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    Prisoner of Night and Fog
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    Prisoner of Night and Fog
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    Prisoner of Night and Fog
    Ebook392 pages6 hours

    Prisoner of Night and Fog

    By Anne Blankman

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    A gripping historical thriller set in 1930s Munich, Prisoner of Night and Fog is the evocative story of an ordinary girl faced with an extraordinary choice in Hitler's Germany. Fans of Code Name Verity will love this novel full of romance, danger, and intrigue!

    Gretchen Müller grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her uncle Dolf—who has kept her family cherished and protected from that side of society ever since her father sacrificed his life for Dolf's years ago. Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.

    When she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen, who claims that her father was actually murdered by an unknown comrade, Gretchen doesn't know what to believe. She soon discovers that beyond her sheltered view lies a world full of shadowy secrets and disturbing violence.

    As Gretchen's investigations lead her to question the motives and loyalties of her dearest friends and her closest family, she must determine her own allegiances—even if her choices could get her and Daniel killed.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateApr 22, 2014
    ISBN9780062278838
    Author

    Anne Blankman

    Anne Blankman is the acclaimed author of Prisoner of Night and Fog, which received a starred review and a Flying Start from Publishers Weekly. When Anne was twelve, she read Anne Frank's diary and has been haunted by World War II ever since. The idea for Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke came to her after she read about a real-life unsolved street assassination from January 1933, which was the inspiration for Monika Junge's murder. To research this book, she studied a wide range of sources, including biographies, memoirs, social histories, psychological profiles, old maps, photographs, and video footage. Anne lives in southeastern Virginia with her husband, Mike, her young daughter, Kirsten, and, of course, lots and lots of books.

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    Reviews for Prisoner of Night and Fog

    4/5

    89 ratings16 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I must admit that I wanted to read Prisoner of Night and Fog the instant I saw that it revolved around Adolf Hitler. I have this fascination with people like him. People who can manipulate, who can sway the masses so perfectly that he can cause them to turn against one another. There's something both terrifying and intriguing about a man like that. I was also very interested to see how Anne Blankman would weave her story around Gretchen. What would it be like to be part of the Nazi party? To be that close to someone so influential? I went into this book with high hopes my friends, and I wasn't disappointed.

      Gretchen's character is perfection. Who better to show how easy it was to be caught under the spell of "Uncle Dolf" than a young girl? What's special about Gretchen is that she has a big heart. Even when the Nazi slogans and beliefs were rattling around in her head, even when she tried to steel her heart against violence towards the Jews, I couldn't hate her for it. This is how Gretchen was raised. Raised to accept what was around her, and quietly go about her business. I won't deny that I silently cheered her on as she slowly started to break out of her shell. I wanted this girl to overcome. I wanted her to see the dark, bloody truth. I liked Gretchen, and that made this book so easy to read.

      Even more interesting is that you'll see key players from Adolf Hitler's life peppered into this tale. Even Ms. Eva Braun is a pivotal person in this quick moving story. I loved seeing deeper into his whole persona. Into the sad, lost man who was behind it all. I'll grant you the fact that Prisoner of Night and Fog is historical fiction, but it feels real. It's easy to get lost in, and that's what I'm always looking for in a new read.

      Add in a forbidden romance, some intrigue, and the type of secrets that should stay hidden, and you have quite the book. While I wasn't in love with all the aspects of it, I can't give Anne Blakeman's book anything less than a huge round of applause. If you're a fan of this time period, or a fan of historical fiction in general, this will be a book you'll want to check out. Well-written and moving. I loved it.
    • 5/5
      Now, this is my type of book! "Prisoner of Night and Fog" is a wonderful blend of rich, historical detail and creative story writing. It is clearly obvious, even before the author's notes and bibliography, that Blankman has spent hours researching the events and people surrounding Hitler's rise to power. I loved following Gretchen's growth and seeing Hitler through her eyes - first as charming, indulgent Uncle Dolf, then as someone more menacing and sinister. As Gretchen's uncovers secrets about her father's death her loyalties change and her life becomes more precarious. Throughout the second half of the book I was on tender hooks as tension built and the sense of foreboding increased. I found myself continually hoping that both Daniel and Gretchen's were going to make it to the end of the book. I thought this was a stand-alone novel and only found out later that it is the first book in a trilogy. Can't wait for the sequel!
    • 5/5
      Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman is a young adult historical fiction novel that burrows into the heart of Nazi-occupied Germany. It's a story filled with lies, deceit, and love, set during mankind's darkest hour. Prisoner of Night and Fog could have easily failed, considering its difficult subject matter and especially seeing as the protagonist - Gretchen - was often referred to as being 'Hitler's Favourite'. However, Anne Blankman succeeded in telling a tale that not only highlights the horrors that befell the Jewish population during Hitler's reign, but also shows the manipulation and brainwashing that occurred in order to sway people to his side.

