Annexed

Oct 17, 2010 Phoebe added it

Shelves: herstory, kiddie-lit

I first heard of Sharon Dogar's Annexed because of the controversy. This novel, told from the perspective of Peter van Pels (the boy who was briefly loved by Anne Frank during their tenure in the famous attic), would apparently detail their sexual relationship--a fact which very much upset van Pels' last surviving relative. Book banners and horrified parents were immediately up in arms--how could anyone both appropriate and besmirch Anne Frank's memory?

To which I only gave a derisive snort--had...more I first heard of Sharon Dogar's Annexed because of the controversy. This novel, told from the perspective of Peter van Pels (the boy who was briefly loved by Anne Frank during their tenure in the famous attic), would apparently detail their sexual relationship--a fact which very much upset van Pels' last surviving relative. Book banners and horrified parents were immediately up in arms--how could anyone both appropriate and besmirch Anne Frank's memory?

To which I only gave a derisive snort--had these people even read Anne's diary?

I did, and though it's been about a decade, even I recall with clarity the sexual passages in the uncensored diary. Sure, some of these passages stood out in my mind because I was, myself, a teenager, but they also seemed striking to me because they were so very true to a young girl's sexual awakening. In fact, that fearless honesty is what makes Frank's diary one of the few Holocaust narratives that I don't find, honestly, a little tiresome. This was a voice that had so much more to talk about than the horrors of war--including, certainly, sex.

Ironically, Dogar talks about sex far less than Anne Frank did. I went into Annexed expecting something akin to sexy Anne Frank fan-fiction. In terms of sexual content, there's almost none, despite the adolescent male narrator. Peter van Pels has a handful of wet dreams at the beginning of the novel--later, he and Anne kiss and cuddle and once he mentions feeling her breasts against him. The horror! These accounts struck me as merely honest; this is not a salacious book.

But it is a fairly effective one. Dogar gives us a complimentary narrative to set alongside Anne's. Though I was initially annoyed by the plain-spoken voice she utilizes for Peter's narration, eventually I was convinced of the honesty of the tone. Though not particularly artful, this is a good match for Anne's writing in the original diary. In terms of characterization, Peter himself is exceptionally well-realized, and his interactions with his parents, and the other attic inhabitants (not to mention the attic cats) do quite a bit to endear him to the reader. And his relationship with Anne builds slowly, deliberately, and absolutely believably.

Peter's observations about Anne, both initially and as the relationship developed, were fascinating. Though I've seen some reviewers decry Dogar's portrayal of Anne as an annoyingly-driven young writer, I bought it, and I certainly bought Peter's self-consciousness about their young relationship being preserved for the ages in Anne's diary. In a way, I can't help but think of them as a young version of the couple in Margaret Atwood's "Their Attitudes Differ": "Please die, I said, so I can write about it." Dogar does a good job of accurately reflecting the thorny complications of a relationship with a writer.

Not everything in here works perfectly. I was irritated by some of the stylistic choices: the dull-as-dirt chapter headings, the intrusive frame narration that only got more grating as the book proceeded, the stark weirdness of a present-tense narration in a story that's a flashback. I'm certain Dogar did this deliberately; she eventually merges the voices. But when it comes down to it, it just doesn't work. Dying Peter's voice intrudes even on the later scenes, which are, themselves, quite dark as they're set in the death camps. I found myself skipping many of these italicized passages to no ill effect so I could better focus on the central story of Peter as a living boy.

Despite this, the core story remains powerful and affecting. Ultimately Dogar is successful at giving voice to Peter, a real person who has so often been relegated to playing a bit part in the life of a girl he once briefly loved.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this volume from netgalley.com.(less)

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Jun 11, 2010 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bea-2010, netgalley, for-review, historical-fiction, ya

Were you assigned Diary of A Young Girl in school? If not, I am willing to bet you know who Anne Frank was and all about the annex. We all know Anne's ultimate fate,but it doesn't make her diary any less touching. Knowing the ending doesn't detract from the emotional impact.
Read the rest of my review here

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Oct 14, 2012 Rita rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sharon Dogar é além de escritora, com três obras da sua autoria dirigidas a jovens-adultos publicadas, psicoterapeuta de crianças. Teve a possibilidade de ler ”O Diário de Anne Frank” quando pequena e mais tarde através da sua filha, que lhe recordou que vários eram os aspectos que tinham ficado em aberto no diário desta menina, especialmente no que dizia respeito a Peter, que compartilhou os dias com ela no anexo em que estavam escondidos.

Nunca tive a possibilidade de ler “O Diário de Anne Fran...more Sharon Dogar é além de escritora, com três obras da sua autoria dirigidas a jovens-adultos publicadas, psicoterapeuta de crianças. Teve a possibilidade de ler ”O Diário de Anne Frank” quando pequena e mais tarde através da sua filha, que lhe recordou que vários eram os aspectos que tinham ficado em aberto no diário desta menina, especialmente no que dizia respeito a Peter, que compartilhou os dias com ela no anexo em que estavam escondidos.

Nunca tive a possibilidade de ler “O Diário de Anne Frank”. Como sucede à maioria, conheço a história, pois quando se fala desta época da História é das primeiras narrativas que assaltam à nossa memória e que mencionamos, tendo também conhecimento da adaptação cinematográfica. Contudo, a experiência é sempre outra quando embrenhamos na obra, ainda para mais sendo uma história verídica, contada na primeira pessoa.

