Prisoner of Night and Fog is a story full of surprises that will take your breath away. The setting itself reflects the mysterious 'foggy' atmosphere that is created from the very first pages: Nazi Germany, Munich in the 1930's. The story is about Gretchen Muller, Adolf Hitler's niece.
Historically speaking, Hitler indeed had a niece whose name was Geli Raubal. She lived with Hitler but committed suicide at the age of 23 in 1931. There were many rumours that she was being harassed by Hitler, and actually later on after her death he himself declared that 'Rubi' was the only woman he ever loved. However this novel is historical fiction, therefore Blankman takes just the basic information and transforms it into fiction. It is an interesting blend of real and fantastic facts that makes this book unique. I had the privilege of reading this book while being at a trip in Munich, so it was pretty exciting to read about certain locations and then actually visiting them.
However, I can assure you that you don't need to be in Munich in order to enjoy this novel! Blankman's vivid imagery in her descriptions enables the reader to place him/herself at the scene and feel as if (s)he is actually watching the characters, arguing, walking through the streets and etc.
So this is historical thriller with an interesting plot full of surprises with a moderate level of writing. Personally I am an advanced reader for my age, I tend to prefer reading classics and rather complex test so this book was enjoyable it was also too light for me. However I would definitely recommend this novel to teenagers 16-17 years of age who don't read often and want to read something light yet interesting during the school year. Also this would also suit younger teenagers between 12-14 years old who enjoy reading more advanced texts than usual for their age.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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