      I loved the character growth of Gretchen. She wasn't your typical whiny teenage girl, even though she had her moments. I loved the way Blankman changed her from a follower to a leader. Most of all, though, I enjoyed her coming to the bottom of things. What's more, I liked how Blankman portrayed Hitler - a charismatic leader when an audience is near, but a complete psychopath in his personal capacity.

      In general, I'm not one for World War II tales. I mean, I know what happened. I've seen the photographs and I've watched enough Holocaust films to give me an understanding of how dreadful the circumstances were. But even I have my limits in how horrific I like my horror. That being said, I have recently realised that I have an incredible gap in my reading list that revolves around World War II (books like The Book Thief and Anne Frank's Diary just never appealed to me), and thanks to Prisoner of Night and Fog I feel it's time to rectify it.
      Basically, this is a must-read book and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel - Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke. Be advised, though, no matter how many years have passed since Adolf Hitler's reign of terror, it never becomes easier to see, hear, read, or know about the things that happened.
    • 4/5
      I received a copy from Netgalley.

      This was a fascinating read, a completely new type of YA novel for me. Mixing fiction and fact together in a very absorbing way. There was a lot of history worked in to the novel, and during the first half of the book, told from the point of view of German girl Gretchen, a favourite of Hitler, it felt at least to me that the author was trying to show a human side to Hitler which made me very very uncomfortable reading. I have very little interest in knowing the human side to one of history's greatest monsters.

      That being said though I found Gretchen's story to be quite engrossing. Her character developed immensely throughout, she started out very naive, but once she met Jewish boy Daniel, the love interest, her eyes opened and she slowly became aware of the truth about her "beloved Uncle Dolph." This was where the fact and fiction blended very well together, though at times was hard to get through.

      The plot of the novel focuses on Gretchen discovering the truth about her father's death, which Daniel helps her solve. Whilst at the same time dealing with her despicable older brother and less than helpful mother. The story really shines for me in the relationship Gretchen and Daniel developed. A very very slow building romance that was wonderfully written, captivating and emotional.

      With a fantastic burst of action towards the end the story was wrapped up with an open ending, but after reading the author's notes at the end, (which answered a lot of what is history and what is fiction for the purpose of the novel) I was very pleased to hear that there is going to be another book in the series. Something I will be looking forward to.

      So a huge thanks to Negalley and Balzer & Bray for approving my request to view this title. I loved it.

      Also checks off a square for Book Bingo - a book set during war time.
    • 4/5
      Although Gretchen Müller's life has been difficult since her father died, her family is kept from complete poverty by her "Uncle Dolf," who hasn't forgotten that Klaus Müller sacrificed his life so that Hitler might survive during the failed Beer Hall Putsch. But Gretchen, nicknamed "sunshine" by Hitler himself, is thrust into a middle of a mystery when a young Jewish reporter, Daniel Cohen, informs her that her father was murdered by someone in the Nazi Party. Although Gretchen has been taught all of her life by "Uncle Dolf" to distrust Jews, she finds herself believing his story.As soon as I discovered this book's existence, I simply knew that I would have to read it - a young adult historical novel set in pre-WW2 Germany, along with the forbidden love angle? Yes please. And, for the most part, this book definitely met my expectations.I instantly liked the character of Daniel, who was intelligent and determined, even though Gretchen treated him badly at first. Gretchen took some time to grow on me, but watching her move from being firmly entrenched in National Socialism (and including its Antisemitism) to someone who could think for herself was interesting. I liked how the relationship between Daniel and Gretchen took a while to develop, although it did feel like they rushed to the "I love you" part a little quickly.I must say that it felt like sociopath-palooza for a while in the book, but I think that the author eventually handled it well. Besides, Hitler really was labeled that at the time by one doctor, which is discussed in the afterword.The mystery over who actually killed Gretchen's father didn't feel like much of a mystery to me, to be honest. If one thinks about the position of the main players in relation to Gretchen's father, it becomes very clear quickly about who would have the motive and means to kill him. So I didn't feel like it was really much of a mystery, but I suppose that Gretchen needed incontrovertible proof of this before she could accept what had happened.There's also a lot of name-dropping in the book. Although I can buy that, as Hitler's "sunshine" and with her brother being a member of the SA, Gretchen would likely meet many of the people mentioned in the book, it strained credibility for her to also, conveniently, be best friends with Eva Braun as well. I presume that this series, like most YA series, will end up being a trilogy, so I'm not sure where the author is going to go from here. It's not like they are going to overthrow Hitler or prevent World War Two (at least, I sure hope they don't). I'm interested to see what the author is going to do in the future installments; I've already pre-ordered the next book!
    • 5/5
      The cover of this book completely drew me in. It’s very eye catching. After reading the synopsis I knew I HAD to read this book. I was so happy that I did.

