Stasha and Pearl are given special treatment at Auschwitz because they are twins. They aren't forced to do manual labour or deal with the constant threat of being gassed. They are Mengele's patients in his 'Zoo' and they are experimented on in horrific ways to see if they can feel each other's pain. The close bond they have with each other is what gives them strength. Until one day Pearl goes missing and Stasha, along with another lone twin Feliks, set out to find Pearl and get revenge on Mengele - the Doctor of Death.
I wanted to love this book, I really did. I have read several other books based on World War 2 and was looking forward to reading a whole new type of story from the point of view of twins who got special treatment in Mengele's Zoo. But I found it such a chore to read. Part of the issue I had with this book was that a large portion of the plot was given away by the blurb, so for a while I felt like I was just speed reading to get to the part where I didn't know what to expect.
I wish I got to know more about other people in the 'Zoo'. The book was extremely focused on Stasha and Pearl and their opinions on other characters, rather than letting us get to know the others for ourselves. It led me to feel quite closed off inside a small portion of the twin's minds for the majority of the book. I would have preferred if I had the chance to understand more about the environment the book was set in by getting to know more characters and hear more conversations.
I found the lengthy paragraphs and fantasy elements put me off reading the book, and I found it easy to put down and not feel like picking up again for a few days. I did enjoy Part Two a lot more than Part One because the pace picked up, but I still felt like getting to the end was more a necessity than a choice.
This isn't a book I would highly recommend but it does give a fresh point of view on the horrors of Auschwitz and an insight into the minds of twins.
I wanted to love this book, I really did. I have read several other books based on World War 2 and was looking forward to reading a whole new type of story from the point of view of twins who got special treatment in Mengele's Zoo. But I found it such a chore to read. Part of the issue I had with this book was that a large portion of the plot was given away by the blurb, so for a while I felt like I was just speed reading to get to the part where I didn't know what to expect.
I wish I got to know more about other people in the 'Zoo'. The book was extremely focused on Stasha and Pearl and their opinions on other characters, rather than letting us get to know the others for ourselves. It led me to feel quite closed off inside a small portion of the twin's minds for the majority of the book. I would have preferred if I had the chance to understand more about the environment the book was set in by getting to know more characters and hear more conversations.
I found the lengthy paragraphs and fantasy elements put me off reading the book, and I found it easy to put down and not feel like picking up again for a few days. I did enjoy Part Two a lot more than Part One because the pace picked up, but I still felt like getting to the end was more a necessity than a choice.
This isn't a book I would highly recommend but it does give a fresh point of view on the horrors of Auschwitz and an insight into the minds of twins.