Possivelmente deveria ter lido “No Anexo” depois da obra da Anne, contudo estava bastante curiosa com este volume, especialmente por ser uma época que gosto bastante de ler, embora me deixe sempre com um certo sentimento de tristeza e raiva. Não me arrependo de forma alguma por ter lido este volume, pois foi uma surpresa muito boa.

Antes de se dar início à obra somos apresentados a um prólogo, escrito pela autora, que nos contextualiza sobre a história de Anne e o final da segunda guerra mundial, mostrando-nos também o que levou Sharon a escrever esta obra e os seus objectivos.

Esta obra encontra-se dividida em duas partes. Na primeira somos apresentados às ocorrências no Anexo e na segunda como foi viver nos campos de concentração. Foi interessante poder observar as ocorrências através de Peter, na primeira pessoa, ainda que em parte ficcionalmente, pois permite-nos conhecer melhor os intervenientes e ainda sermos confrontados com os momentos passados depois do anexo.

Gostei bastante dos momentos passados no anexo com Anne, a forma como estes jovens se começaram a relacionar, pois Peter gostava de uma pessoa antes de ser obrigado a esconder-se e não simpatizava muito com Anne. Foi interessante ver o florescer desta amizade, que mais tarde se transformou em algo mais. Na obra de Anne, sei que não nos é dado a conhecer momentos íntimos entre ambos, mas também gosto de pensar que tal terá sucedido. Além dos momentos carinhosos entre estes dois jovens, somos apresentados ao medo e opressão desta época. Era palpável a fome porque passaram e o medo atroz que possuíam de ser descobertos, embora tentassem manter uma vida minimamente normal, em que faziam as suas refeições em conjunto, os mais novos estudavam e os mais velhos realizavam diferentes tarefas que lhes eram destinadas.

As personagens encontram-se muito bem desenvolvidas, bastante humanizadas e os seus objectivos e ideais deveras transparentes. Sem dúvida, que me senti bastante ligada a Peter primeiramente, por ser o nosso narrador, que nos presenteia com pensamentos e diálogos bastante claros, que nos envolvem e com alguns desenhos que nos fascinam. Mais tarde também nos sentimos arrebatados com Anne, que tal como sucede com Peter, primeiro observamos com alguma estranheza, mas mais tarde com fascínio.

Relativamente à segunda parte, embora tenha sido grande parte ficcional, pois são poucos os dados que existem sobre o que sucedeu a Peter depois de sair do Anexo, foram escritos tendo como base todos os dados documentados sobre a altura. O que era realizado aos judeus que se encontravam no campo de concentração para onde Peter, o seu pai e o pai de Anne foram enviados. Tenho de confessar que esta parte da obra me emocionou profundamente, pelos questionamentos de Peter, que tenho quase a certeza que têm o seu fundo de verdade, mas pior, por tudo o que ele passou e foi obrigado a fazer de modo a sobreviver.

Numa escrita simples, ou não fosse narrada na primeira pessoa por um jovem, mas repleta de emoções, Sharon Dogar apresenta-nos nesta obra ficcional, o que foi viver com Anne, conhecer e aprender a amar alguém de quem inicialmente não gostava, a ser enviado para um dos campos de concentração mais cruéis da altura. Neste volume somos apresentados a várias realidades, ao florescer da amizade, ao amor juvenil, mas sobretudo à luta pela sobrevivência e à necessidade de procurar a felicidade.

“No Anexo” foi uma obra que me deu um prazer enorme de ler, que me fez sorrir com os momentos ternurentos vividos entre Anne e Peter e emocionar-me com os momentos atrozes que inúmeras pessoas tiveram de atravessar, devido aos ideais de um homem horrível. Sem dúvida, que recomendo esta obra que tanto me disse.

(http://magia-livros.blogspot.pt/2012/...)(less)

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Jun 05, 2010 Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, war_ww1-ww2-vietnam, historical-fiction-ya

I'm not sure how to review a book like this. It is an absolutely brilliant book, but certainly not one I can claim to have enjoyed. Who could enjoy such a story? That being said, I consider it one of the best books I have ever read. It is a moving testimony to bravery, pain, suffering and hope. The Holocaust is not a time in history that we want to remember, but it is a time that we cannot let be forgotten. Books like this serve as a reminder of the lowest of humanity...but also the highest. One...more

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Jul 05, 2010 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-and-young-adult, historical-fiction, 3-stars, fiction

Sharon Dogar's ANNEXED is an interpretive imagining of Peter van Pels, the sixteen-year-old boy whose family hides with the Frank family and Fritz Pfeffer in a secret annex for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. This fictional account covers the years spent in the annex and his final months spent at Auschwitz and Mauthausen.

With its publication date months away, ANNEXED has received criticism from both the press and blogs for adding a fictionalized sexual dimension to the s...more

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Jul 22, 2010 Meredith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: holocaust, judaism, young-adult, netgalley, germany, netherlands, reviewed, arc

Annexed was a bold undertaking. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl is a pretty sacred Holocaust memoir. To explore Peter's point of view in a novel constitutes a huge literary risk. On some levels, it paid off. But, as you'll notice throughout this review, this book raised a lot of questions for me.