      Gretchen is an amazing character. She is able to show fear, strength, and everything in between. Her main priority is to get to the bottom of how her father died years before. She finds herself trying to figure out who she can trust in the circle she’s always grown up around. Sometimes even the people closest to you have secrets. I absolutely adored Daniel. Gretchen shouldn’t even be talking to him, but she can’t help it. What I like best about Gretchen is that she starts to question everything. She also shows sympathy for those that are in a bind.

      The drama that unfolds in this book is full of awesome. There are so many secrets, and a few of the characters are terrifying. I also love how Blankman used real people as part of the story. It makes the actions that unfold more believable. I think my favorite aspect of this book is how close Gretchen’s ties with Adolf Hitler are. This is my second historical fiction I’ve read from this time, and it’s definitely my favorite.

      This may be one of my favorite books of the year, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of Anne Blankman’s work.
    • 4/5
      Hot title right now. I enjoyed it but don't quite see why it's so popular. Gretchen is a pampered friend of Hitler because her father died protecting Hitler eight years before, but someone reaches out to suggest that her father was actually murdered by someone in the party. Before long she is investigating the claims on her own and discovering that the person who suggested the murder, a Jew, is completely different from the subhuman species she had been taught Jews were. She quickly realizes that everything she had been taught was untrue, and this puts her life and that of her new friend in danger.
    • 4/5
      This is one of those books I thought I would like better than I did. The premise seemed right up my alley, but I just couldn't connect with it the way I wanted. The writing is good, the story line is good, I just couldn't get attached to it, so for that reason 4 out of 5 stars. I would still recommend it though for people that like historical fiction.
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Prisoner of Night and Fog is a fast-paced mystery with romance, action, and betrayal. I’d recommend it to readers everywhere.Opening Sentence: Gretchen Muller peered through the car’s rain-spotted windshield.The Review:Prisoner of Night and Fog is a book about Gretchen, daughter of Hitler’s beloved matyr. Herr Müllen jumped in front of the bullets meant for Hitler, saving the National Socialist’s beloved leader, and now Gretchen and her mother and brother live under his wing. He is a kind and gentle uncle whom at first Gretchen adores, but as she starts to see past his lies and falls in love with a Jewish boy, Gretchen must question all she has been raised to believe about her father, her childhood, and the cause.I’ll start by talking about the characters, which by the way are all very well created. Gretchen was an amazing character. She has a very introspective point of view, and always considers and notices everything. Her internal conflicts made me feel empathy for her, and that’s what a good character is supposed to do, after all, so Gretchen is most certainly a win. And then we have Daniel, the Jew. I fell in love with this character more and more the farther into the book I read. When he proposed Gretchen call him Daniel instead of Herr Cohen something inside of me smiled. Next, let’s not forget about Gretchen’s antagonist brother. Reinhard was absolutely terrifying. His calculating calmness and almost total lack of human emotions gave him a degree of creepiness that made me shiver, and I can say he made my Top 10 2014 “I Will Have Nightmares Tonight” villains.And Hitler. Hitler deserves a whole paragraph to himself. You know, we’ve been raised to believe Hitler is evil and horrible and we should hate him bitterly. By the end of the book we were to that point again, but for brief periods he was humanized to the point I actually felt sorry for him. At the beginning, after all, Gretchen loves him dearly, and I got to see a side of him that may or may not have been real (I can’t be sure, and I’m glad I never actually knew him). Altogether, I applaud the author for a fabulous rendition of Hitler.The mystery in this book was very fun. It was clear, hooking, and nicely described. The only thing that really confused me in this book was the names that I got mixed up, all the German names, but let’s face it, I am not good with names. I can’t exactly blame anyone but myself for the times I thought Herr Röhn was someone else.Prisoner of Night and Fog was great. I love myself a paranormal romance and sci-fi, but sometimes I like to kick back and enjoy some historical fiction, and I’m glad that this one was so great. The sequel shows great potential and I’m really excited for whenever that will be released. You know, it can be hard to create a mystery, with all the puzzle pieces that have to fit exactly right. But I feel like these puzzles pieces created a wonderful picture. I enjoyed Prisoner of Night and Fog immensely, and stayed up hours last night because I kept telling myself “just one more chapter” and then getting to an evil better part than the last. I hope that everyone reads this novel and loves it as much as I did!Notable Scene:He kissed her.His lips felt soft and warm on hers. And feather light, the barest pressure, like a whisper or a sigh, so gentle she might have imagined it.Breathless, they separated and stared at each other. In that instant, she was more aware of Daniel than she had ever been of anyone in her life: the high cheekbones beneath his olive skin, the flecks of gold in his brown eyes the tiny shaving nick that meant he had bothered with his appearance for her. His expression was so unlike his usual sarcastic grin she almost didn’t recognize him. He didn’t smile but kept his eyes steady on hers.FTC Advisory: Balzar+Bray/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of Prisoner of Night and Fog. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 4/5
      This book was an amazing treat. Fans of historical YA novels such as Rose Under Fire, The Book Thief, and In the Shadow of Blackbirds will be in a real delight with Prisoner of Night and Fog. This book is a well-researched and emotional masterpiece.

