The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne's amazing story set in the holocaust war time period was wonderful in a sense of literature but not in the sense of happy endings. While I was reading the book it gave me a feeling of remorse and sadness and I felt as if I were going through the book living it in real life, that is probably because of Boyne's realism and rash reality of the book and I especially felt it through out all the book.

The story is about a young boy named Bruno, who's father is a commander in the Nazi army. When his father is relocated from Berlin to Out-With, a concentration camp positioned miles from their house, is when the real story begins. This mix of non fiction realism of this time period and of the fictitious made up story by Boyne is somewhat tragic and yet grasps you with a sense of reality that this actually could happen during this specific historical event (the holocaust). I was intrigued to find more about the holocaust and the conditions of the concentration camps that's when my friend recommended I read this book. As I began reading I was overwhelmed by the tragic state of the house and of the camp, I never would imagine being sent to an awful place like that. What I gathered by reading this depressing story was that while youth are still innocent in the sense of reckless "adventure" some things are meant to be left "unexplored".Though this is my opinion there can be many other central themes around this story. Bruno begins exploring his new environment and this leads to trouble because as he can see the camp from his room he feels he needs to explore it so he sets off walking almost an hour and reaches a fence where a sad boney child sits on the ground, this boy's name is Shmuel, Bruno's new found friend. As the boys become friends by Bruno's daily visits, complications and questions arise. Such as why were they separated by a fence and when would Bruno leave Out-With. As the story continues Bruno's mother grows tired of the awful environment that she is bringing up her children in so she decides to move back to Berlin. Hours before they are to leave, Bruno sets out to say his last good bye to Shmuel. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone so that is where I'll end it, so if you want to find out more you have to pick up this book and read it.

I'm very happy I read this amazing book. It may strike you as a little dark and depressing but that is what makes this book so realistic and it grips you right at the beginning and it was, in my opinion, the best historical fiction book. If you like this book you should try reading some other books by John Boyne like Mutiny and Next of Kin. Not only that but by reading this book I gathered more info about the holocaust, and I was moved to tears by this entertaining book (which by the way was recently turned into a movie). A