Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Pages: 346
Intended Audience: Mature teens
Genre: Historical / War
Notes for Parents: Some mild language; graphic descriptions of abuse and neglect carried out at the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp in Germany, including medical experiments and mass murder.

The Back Cover

When ferrying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet Rose Justice is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women’s concentration camp. There, she meets an unforgettable group of women, including a once glamorous French novelist whose Jewish husband and three young sons have been killed; a resilient young Polish girl who has been used as a human guinea pig by Nazi doctors; and a female fighter pilot and military ace for the Soviet air force.
Trapped in this bleak place under horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery, and friendship of these fellow prisoners. But will hope be enough to enable Rose to endure the fate that is in store for her?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is a companion novel to Wein’s Code Name Verity.

What’s good?

This is an intensely emotional story about the depths of human cruelty that is not for the faint of heart. Characterization was key as we got to know the prisoners – victims of the Nazi regime – and witnessed their desperation. Rose’s six months seems like an eternity as the desperation of the women of Ravensbrück grows palpable. The plot is deliberate and grinding, allowing us to watch the painful transformation of a woman who was once an adventurous, confident pilot. Rose’s poetry serves as a beacon of light.
Best Part: The Rabbits

What isn’t good?
As with Code Name Verity, it has a slow start and includes a lot of technical airplane talk that adds very little to the story. Luckily, the pace picks up quickly when Rose is captured.
Worst part: The beginning.

Recommendation þþþþo

If you can stick with this book during its slow start and slog through some of the technical jargon, there is a gem to be found. This is an honest fictional account of a horrifying historical reality. Definitely recommended.

Wein, Elizabeth. Rose Under Fire. New York: Hyperion, 2013. (Hardcover)

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

Pages: 369
Intended Audience: Teens and Tweens
Genre: Supernatural Adventure
Notes for Parents: There is some mild violence, but nothing that should concern parents

The Back Cover

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty.
The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed, and in the wrong hands, it will destroy the world.
Which is exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.
Sometimes legends are true.
And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The story was inspired by the real Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. This is the first book in a series.

What’s good?

This is a creative treatment of an old legend based on real people. It’s full of many exciting mythological characters, strange creatures, and a visit to a fantastical realm. There is plenty of action in this supernatural adventure and the inclusion of historical people and events makes it interesting.
Best Part: Hekate’s realm

What isn’t good?

There’s no other way to say it – the brother and sister main characters were boring! The kids drag the story down to an agonizingly slow pace. I have a feeling that a pure “Nicholas versus John Dee” struggle would have been a much more exciting story, especially with supporting characters like the cunning Perenelle, Bastet and the Morrigan, and the kick-butt Scatty (stupid name!). Sophie and Josh turn what could have been a suspenseful fight for possession of the codex into a tedious and juvenile journey.
Worst part: The cliffhanger ending did not make me want to read the next one.

Recommendation þþooo

I really wanted to like this book but in the end I found it just too simplistic. The potential was there for a wonderful fantasy story with the mash-up of mythological characters and creative world building, but the plot and two main characters were lackluster so it never really worked for me. It was readable, but nothing special.

Scott, Michael. The Alchemyst. New York: Ember, 2007.