The novel introduces Liese, Peter's fictional first girlfriend and a personification of his sexual awakening. He longs for her while trapped in the annex, and the narrative does not shy away from s...more Annexed was a bold undertaking. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl is a pretty sacred Holocaust memoir. To explore Peter's point of view in a novel constitutes a huge literary risk. On some levels, it paid off. But, as you'll notice throughout this review, this book raised a lot of questions for me.

The novel introduces Liese, Peter's fictional first girlfriend and a personification of his sexual awakening. He longs for her while trapped in the annex, and the narrative does not shy away from some of his more "vivid" dreams of her. Was she necessary? It's hard to say. In all likelihood, Peter would have had to grapple with teenage hormones while confined in close quarters with so many other people. Is it fair to put words in his mouth and thoughts in his head, to take creative license with a real person's private thoughts, though? I'll leave that one to the biographical literary critics. The fictional Liese was effective in her role here, driving home just how much Peter was missing while cooped up in the annex.

It was the interactions between Peter and Anne that felt a bit off to me. Anne came off as rather daft when seen through his eyes. I never got that impression of her from the diary, but I also read it twice when I was a teenager, when I was around her age. We know from the diaries that Anne saw the beauty in many things, but Peter's point of view made her appear annoyingly optimistic. In this regard, I felt that the book sometimes missed the mark when it came to characterizing Anne. She was a teenager, yes, but was she really that spoiled, careless, flirtatious, annoyingly optimistic, etc.? Would she and Peter really have been that frank with one another about sex? I feel like I need to reread the diary now to make a fair evaluation of this book.

In some scenes, Peter asks Anne not to write about something in her diary. This feels like a cop-out, a way to introduce fictional conversations and events into a true story chronicled quite closely in a daily diary.

The most poignant part of the book was, for the most part, pure fiction. In Part II, which doesn't begin until close to the end, we experience the concentration camp through Peter's eyes. Dogar tells us in the epilogue that she has constructed this section from secondhand accounts and pure imagination. Again, this proves effective. Part II does a good job (arguably, too good a job) of depicting the concentration camp experience. Dogar also provides a nice reading list at the back of the book for further study (I've already put the Five Chimneys memoir on hold at the library).

A side note: I wasn't a huge fan of the chapter headings in this book. They were rather dry (e.g., "Peter feels hope," "Peter wants Anne, Anne wants to write," "Anne and Peter are in his bedroom," etc.). Because they are so straightforward (essentially one-line chapter summaries), they don't add much to the narrative.

I'm the rare reader who actually enjoys present-tense narratives, and I understood why it was necessary here. Because the novel merges Peter's present-tense life in the annex with his past-tense reminiscences while in the concentration camp, uniformity of verb tense isn't really possible. My only stylistic complaint was that the writing felt a bit staccato. Lots of sentence fragments. One-sentence paragraphs. A disproportionate number of simple sentences. This was effective in times of suspense, but sometimes made it difficult to connect with Peter during more contemplative moments in the story.

Overall, I give this book points for bravery. It does read somewhat like fan fiction at points (an inevitable danger in any creative nonfiction/historical fiction novel) and sometimes stumbles in the execution. But it is also a nice attempt to lend voice to a figure who, across the decades, has remained secondary to the story. And there can never be too many novels to remind us of what people are capable of doing to one another.

(Disclaimer: I received the galley proofs of this title from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for review.)(less)

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Jun 27, 2010 Abby Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blogged

It's 1942 and Europe is at war. For the Jewish van Pels family, this war means almost-certain death and they have no choice but to go into hiding with another family, the Franks. For sixteen-year-old Peter van Pels, sharing a tiny space with seven other people, this means no privacy. It means that he has to sit around instead of going to fight like a man. And it means he has to put up with Anne, a thirteen-year-old chatterbox who's constantly writing about him in her diary. As the years wear on,...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Steph for TeensReadToo.com

We all know about Anne Frank's tale of her family's two-year hiding experience in the attic of an office building in Amsterdam. Frank battles her parents, the cruel Nazi world, and her feelings for a boy who she sees every day in the small hiding place, Peter Van Pels.

But what was Peter's side of the story? How did he feel about being in a small hidden annex with two beautiful - yet sometimes annoying - girls and their parents?

Sharon Dogar writes a truly ent...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Caitlin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: male-pov-all-or-part, read-in-2011, stand-alones, real-world, historical-fiction, i-own

I have a teeny tiny confession to make, I've never read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl it's not even that I can't get a hold of one, I have a copy I've just never taken the time to read it. But possibly due to this some things in Annexed didn't make sense to me, like why where the Franks so much better then Peter's Family? I hated the chapter subtitles they basically told you what was going to happen in that section so it was barely worth reading.

But the second section (1st section was th...more

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May 09, 2013 Miranda Erickson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Annexed, written by Sharon Dogar, was published in 2010. The genre is historical fiction and is a novel written for young adults. It is, yet another, book about the Holocaust and the annex of which Anne Frank hid in with her family. Instead of focusing on Anne, this book is unique because it tells a story from the point of view from the boy who had lived with her during those two years.
As more Jews were being taken from their homes, Peter van Pels' family decided to go into hiding with the Frank...more Annexed, written by Sharon Dogar, was published in 2010. The genre is historical fiction and is a novel written for young adults. It is, yet another, book about the Holocaust and the annex of which Anne Frank hid in with her family. Instead of focusing on Anne, this book is unique because it tells a story from the point of view from the boy who had lived with her during those two years.
As more Jews were being taken from their homes, Peter van Pels' family decided to go into hiding with the Franks. At first, Peter found Anne to be way too happy, given the circumstances. With privacy not being an option in the annex, he could not get away from her and her constant questioning of things quickly got on Peter's nerves. It wasn't long before Peter realized he had fallen in love with Anne. Though, what was holding him from realizing this was the constant thoughts of his first girlfriend, Liese. Peter's biggest fear was that because Liese was taken and he was in hiding, that he wouldn't make love to a girl. But in their time in the annex, the two became much closer even though Mr. Frank opposed it. Sadly, they did not know of their fate of which so many Jews had faced.

