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“Natalia Payne’s flat narration captures the detached emotions of eighteen-year-old Hanneke…At the peak of the horror, Hanneke’s honesty emerges, and Payne’s reading becomes more emotional. Suzanne Toren’s authoritatively voiced author’s notes follow, as well as a conversation with the author, narrator, and editors.”
— AudioFile
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“Every devastating moment of this beautiful novel is both poignant and powerful, and every word feels true.”
— Elizabeth Wein, New York Times bestselling author
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“Connects a modern teenagers’ sensibility with a time and place young readers will know from The Diary of Anne Frank in this intelligent and humane historical mystery.”
— Wall Street Journal
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“Powerful, taught and intelligent…the historical setting is rendered the way only an expert can do it.”
— Washington Post
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“Riveting…a gripping historical mystery.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“This fast-paced story is alternately touching, heart-pounding and wrenching-but always gripping.”
— VOYA (starred review)
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“Skillfully combines reality with fiction…Hesse’s pacing infuses her story with thriller suspense, enriching the narrative with dramatic surprises both small and large.”
— Booklist (starred review)
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“The themes of love, betrayal, heroism, social responsibility, and atonement are beautifully intertwined with well-developed characters and a compelling story line. Thoroughly researched, this work brings history alive in a clear and concise way that rings true.”
— School Library Journal
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“This is a stunning literary work as well as a wonderful addition to WWII and Holocaust collections.”
— BookPage
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“Not only an intriguing missing persons case, it’s a poignant, wonderfully crafted story of love and loss, courage and redemption.”
— Shelf Awareness
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“Girl in the Blue Coat is a powerful, compelling coming-of-age story set against the dark and dangerous backdrop of World War II. It’s an important and page-turning look at the choices all of us—including young adults—have to make in wartime. A beautiful combination of heartbreak, loss, young love, and hope.”
— Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author
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Girl in the Blue Coat is a powerful, compelling coming-of-age story set against the dark and dangerous backdrop of World War II. It's an important and page-turning look at the choices all of us--including young adults--have to make in wartime. A beautiful combination of heartbreak, loss, young love, and hope.
— Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale
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A tapestry of guilt and acceptance, growing responsibility, and reluctant heroism, Hanneke's coming-of-age under heartbreaking circumstances is a jarring reminder of how war consumes and transforms the passions of ordinary life. Every devastating moment of this beautiful novel is both poignant and powerful, and every word feels true.
— ElizabethWein, New York Times bestsellingauthor of Black Dove, White Raven; Rose Under Fire; and the Printz Honor-winningCode Name Verity
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In an occupied city, a young woman's daring transforms into true courage when she confronts a mystifying disappearance. From page one, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Enthralling.
— Judy Blundell, New York Times bestselling author of Strings Attached and the National Book Award-winning What I Saw and How I Lied
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It's no small feat to bring the past to life, especially a history as dark and desperate as World War II. Monica Hesse does just this with Hanneke's story. Brace yourself, dear reader, to have your heart bruised--and possibly even broken--in the most meaningful of ways.
— Ryan Graudin, author of The Walled City and Wolf by Wolf
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* "[An] affecting novel...that skillfully combines reality with fiction. Her characters come alive, and...Hesse's pacing infuses her story with thriller suspense, enriching the narrative with dramatic surprises both small and large.
— Booklist
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* "Riveting... a gripping historical mystery.
— Publishers Weekly
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* "This fast-paced story is alternately touching, heart-pounding and wrenching-but always gripping. ...a heartrending, moving story.
— VOYA
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* "A poignant, wonderfully crafted story of love and loss, courage and redemption.
— Shelf Awareness
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Taut and intelligent... the historical setting is rendered the way only an expert can do it.
— The Washington Post
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The themes of love, betrayal, heroism, social responsibility, and atonement are beautifully intertwined with well-developed characters and a compelling story line. Thoroughly researched, this work brings history alive in a clear and concise way that rings true. A must-read for fans of historical fiction, especially stories set during World War II.
— School Library Journal
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Rich in content and emotion, this is a first-rate companion to the historical tales of the onderduikers, the hidden Jews of Holland, and a compelling read
— Kirkus Reviews
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This heartbreaking story of terror and loss sweeps you into a time-is-running-out mystery that delivers plot twists and a shocking final punch that'll haunt you for days.
— Justine Magazine
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A moving immersion into life in WWII.
— The St. Louis Post-Dispatch