Max in the Land of Lies
| Modern Age |
|---|
 Max in the Land of Lies: A Tale of World War II
|
World History > Modern Age > WWII
“A heartrending masterpiece of middle-grade historical fiction.″ –Booklist, starred review
“A headlong thriller laced with provocative and topical historical truths.” –Kirkus, starred review
Max Bretzfeld is back in Berlin where his most dangerous mission is about to begin! The thrilling conclusion to the World War II spy duology that began with Max in the House of Spies.
Max is on a mission. Well, two missions.
One has been assigned by his British spymasters: Infiltrate the Funkhaus, the center of Nazi radio and propaganda.
The other they have forbidden: Find his parents.
Max Bretzfeld was willing to do anything to return to Germany, even become a British spy. Training complete and forged papers in hand, the radio wunderkind’s missions have begun. But nothing is as he expected. His parents are missing. Nazi intelligence is watching him. And the lines between lies and truth are becoming more blurred every day. Max will need every tool at his disposal, from his radio expertise and spy training to the help of Berg and Stein, the immortal creatures living on his shoulders. Even so, there’s no guarantee he’ll make it out of Berlin alive.
Emily's Review
I loved the first book and went into this one with very high expectations. Expectations were not only met, they were exceeded!
First - I don't think I've ever read a middle grade story set in this time and place that did such an excellent job of explaining HOW Hitler was able to convince an entire country to follow him. I loved that Gidwitz didn't paint every German as a mindless monster. He showed us that each German had a choice to make, and sometimes that choice was difficult, but sometimes, through hate, or anger, or disappointment, they chose to be a Nazi. He allowed for nuance, which I think is important. Kids need to know that something like that CAN happen here, that it wasn't just the evilness of Germans that led to such atrocities.
And there is so much meat to this book - he talks a lot about propaganda and the Big Lie, but also Hitler Youth, how Hitler came to power, concentration camps, the SS and more. He covers a lot of ground in 300 pages!
That being said, this was a rollicking good story. Gidwitz takes you on a journey with Max, and there are many twists and turns and plenty of action. You will never be bored! I read this so quickly because I had to know what was going to happen next!
I also greatly appreciated the extensive note in the back of the book explaining what was real, as well as a great list of what to read next. I'd already read or heard of several of the books he listed, but he's given me a few titles to read, and I always appreciate that!
I highly recommend reading this series if you want to study World War II. They will give you a great foundation to build from to better understand the how and why.
Other Similar Books
Other suggestions on the subject of the World War II (Nazi Germany).
- An Elephant in the Garden (by: Morpurgo, Michael, WWII, MG)
- The Book Thief (by: Zusak, Markus, WWII, YA, UMG)
- When the World Was Ours (by: Kessler, Liz, WWII, Holocaust, UMG, YA)
- Maus II (by: Spiegelman, Art, WWII, YA, A)
- My Long List of Impossible Things (by: Barker, Michelle, WWII, YA, A)
- Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken (by: Tyndall, Nita, WWII, LGBTQ+, YA, A)
- The Berlin Boxing Club (by: Sharenow, Robert, WWII, YA, A)
- White Rose (by: Wilson, Kip, WWII, YA, A)
- The Faithful Spy (by: Hendrix, John, WWII, German Occupation, YA, A)
- Parallel Journeys (by: O'Brien, Tim, WWII, Auschwitz, YA, A)
- Flowers in the Gutter (by: Gaddy, K. R., WWII, YA, A)
- Names in a Jar (by: Gold, Jennifer, Holocaust, WWII, YA, A)
- Maus I (by: Spiegelman, Art, WWII, YA, A)
- Under the Same Stars (by: Bray, Libba, WWII, Berlin Wall, YA, A)
- The Shadow War (by: Smith, Lindsay, WWII, YA)
- The Last Checkmate: A Novel (by: Saab, Gabriella, WWII, Chess, Auschwitz, YA)
- The German Wife (by: Rimmer, Kelly, WWII, Operation Paperclip, A)
- Berlin (by: Lutes, Jason, WWII, Fall of the Weimar Republic, A)