      My main concern going into the book was a gut feeling that I wouldn't like the main character, Gretchen. She calls the nasty Hitler "Uncle Dolf" after all. However, I am happy to report that I couldn't be more wrong about this lovely main character. Gretchen may be a bit naive, but she was strong-willed from the beginning and was a truly brave heroine.

      Also, I was a bit nervous about how the author would handle Hitler. Once again, my worries turned out to be all for nothing. Hitler was quite the characters, one I loathed fiercely but could see how others in the past could be so blind. The author clearly did her research on him, making him a three dimensional character. Anne Blackman even incorporated some shocking facts I hadn't known about Adolf Hitler!

      Also, the romance was perfect. While the book was (thankfully) not centered around Gretchen and Daniel's romance, it was still very sweet. I loved the two of them together.

      Overall, this historical fiction is among my new favorites. The amazing characters, setting and romance, mixed with the true facts and time period made Prisoner of Night and Fog quite the hit in my eyes. I would highly recommend this novel!
    • 5/5
      Gretchen slowly learns the truth about her uncle "Adolf". Was her father truly a hero that gave his life saving Hitler? Or was there more to the story? Great read. Full of suspense and mystery. Realistic fiction tied to the events prior to World War II. Very enjoyable.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful audio. Great, intriguing story.
    • 4/5
      ‘The box she had carefully constructed about herself would fall apart. And she didn’t know if she could bear standing out in the open, in the harsh wind, without the comforting warmth of those walls she had built to shut out everything she didn’t like or understand.’ In the early 1930′s, Hitler’s rise to power as the undisputed leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party continues. The country is in ruin after the financial crisis and the people were drawn to the promise of changes that Hitler vowed to make as soon as he’s elected Chancellor of Germany. He has up until now kept his true intentions for the Jewish people hidden under a thick coat of gloss, but the truth is starting to come out bit by bit. Gretchen Müller grew up knowing nothing but love for ‘Uncle Adolf’ after her father died preventing an assassination attack on Hitler. When new information is brought to her attention that her fathers death isn’t all as it appears, everything she has ever believed has to be reevaluated.‘He had said his opponents were flung cross every corner of the city, barely discernible, like a spiderweb-until you tossed water on the gossamer net and there your opponents were, glistening like diamonds, brilliantly bright and unmistakable.’ Gretchen Müller’s beliefs in the National Socialist Party run deep, yet her father’s death hit her hard and she still misses him dearly. Her continued suffering over his loss manages to be the chink in her belief system and when a young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen approaches her about the possibility that his death was actually murder, everything in her life begins to crumble. The historical detailing was at times excessive but really manages to set the scene well. It’s clear that the time period was well-researched and it all felt authentic despite the obvious fictional additions. While I didn’t see the likelihood of a Jewish reporter taking the chance to approach Hitler’s ‘golden-girl’, I did feel that Gretchen’s change of mind as she uncovers more evidence of her fathers murder was genuine and believable.The murder mystery was hands down the best part of this novel. There were scenes of gripping intensity when Gretchen and Daniel would creep through the shadows to uncover necessary information to expose her fathers murderer. The personal scenes between Gretchen and Hitler were chilling and while I have read many books regarding this time period, I had yet to read one where Hitler has a starring role, showing his disturbing nature clearly. Also frightening was Gretchen’s ghastly brother who shared many characteristics of Hitler himself. A warning to you animal lovers, there is a severely heartbreaking scene that I wish I was able to mentally prepare for.My one disappointment was the romance. While I’m all for a good forbidden love story, and this one was certainly forbidden, I didn’t feel the feels unfortunately. Their love isn’t instantaneous, however, I felt we learned much more about Gretchen and not enough about Daniel to get properly attached to his character. Gretchen’s feelings regarding Daniel felt clunky and while I would normally expect this considering her ingrained beliefs towards Jews, it felt like her change of heart came far too quickly.The complete lack of interest in the romance managed to throw a wrench in the entire story for me but thankfully there was an incredibly interesting murder mystery for me to follow instead. Prisoner of Night and Fog is a fantastic look into the time period from the unaccustomed German perspective. Witnessing Hitler’s rise in power was especially disheartening as we all already know of what’s to come. The ending sets up the next book nicely and I’m interested to see how the author continues handling this historical time period.
