The Note by Carly Schabowski - Book Review

The Note by Carly Schabowski

Publication Date: 28th March 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII

4 Stars 

One Liner: Heart-touching. 

*****

Germany & Auschwitz, 1935-1943: Jozef and Adi dream of a lovely future together, ignoring the warnings about the unrest and Hilter’s regime. When reality forces them to take notice of the situation, they try to find a way to survive. However, their attempts are in vain as the couple are captured, separated, and shifted to Auschwitz. How can they survive in a place designed to kill people? Will they ever see each other again? 

South Carolina, 1953: Alice spends her thirteenth birthday with her friends and dozes off only to be woken up by wailing sirens. Nancy, the school’s cheerleader, and Billy’s (Alice’s older brother) friend is found dead in the lake. 

Alice notices that their lives and interests are changing even as the mystery of Nancy’s death continues. When Mikey, her best friend suspects, Jozef (the reclusive German guy in town), Alice is not sure of it. When she meets Jozef and gets to know him, Alice learns the story of his life and the horrors of the Holocaust. 

But when Alice comes across a secret that can change her life forever, she doesn’t know what to do. Should she stand for the truth or listen to her heart? 

My Observations: 

• This is my third book by the author. I love how she captures and translates certain emotions. Though the story belongs to the WWII setting, human relationships are the primary focus. 
  
  
• The friendship between Jozef and Bruno was so well-etched that it didn’t seem the least bit odd to their interactions in Auschwitz. In fact, it made the storyline seem more real. 
  
  
• The author’s note mentions how Bruno was inspired by a real person. It doesn’t excuse any Nazi behavior and yet shows glimpses of humanity. I did think a lot about this. After all, I’ve been a witness to the whitewashing of the Kashmir Hindu genocide and victim-blaming. I don’t know how the survivors of WWII will feel about the book, but I can completely understand their discomfort and pain. 
  
  
• The beginning is a bit slow, but the story picks up the pace soon. It’s a small book too, so that’s another plus. 
  
  
• There’s a logical loophole in the story, but I was willing to ignore it. I was glad that the past was revealed without letters or diary entries. 
  
  
• My biggest issue was with Alice. She’s thirteen, and I had to remember this point because her actions and dialogues made her sound like an eight or nine-year-old. The storyline was for a thirteen-year-old, and it was very hard to imagine Alice for her said age. 
  
  
• The ending is hopeful and emotional. It perfectly fits the mood of the book and lingers even after you finish reading. 

To sum up, The Note is a heart-touching book about friendships and bonds that stand the test of time.  

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

#NetGalley #TheNote