Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

Pages: 301

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Historical / Mystery

Notes for Parents: This is about the Holocaust so it contains some mature content.

The Back Cover

Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days finding and delivering sought-after black-market goods to paying customers, nights hiding the true nature of her work from her concerned parents, and every waking moment mourning her boyfriend, who was killed on the Dutch front lines when the German army invaded. Her illegal work keeps her family afloat, and Hanneke also likes to think of it as a small act of rebellion against the Nazis.

On a routine delivery, a client asks Hanneke for help. Expecting to hear that Mrs. Janssen wants her to find meat or kerosene, Hanneke is shocked by the older woman’s frantic plea to find a person: a Jewish teenager Mrs. Janssen has been hiding, who has vanished without a trace from a secret room. Hanneke initially wants nothing to do with such a dangerous task but is ultimately drawn into a web of mysteries and stunning revelations—where the only way out is through.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This novel won the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery.

What’s good?

Hanneke does what she must to make sure that she and her family survive the German occupation of the Netherlands, which includes the dangerous task of finding black-market goods for her neighbors. An opportunity arises that makes her realize that she can be part of something bigger. But will she take the risk? The pace was brisk and the plot had me captivated from beginning to end. There were many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. The story touched on themes of friendship, courage, loneliness, truth, romance, and of course the cruelty and racism of the Nazis and their supporters. All of the characters were important and brilliantly drawn, even Bas, Hanneke’s boyfriend who died before the story even begins. The ending was well done.

Best Part: Hanneke was an excellent example of a strong, female character.

What isn’t good?

The entirety of World War II is extremely complex, but this story is not. We get a glimpse of what the Dutch Jews are going through, but we’re given no real sense of the terror they are facing. We also see just a small pocket of the resistance and what they do, and never learn about the vastness and intricacy of the revolution.

Worst part: None.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☺ (5/5)

I loved it! I was engrossed in the story from the moment it started. This is an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand story set in a very complicated time in world history. The actions taken by these teenagers are perilous but believable. The story was heart-breaking, heart-stopping, and well-written. Definitely recommended.

Hesse, Monica. Girl in the Blue Coat. New York: Little, Brown, & Company, 2017.