    • 5/5
      This book is a beautiful thing. It takes the easy, almost cliché Hitler character we’ve all come to know and makes him more personal and more chilling, while simultaneously showing us how easy it was to want to believe the horror of his viewpoint. Every character in this book feels true and complete, and each story within the story from the romance to the mystery and the shifting relationships between the characters feels effortlessly interwoven, flawlessly researched, and brilliantly executed. PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG is also beautifully written. Loved it. Can’t wait to read more from Anne!
    • 4/5
      have to admit that when I started this book I thought I was reading a paranormal book, but nothing like this. So when I read the first chapter imagine my surprise when my eyes widen and fell deeper into the story.Plot: In short, this story takes place during the time of Adolf Hitler. Even though the story is very good there are some parts of the story that just made my heart break. The plot is awesome. There is much vivid detail of the time-period, characters as well as the oppression the people went through.Hilter: One thing the author did create is the image of Hilter that you can’t help but find interesting. At first you see him as nice, caring person. He only wanted what was best for people and then slowly over the course of each chapter, he became darker and darker. It begins with small things, like him being stern, correcting the wrong. Then he just got… well evil. I love that the main character Gretchen at first she admired this guy. She followed him everywhere thinking that he will side with her. Only time will tell what he was really like. By the end of the story I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to finish cause I felt so nervous and…scared for myself and Gretchen.Ending: The ending just leaves the reader wanting more. I mean, c’mon. Things can’t happen and then it be over. I would love to read the next book and see what happens with Gretchen. I can only imagine with that ending what Gretchen will face next. Unlocking the secrets of her past has given Gretchen this new found strength to do much.If you are into stories based on real history, give this book a try. It is amazing in giving the reader a real but fiction story of what happen during those times. Prisoner Of Night & Fog is amazing.
    • 5/5
      Read my full review here.

      If you don’t already know this, I simply love historical fiction. What drew me to this book is my fascination with history, and the truly unique take on the events surrounding and during WWII.

      Blankman certainly picked a unique plot by having a main character who’s spent years interacting with Hitler, but not knowing the kind of man he really is. For that reason, the novel has mysteries for Gretchen to solve for herself. Who really is Uncle Dolf? What does he really plan to do in Germany? What happened to her father? These are some of the biggest plot points the novel tackles, and it’s done very well. The story is absolutely riveting, and I was horrified by each thing Gretchen uncovered. Of course, the answers weren’t unclear to me as they were to Gretchen, at first. But that didn’t make the novel any less enjoyable.

      Gretchen is such an intriguing character. We see her begin as a young woman who doesn’t question what she’s been taught, who makes excuses for her brother’s abuse, longs for her mother’s love and protection. She wants to finish school and accomplish something worthwhile. In the midst of this, she’s also learning what is means to be a woman, and what it means to be an adult. She has to question everything she thought she knew, even her beloved father, once she begins to realize that Hitler’s hatred of Jewish people should be questioned, not blindly followed. She has clear character growth, and it’s wonderful to read. She learns how to be strong and brave, how to form opinions for herself. She’s such a complex, inspiring character.

      Daniel Cohen is also a wonderful character. He’s passionate, determined, and more. He helps Gretchen - literally holds her hand - as she learns shocking truths about her family. Although he does mock her at first, he offers her protection after her brother beats her. I really do think the love he has for her is beautiful. He knows being with her is a risk, but he’s willing to do so anyway because he loves her.

      Overall, Prisoner of Night and Fog is such a strong first instalment with compelling characters, an emotional plot, and an important message. I highly recommend this book.