Personally, I liked this book because it was centered on a very interesting topic-The Holocaust. I liked that it really made you think about how you live your life when they were forced to reduce their's to so little. Often times you will find yourself bored because, truthfully, there aren't many big events that happen in an annex. Though, the most suspense comes from the audience's knowledge of the fate of the Franks. As a reader, you already know that the annex will be discovered, however, what the reader does not know is when.

This was not a difficult read at all. However, even though the diction was not challenging, I still believe that the author succeeded in telling a powerful story of someone who witnessed the Holocaust firsthand. It offered great insight into what the experience really would have been like for Peter von Pels.

I liked the book because it was centered around a topic I find very interesting. It was both similar and different from other Holocaust books I've read. The main reason for this is because I never thought anything of the boy who was in hiding with Anne Frank. It was definitely one of my more interesting reads. Though I would only give it three stars because of the many times where the plot seemed a bit repetitive.(less)

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Apr 01, 2013 Marcia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Marcia Vining

Dogar, S., (2010) Annexed. Houghton Mifflin,

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: Print

Selection Process: Sutton, R. (2010). Annexed. Horn Book Magazine, 86(5), 76.

Sharon Dogar has written an excellent novel revisiting the Annex of Anne Frank's Diary. Written from the perspective of Peter, the boy who was in the Annex with the Franks, this is a tale that will make its readers want to go back and reread the Holocaust stories including The Diary of Anne Frank. The story occurs primarily du...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Tennille [A.K.A Blair] Chase [A.K.A Mirth] rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Quick thoughts: Heart wrenching, a wonderful interpretation of a haunting life.

I have always been passionate about learning about history. Ever since I was a young girl, in primary school when I first heard about Anne Frank I knew I wanted to know her story, I also knew from that point onwards I would spend the rest of my teenage years reading anything I could get my hands on. Fast forward and now I am 23 and that fascination is still there. Still burning bright and when I learnt about Annexed a...more Quick thoughts: Heart wrenching, a wonderful interpretation of a haunting life.

I have always been passionate about learning about history. Ever since I was a young girl, in primary school when I first heard about Anne Frank I knew I wanted to know her story, I also knew from that point onwards I would spend the rest of my teenage years reading anything I could get my hands on. Fast forward and now I am 23 and that fascination is still there. Still burning bright and when I learnt about Annexed a few years back now from a fellow reviewer I knew it was one for my collection and I am so glad to have read it.

In the perspective of not Anne, but Peter Van Pels, the boy who loved Anna Frank Sharon takes us through life before and during the war up until he sadly passes away only a few days before liberation. What is heart wrenching is that he, and the fellow members of the Annex were so close to liberation and to have everything stripped from them, including their lives in such horrific and devastating ways has always left an impression on me. One that I continue to explore so that I can educate people, just as I know Sharon has done in this fantastic, beautiful and haunting exploration of Peter’s life.

For those of you interested in the story, all I can say it is one among many that stand out to me. It made me cry, it tore my heart out, it made me smile and it reminded me time and time again why it is so important to remember, and to read these testimonies. Fiction or not, I was captivated by Sharon’s every word and she really drew me in, to the point that I forgot I was reading fiction and was convinced that I was in Peter’s shoes and seeing everything through his eyes. She is defiantly a talented writer and as much as the subject matter is a touchy one, I had to admit that I loved the way that she handled the topic.

Annexed is broken up into two sections; the annexe and the camps, and both are explored in an almost diary format with flash backs that send you on a roller coaster of emotions only to bring you back to the present. The most provoking part of my reading experience was hoping; despite even knowing how it ended that Peter would survive. Every day I read every scene and all through the graphic violence that shattered me inside I prayed that he would make it out.

Sadly his story is one in a million, but I am so thankful Sharon wrote this wonderful book and I want to recommend it so strongly to all those who like me have an unending need to know, to learn and a desire to educate others and for those who are not familiar, or might have only read Anne’s Diary but seek to learn more and explore fictional alternatives. Overall I could not wait to finish this book, simply because it made me feel so much pain, but in saying that the reading experience is one I will cherish and I will be letting it know that this book is gold.

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Mar 27, 2013 Mary Skramovsky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Annexed is a companion book to the Diary of Anne Frank. It is the story of Peter the boy who shared the annex with Anne. The story begins in Mauthausen, a Nazi concentration camp where Peter is dying and he is remembering a street, a world, a girl I loved and that girl was Anne Frank. The book follows the diary with Peter's perspective. He is shown as a regular teen who starts out loving Liese, a young Jewish girl who he dreams of early in the story. It is a lost love. He would rather be sent to...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Casey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved the book! It is a true testament of the human spirit and how much the body can be pushed before it doesn't matter what happens but you must give up and give in. It tells of what it may have been like to live in the Annex as a boy who had experienced so much but was forced to leave it all behind just to survive. Annexed lets the reader in on what it may have been like to constantly live in such a small space always worried that the word you said was too loud, that your footsteps were too...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Kyle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book for my literature circle book.

