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Playing with Matches #1
Playing with Matches
Heinz Schultz's word could send a man to prison. Though only a youth of fifteen, he was strong, tall, and blond. The boys in his Deutsches Jungvolk unit esteemed him and feared him.
And they wanted to be just like him.
Emil Radle wanted to be just like him.
A dedicated member of Hitler Youth, Emil was loyal to the Fuehrer before family, a champion for the cause and a fan of the famous Luftwaffe Airforce.
Emil's friends Moritz and Johann discover a shortwave radio and everything changes. Now they listen to the forbidden BBC broadcast of news reports that tell both sides. Now they know the truth.
The boys along with Johann's sister Katharina, band together to write out the reports and covertly distribute flyers through their city. It's an act of high treason that could have them arrested--or worse.
As the war progresses, so does Emil's affection for Katharina. He'd do anything to have a normal life and to stay in Passau by her side. But when Germany's losses become immense, even their greatest resistance can't prevent the boys from being sent to the Eastern Front.
****Available in German as Gef�hrliche Zettel****
And they wanted to be just like him.
Emil Radle wanted to be just like him.
A dedicated member of Hitler Youth, Emil was loyal to the Fuehrer before family, a champion for the cause and a fan of the famous Luftwaffe Airforce.
Emil's friends Moritz and Johann discover a shortwave radio and everything changes. Now they listen to the forbidden BBC broadcast of news reports that tell both sides. Now they know the truth.
The boys along with Johann's sister Katharina, band together to write out the reports and covertly distribute flyers through their city. It's an act of high treason that could have them arrested--or worse.
As the war progresses, so does Emil's affection for Katharina. He'd do anything to have a normal life and to stay in Passau by her side. But when Germany's losses become immense, even their greatest resistance can't prevent the boys from being sent to the Eastern Front.
****Available in German as Gef�hrliche Zettel****
311 pages, ebook
Published November 16, 2012
1030 people are currently reading
1508 people want to read
About the author
Lee Strauss
143 books2,337 followersFor fans of Golden Age who-dun-its ~ from a USA TODAY Bestselling author!
You'll adore Lady Gold from the acclaimed Ginger Gold Mysteries series, and the spin of series, Higgins & Hawke.
Look for the connected 1950s era Rosa Reed Mysteries.
NEW ~ The Velvet Spy ~ The Wartime Journal of Ginger Gold
For more info visit: leestraussbooks.com
You'll adore Lady Gold from the acclaimed Ginger Gold Mysteries series, and the spin of series, Higgins & Hawke.
Look for the connected 1950s era Rosa Reed Mysteries.
NEW ~ The Velvet Spy ~ The Wartime Journal of Ginger Gold
For more info visit: leestraussbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
June 5, 2015
Imagine being taught that a certain class of people are evil and a threat to your very way of life. