Jewish people... I actually love them to death. The idea from this picture from reading the book "The Boy In the Striped Pajamas". That book was so sad </3 You should go read it and then watch the movie! It takes place during the Holocaust and is about the son of a Nazi/a little Jewish boy. Today was pretty decent. Nothing too special. The only thing that was really worth saying is that I made a new friend named Nick and he's 6'3"! He's taller than the school's security specialist! During P.E. class, Sunny and Maria fought over my love, and then it was decided that we will make a zombie movie over Spring Break. Fun? Yes/Yes! This description is reallyreallyreally short! Gah, I'm not sure how I feel about the lighting for this picture... I got a new lamp for my birthday! Currently Strumming: "That's What She Said" by The Friday Night Boys