Annexed by Sharon Dogar is a historical fiction book about hiding during the Holocaust. This book is quite interesting because it is from the point of view of Peter Van Pels, the boy who was also in hiding with Anne Frank's family. The book shows how the Holocaust effects the families in hiding. It shows how the family come together in the annex, but eventually get pulled apart. I would recommend this book for a high school audience or older. The re...more I read this book for my literature circle book.

Annexed by Sharon Dogar is a historical fiction book about hiding during the Holocaust. This book is quite interesting because it is from the point of view of Peter Van Pels, the boy who was also in hiding with Anne Frank's family. The book shows how the Holocaust effects the families in hiding. It shows how the family come together in the annex, but eventually get pulled apart. I would recommend this book for a high school audience or older. The readability of the book is not too challenging; however, the content is not suitable for younger kids. The book includes swears and sexual content. It also brings up tragic events that happen in the Holocaust that would be a better fit for a more mature audience. This would be a great piece of literature to use when teaching WWII and the Holocaust in social studies. It is good to hear the facts from textbooks, but the students may get more out of the lesson if they can get connected to a personal story. I think a high school teacher would also be able to use this book if they wanted to focus on certain literary elements. They could create a unit on point of view. Students could read The Diary of Anne Frank and Annexed, and discuss how the story changes when it is told in different point of views. This would also be a great book to teach flashbacks. Most of the story is a flashback of Peter in the annex. The class can then discuss the purpose of flashbacks, and specifically the purpose of this flashback. I think the author of this book overall did a nice job using descriptive language. I could really imagine the pain the prisoners of the camp felt as she wrote about the bunk beds with 5 people to a bed, the cars that smelled so bad of feces that people were throwing up from it, and the prisoners licking their bowls because food was scarce. I listened to this book on a CD instead of reading it, and I highly recommend that. I felt the experience to be more real as I listened because you can hear the emotion in the reader's voices. I felt even more sad when hearing the pain in Peter's voice, and I was quite fearful when I listened to the Nazis speak. Overall, this was a great book that gives insight about the past.(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Cover:

I'm still not sure about the cover yet. I've only listened to the audio book and looked at a few pictures online. So I don't think it would be fair to make a judgement on a 200x200 picture.

My Thoughts:

Last year in school we had to pick a non-fiction book, read it and write a report on it. I had no clue what I could read, until my dad suggested the Diary of Anne Frank.
I loved Anne Frank. I know it's a sad book in many ways, but it was interesting to see what people were really going through...more Cover:

I'm still not sure about the cover yet. I've only listened to the audio book and looked at a few pictures online. So I don't think it would be fair to make a judgement on a 200x200 picture.

My Thoughts:

Last year in school we had to pick a non-fiction book, read it and write a report on it. I had no clue what I could read, until my dad suggested the Diary of Anne Frank.
I loved Anne Frank. I know it's a sad book in many ways, but it was interesting to see what people were really going through at that time. But in the back of my mind I always wondered is everything Anne Frank is saying in her diary, true? Did she really act so rude towards her mother? Did Peter have feelings for Anne?
I'm always curious to see if Peters side of the story was the same, or if Anne made it all up. when I saw Annexed in the library, I grabbed it right away, checked it out, and tossed it into the CD player on my ride home. I know Annexed isn't Peter's real story, it's all made up. But still I thought it was interesting.
I think the author, Sharon Dogar, did a great job writing Annexed and matching it not only to Anne's Diary but also real dates.
Before running off into the Annex, Peter visits his girlfriend named Lisa (who is completely made up). She represents all of the poor Jewish people sent of to concentration camps. The story starts of with Peter going to her house, wanting to say goodbye and letting her know that he is going into hiding.
When he finally gets there, he sees Lisa and her family sitting in the living room, just waiting for that loud knock on the door that signals all Jewish to evacuate the building. Not knowing what to do, Peter hides.
Finally reaching the Annexed, after seeing Lisa dragged away. Peter is haunting by memories and nightmares of his Lisa, for months to come. Peter was dreading to go to Annexed knowing he would be stuck in a tiny space with the Franks; especially Anne Frank.
The ending of the story is just like the one we all know, no big surprise! I loved Annexed and I would recommend it to anyone who liked Anne Frank's diary and just wants more(:(less)

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Jun 07, 2012 Annalee Schnebele rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vrc, reworking, human-nature, historical-fiction

Well, it's not the book about the Holocaust that made me cry the most, but it is an interesting addition to the field. This would be an interesting text to pair with the original diary of the play to look at author's craft. After years of teaching Diary of a Young Girl, I was a little less excited about the books when they are in the annex, but the end of the book made this book stand out.

