Paper Boats

I must admit, I'm not a history buff. Books about war, and even books written in the shadow of wars tend to bore me to sleep. War books generally drag on and on, are pretty mundane, and are downright boring to read. Going into reading Paper Boats, I thought that the book would be a snooze fest. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't. Paper Boats is not your typical war story at all! I found myself engrossed in the story from beginning to end. I couldn't wait to read the next page to find out what would happen next. I developed a strong interest for the setting of the book, the situations found in the book, and the characters found in the book. The last time I was this engrossed by reading a book with such strong historical content was when I read the Diary Of Anne Frank In a lot of ways, Paper Boats reminded me of the Diary Of Anne Frank. I cared about the character of Otto in the book. I cried right alongside him. I felt like I could feel the things that Otto was feeling. I was eager to find out if Otto survived and what his life was like. The book was very well researched about the events surrounding World War II and the Third Reich. There were so many things in this book that you don't find in history books and movies, things that you can only learn about if you look at the personal, human side of the story The book takes place at the end of the Third Reich in Berlin during World War II. It's the tale of two nine year old boys, completely different in all aspects, and how the events of the war and their differences bring them together during a time when the world was being split apart. Otto is nothing more than a Jewish boy who wants to find his place in the world and feel like there is some sort of normalcy in his life, even in the middle of a war. He longs for the acceptance and respect of people around him. Growing up in the shadow of World War II proves to be challenging as he's faced with issues that children should not have to deal with. His suffering, his struggles, it's all related to the war, and it's all taking it's toll on this little boy who just wants to be a regular nine year old kid I found myself emotionally invested in this book. Waiting on pins and needles for what was to come, and quickly reading page after page with a great deal of anticipation. In the end, it's a historical book about war, combined with a soap opera style drama that combine into one wonderful, intriguing read. - Bridget Mattson - Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer I decided to 'LOVE' this novel because it's both fresh and compelling in a way few novels are. The book is fresh in that it looks at the end phase of WWII in Berlin through the eyes of two young boys and through their experiences with the people they meet. The author's narrative gift is what makes the telling so compelling. It took me a few pages to 'recalibrate' to the world of the young Jewish slave, Otto; to his view of the world; and to the 'sort of' German syntax of some of his sentences. Once I had done that, the pace of the story had me hooked. Through Otto's eyes we see both bestial and sympathetic denizens of the bunker in those final days. Otto's missions are always hair-raising and suspenseful. Finally, he is given a mission to take an incendiary document detailing complicity in 'The Final Solution'. Attached to the mission is Joseph Kessler, a devoted member of the Hitler Youth. Most of the tale deals with the boys' run through war-ravaged Europe in search of the truth. The Nazi-oriented Hitler Youth and Otto make an unlikely alliance, full of friction, and their unfolding story is told with a good deal of irony as well as with believable development. In the end, I felt that the author's research and fictive reconstruction of this little known period in the war left me with a deeper understanding of life in Germany and Poland. Erndell Scott has written a story that will 'stay with you.' - James Ellsworth - A top Amazon Reviewer