Members with This Book
Most Helpful Reviews
see all reviews
Liked It “The book alternates between two intersecting stories: Jacob Todd is a seventeen-year-old boy from England who is taking a trip to Amsterdam to learn more about his grandfather, a soldier who spent some time there during World War II. Geertrui is a nineteen-year-old girl living in the Netherlands...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “This was disappointing to me. Lots of history, but too much about exploring sex and living beyond the mores of your family. Grandfather fathers a child while wounded in Holland in WW II, and then grandson learns of it on a trip to Holland in present day.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
see all reviews-
“The book alternates between two intersecting stories: Jacob Todd is a seventeen-year-old boy from England who is taking a trip to Amsterdam to learn more about his grandfather, a soldier who spent some time there during World War II. Geertrui is a nineteen-year-old girl living in the Netherlands during the German occupation. The two stories are ultimately interconnected.
Kelsey M wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The two plot lines initially read as two separate stories. Jacob’s story is told from a third person perspective, while Geertrui’s is told in the first person. The two stories, one realistic fiction and the other historical fiction, are quite different from each other and the interchange between the two might be jarring for some readers. Geertrui’s story is straightforward, but Jacob’s tends to be wandering; we are privy to his inner-thoughts, which often turn into long philosophical ramblings – very thought provoking for a mature reader, but maybe too dense for a lower-level or impatient reader. The book also contains quality literary elements, including name and language play, and a variety of beautiful quotes, both poetic and historical.
Assessment: Postcards deals with a lot of big topics – perhaps too many. On top of the heap of typical teen angst issues, the book confronts homosexuality, euthanasia, and the Holocaust. While some of the deep philosophical discussions occasionally verge on the preachy side, however, they maintain the authentic, curious perspective of a teenage boy who is just beginning to examine the world around him and form opinions of his own. The unique position of a young adult – the potential and open-endedness, the confusion and freedom – is perfectly captured by putting the protagonist abroad, in a confusing, yet wonderfully new place. Amsterdam truly comes to life for the reader through Jacob’s eyes. Likewise, WWII becomes a relatable piece of history, the part that is not conveyed in American textbooks, especially because it is told from a foreign perspective. This book has a lot of substance to it, but some readers might not have the patience for it. As well as a good, relatable teen read, it could be used in a historical fiction unit, perhaps in conjunction with The Diary of Anne Frank.
Favorite Quotes/Passages:
“In small proportions we just beauties see;/ And in short measures life may perfect be.” – a passage from a poem by Ben Jonson that is repeated throughout the book
Alma’s observation that “Every time we learn an important lesson about life we suffer a sense of loss…We gain. But there’s a cost.”
”“This was disappointing to me. Lots of history, but too much about exploring sex and living beyond the mores of your family. Grandfather fathers a child while wounded in Holland in WW II, and then grandson learns of it on a trip to Holland in present day. ”
Susan G wrote this review Wednesday, September 23 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A wonderful, compelling historical fiction. It transcends generations to find the truth.”
Ms. Olbrys wrote this review Friday, March 27 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I liked this book and I hated this book. I picked up this book because my mother grew up in Holland during the German occupation as a teenager. It was good for me to gain a perspective of some of the struggles my mom went through and created great conversations starters and understanding of her life challenges. Unfortunately, this book lost my interest in Jacob's own struggle with his sexuality which greatly distracted from developing cross generational relationships.”
Clarence K wrote this review Tuesday, September 30 2008. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The only good part of this book, in my humble opinion is Geertrui's (or however you spell it) story. This story was moving and sad. Jacob's story was sorely dissapointing, as I had heard great things about this book.”
Milli McCorkingdale. MADELEINE, NAME YOUR BUNNY MCCORKINGDALE!!! wrote this review Saturday, September 20 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“this book, to me, was a waste of time. i like WWII books but this one really killed it for me. Oh well....”
Anna cha-cha-cha wrote this review Tuesday, January 29 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is a tale that takes a young American back to the Netherlands to discover the story of his grandfather who was killed there in World War II. The story moves from present day to the past and there is a twist. Well written and readable. It may make you want to visit the Netherlands. PB CHAMBEERS”
MrsB wrote this review Wednesday, May 14 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Displaying 1-7 of 7