Peter's character is well developed, and male readers will appreciate a different prespective on the story....more

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Apr 19, 2012 Beaulah Pragg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Annexed is a very personal and compelling re-imagining of the true story written about by Anne Frank. As such, I knew going in that it would be intense, but I have not read Anne Frank's diary, nor any holocaust related fiction (though I have watched Life is Beautiful and Schindler's List. What I found in Annexed was a character who could have been a guy from my school. He was so normal, so convincingly confused and struggling to survive the monotony of being isolated away from nearly certain dea...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Dana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Annexed tells the story of Peter Van Pels, the boy who was in hiding with Anne Frank in the secret annex. This book is historical fiction, as the author bases the story on fact and the rest she “imagines”. I had a hard time reading this book. In a way, I feel as though imagining what Peter felt is disrespectful to his memory. Especially because much of what he feels and thinks about in this book is of a sexual nature. One of his main regrets being that he will die without making love to a girl....more

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Feb 12, 2012 Ruth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Peter van Pels was a sixteen year old boy with his entire life ahead of him. That is until everything was ripped away from him first by the placement of a seemingly simple star on his jacket and then later by the Nazi’s in death camps. His story happens along side the famous Anne Frank, the girl whose story lives on through every reading of her diary. Annexed is not an exact occurrence of what happened to Peter, but a possibility and more than anything an exploration of the feelings he may have...more
Peter van Pels was a sixteen year old boy with his entire life ahead of him. That is until everything was ripped away from him first by the placement of a seemingly simple star on his jacket and then later by the Nazi’s in death camps. His story happens along side the famous Anne Frank, the girl whose story lives on through every reading of her diary. Annexed is not an exact occurrence of what happened to Peter, but a possibility and more than anything an exploration of the feelings he may have experienced. It’s another reminder that we are all human, all equally frail and strong in so many different ways, but each with an innate desire to live and love.

This was an extremely difficult story for me to read. Had I thought more upon my acceptance of this particular book I may have decided against it. Not because it isn’t well written or a story that doesn’t need to be heard, because it is well written and it does need to be heard. But primarily because it’s deeply saddening to think on these horrible acts committed against other human beings. People with lives, hopes and dreams.

Though this is a work of fiction and may not be exactly what occurred between Peter, Anne and the others in the Annex Sharon Dogar did an excellent job creating an incredibly believable setting and story. Peter was so real. From his first love to his relationship with his newly annexed cohabitants, his feelings are raw and there for the world to see. His relationship with Anne was also something else I enjoyed watching grow from an annoying pest to a confidant and friend. It’s difficult to imagine the atrocities and struggles each of these characters went through, but I believe Dogar has achieved just that and made these characters come to life.

Annexed is definitely a book I would recommend to all those who enjoy reading historical fiction. Sharon Dogar’s research of the setting and characters make the story incredibly real and believable. I’m also positive that those who are interested in Holocaust related literature will find this book to be very engaging. Peter’s life as well as the life of those he shared it with during those last few years was wrought with emotion, from each extreme. This is a book I’d highly recommend and has left me haunted days after having finished it.

Read more: http://www.theresabook.com/2010/11/bo...(less)

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Feb 05, 2012 Kayla rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I first saw this book in the book store, I'll admit, I was pretty excited and purchased it right away without a second thought. I'm one of those people who is interested in learning about this ghastly period in history- its just awful to think of what human beings are really capable of. I've always been interested especially about Peter Van Pels. Don't ask me why, I couldnt tell you. However, though my initial reaction was that of interest when I got home and thought about it I became wary...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Alex Baugh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: world-war-2

Annexed is a fictionalized imagining of the content in the diary kept by Anne Frank in hiding, but this time life in the annex is told by Peter van Pels.

And I have to admit I started reading Annexed with a great deal of trepidation. After all, it had caused quite a sensation when it was published. Sharon Dogar was accused exploiting Anne’s diary and of ‘sexualizing’ her. There were many who did not want to see this Anne Frank. But, while the Anne of the diary may be a symbol of courage and hope,...more Annexed is a fictionalized imagining of the content in the diary kept by Anne Frank in hiding, but this time life in the annex is told by Peter van Pels.

And I have to admit I started reading Annexed with a great deal of trepidation. After all, it had caused quite a sensation when it was published. Sharon Dogar was accused exploiting Anne’s diary and of ‘sexualizing’ her. There were many who did not want to see this Anne Frank. But, while the Anne of the diary may be a symbol of courage and hope, the real life Anne, as we know now know, was much more human, a teen who could be self-centered, demanding and highly critical of those around her one moment and sweet, charming and full of confidence the next. And who also thought about love and sex. In other word, Anne Frank was a typical 13 year old adolescent. And, to her credit, Dogar has captured this human version of Anne so well in Annexed.

But now, it is Peter van Pels’s turn to tell his story. The real Peter was only 15 years old when he disappeared into the annex. In this imagined version, Peter is at first portrayed as angry, sullen and resentful, not wanting to go into hiding, especially not with Anne Frank and her family. But after witnessing his girlfriend and her family being rounded up by the Gestapo, he realizes it is the only real option left to him.

Once he is inside the annex, Peter just wants to sleep. Everyone there gets on his nerves, especially the always cheerful, constantly talking, sometimes critical Anne. But gradually he gets up and starts participating in life in the annex. At first, Peter, Anne and her sister Margot spend a lot of their time together in the attic, but gradually an attraction begins to bloom between Anne and Peter, much to the disapproval of the adults around them, particularly Anne’s parents.

But as curious as Peter and Anne are, this relationship doesn’t go beyond some cuddling and a kiss. It is all in the diary and Dogar has not added anything to it except Peter’s feelings. Dogar makes it clear that this fictionalized Peter, like Anne, is afraid of missing out on an intimate relationship with a girl because of the circumstance under which is now lives.

Annexed is written in two parts. The first part covers daily life in the annex. Each chapter begins with a date and a one line description of what is going to happen, yet Dogar doesn’t seek to imitate Anne’s diary doing this. This part is interspersed with Peter’s thoughts as he lay dying in Mauthausen’s sick bay and this gives the impression that he is reflecting on his life in the annex. The second, much smaller part of the novel takes place in the camps - Auschwitz and Mauthausen. It too is told reflexively at Mauthausen.

I thought that Dogar’s portrayal of Peter is completely believable. He probably was, after all, a teenage boy with all the fear, anger, frustration and resentment of hiding and being confined simply for being a Jew, as well as all the thoughts, urges and questions about girls, love, and sex that boys have at the age.

Sadly, no one knows who betrayed the people in the annex. It could have happened any number of ways. Dogar does intimate that the betrayal and a break-in may be linked, but that is all. It remains a mystery even today.

All in all, I thought Dogar did a great job in imagining the the annex from Peter’s point of view. And it is important to remember Annexed is a fiction, even though it feels so real a times. Perhaps because there are so many parts of the story that are more obviously taken from what Anne had written in her diary. Which is not to imply that Dogar simply rewrote the diary. Peter is his own person in the novel. But I do think it is important to read Dogar’s afterward, to see where she has taken poetic license and why.

Most important, I feel that Dogar remains respectful of Anne Frank’s memory as a hero of Holocaust, and reminds us that everyone in that annex is a hero, too, in their own way. But she doesn’t let us forget that they were also human, and heroes are always more heroic when we remember that they are only human.

This book is recommended for readers age 14 and up.
This book was borrowed from the Webster Branch of the NYPL.
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Nov 26, 2011 Josie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had rather a difficult time deciding what rating to give this book. And I'm terrible at rating things, anyway, so... I did quite like this book. And I'm no prude about sex, okay? Not at all. The sexual scenes, Peter masturbating, having nocturnal emissions, thinking about sex, all perfectly natural. It's not unlikely that these things did happen. Adversity or not, he was a pubescent boy. But my point is that the sexualization of his and Anne's relationship cheapened it. It felt irreverent to m...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Allie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Finally! I can write a good review about something I read recently! I was beginning to think that I had already read everything good in my high school library. I loved Anne Frank's diary, so obviously I had to pick this one up. I love the new viewpoint and how honest this character was. Peter was a hormonal teenage boy. It seems like people seem to overlook that in male characters at times, unless they want to portray them as players or cassanovas.
The plot followed Anne Frank's obviously, but it...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Kyle rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Although I rated this novel a 3/5, I wouldn't necessarily say that I liked it, as it wasn't my usual cup of tea. But nevertheless, story was powerful and thought-provoking.

This novel is very solemn and eye-opening, as it takes readers into the world of the Holocaust and the Second World War, retold by Peter van Pels and what he experienced (speculated by the author as closely as she could). He was the boy who fell in love with Anne Frank and hid with a few other Jews for two years in the Annex b...more Although I rated this novel a 3/5, I wouldn't necessarily say that I liked it, as it wasn't my usual cup of tea. But nevertheless, story was powerful and thought-provoking.

This novel is very solemn and eye-opening, as it takes readers into the world of the Holocaust and the Second World War, retold by Peter van Pels and what he experienced (speculated by the author as closely as she could). He was the boy who fell in love with Anne Frank and hid with a few other Jews for two years in the Annex before being forced into concentration camps.

Readers are immersed into a world of fear, hiding, survival, longing, and hope. Peter's life in the Annex was cramped and privacy wasn't an option. Though through his words and his actions of how he clutched at everything he could (the chestnut tree outside the attic window, the fresh scent of the air, the desire to feel the rain pelting down his face), we [the readers] are shown that life is precious; that everything you have right now mustn't be taken for granted. It gives us something to reflect upon, about a time when hatred and the need for superiority above all led to the ultimate and inhumane killing of millions of innocent lives. It teaches future generations of the world's bloody past, and reminds us of what hatred can drive people to do, in hopes that we may never go down the same path of the Holocaust ever again.

Peter's ability to survive and get through each day in the Annex is commendable, especially towards the end of the novel when they were finally captured and shipped to camps, as he had to adapt to the horrors and unimaginable torture of being in those concentration camps. In order to stay alive in those monstrous conditions, he needed to be cruel and quick to learn from the lower numbers. He lied, cheated, and ultimately betrayed the one person left from the Annex whom he was still able to be with at the camp: Otto Frank. Maybe if Peter had stayed with him, he would have lived through the liberation of Nazi-held nations. He was young, only eighteen years old when he died. But his story lives on, and the story of many others who endured the Holocaust, through novels which try to retell events as closely as the authors could with their take on the perspective of their subject, such as this novel, and through books and Anne Franks' diary.(less)

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Jun 13, 2011 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

Annexed takes the beloved historical tale of Anna Frank and gives it a fresh new perspective. Entering into the tale, I knew that by the end this novel it would either blow me away or leave me with a (possibly) bad taste in my mouth. Thankfully, for all us Anne Frank fans out there, the first occurred much more than the latter.

Dogar takes her time introducing readers to the setting, characters, and the whole emotional world that encompasses Annexed. It is like taking a step back in time. What I...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Aaron rated it 5 of 5 stars

With this novel, Dogar has done a nice job of presenting the events of A Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank from the perspective of one of the other residents in the annex in which she and nine Jews hid away in Amsterdam. Pater van Pels, a 15-year-old who shares the annex with the four Franks, his two parents, and doctor.

Many are familiar with Anne Frank and the events in the book because of reading her diary in school. Peter's voice not only allows the reader to experience what it might have b...more With this novel, Dogar has done a nice job of presenting the events of A Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank from the perspective of one of the other residents in the annex in which she and nine Jews hid away in Amsterdam. Pater van Pels, a 15-year-old who shares the annex with the four Franks, his two parents, and doctor.

Many are familiar with Anne Frank and the events in the book because of reading her diary in school. Peter's voice not only allows the reader to experience what it might have been like for a teenage guy to be in this situation, but it provides further strength to Anne and the others when considering what they suffered through both while they were in hiding and, later, when they were captured and sent to various concentration camps.

Dogar's writing style really pulls the reader into Peter's mindset, sharing his dreams and fantasy along with self-doubt as he lives the drudgery of existence in the annex. In the process, Peter (and the readers along with him) explore what it might be in humans that would create the situation they are all confronted with as well as question why God would force anyone, nevermind his Chosen Ones, to be confronted with certain destruction.

Peter also shares what it was like to live with each of the other individuals in the annex with a particular focus on Anne. Peter and Anne have a particularly interesting relationship as he found her most annoying when they first met, but slowly the two grow into a closer friendship and feelings for each other.

The horrors confronted in hiding in the annex are surpassed when Peter ends up in the concentration camps. While little is really known about his experiences in the camps, Dogar drew upon first-hand experiences of other Jews who survived the camps as she created her presentation. It is eerie and horrifying to read.

The result of all of this is an amazing companion book for Anne Frank's original diary. Like the diary, the story is accompanied with updates about what happened to all of those who hid out in the annex, though the news is very sad since all but Mr. Frank died in the camps. This is another example of a work that could be used to present the Holocaust in a way that makes it more than facts and data ... it is human story of the fight for survival against all odds. Readers really do get a full sense of the horrors of the Holocaust.(less)

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Feb 20, 2011 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Anne Frank and I've read her diary twice now but not since two years ago and also done a very long school project on her life. So, the premise of Annexed really interested me since I've always wondered what Peter may have felt during the time in the annexe and his feelings towards Anne.

Sharon Dogar has kept everything just as described in Anne's diary but explored Peter's feelings sensitively. Through her writing we are let into Peter's intimate thoughts and feelings that we have no proof...more I love Anne Frank and I've read her diary twice now but not since two years ago and also done a very long school project on her life. So, the premise of Annexed really interested me since I've always wondered what Peter may have felt during the time in the annexe and his feelings towards Anne.

Sharon Dogar has kept everything just as described in Anne's diary but explored Peter's feelings sensitively. Through her writing we are let into Peter's intimate thoughts and feelings that we have no proof existed but it is done respectfully. The writing isn't complicated but clear and filled with emotion that seems so plausible to the realities of Peter's thoughts. It isn't only Peter's feelings about being shut away from the world in the annexe and his frustration that are captured but also the normal thoughts and struggles of a typical teenage boy from doubts about who he is and his self image to worries about girls. It is very hard for teenagers to go through these feelings and stages in a normal situation but to be stuck in one place with the same people during key years of growing up is just so hard to imagine but this is portrayed well.

Despite some controversy about the 'sexulisation' of Anne and Peter's relationship, I think the scenes where they are together are the honest portrayal of how the author imagines they happen. For me, there was too much focus on Peter's lust, which I felt was very unnecessary and spoiled the other mix of other poignant emotions. I think more emphasis on his fears and other aspects of life in hiding would have made a better impression on me.

The last third of the book, where Peter is fighting for his life in a concentration camp is very harrowing. The fact that Anne, Peter and their family were on the last train to Auschwitz from Holland is just so tragic. After the build up of finding out what Peter hopes and longs for, the tragedy of his situation is just so moving. It is a real reminder of the horrific evils of the Holocaust and how it is not just a historical event but something that happened to real people and destroyed lives.

I thought that the almost poetic way that the book was told with numerous flash forwards to his time in the concentration camp (or rather the whole novel is a flash back and those are flash forwards) was very effective and original.

Verdict: Annexed is a very interesting and thoughts provoking book that made me want to read Anne's diary again. It is worth reading but one I couldn't see myself reading it again. I would recommend that people read Annexed only if they have read Anne Frank's diary before as otherwise it may be difficult to understand about the other occupants of the Annexe as they are not really introduced. (less)

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Feb 17, 2011 Cynthia rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first word that comes to mind is "Intense".. . .

The book is broken into two parts: the first one is from the Annex and the second is from the Camps.
Section one is guided from Anne's diary, and the section two is written from other holocaust survivors accounts.
BOTH...are written from very true accounts, and tell the tale of horrible events happening to good, ordinary people.

This book hits you with strong emotion; it fills you with the same longing and desire that Peter might have experien...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Jaclyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Emotionally wrenching story based on "The Diary of Anne Frank" but taken from the Peter, the teen boy's point of view that was also in hiding. I found Dogar's writing to be very powerful and showed proof she certainly did her homework while writing this book. It is definetely a mature teen book as some thoughts on sexuality are shared, but nothing is inappropriate. It is just part of the adolescent journey the reader is on with an Peter as he ponders many questions common to young adults:
Why wo...more

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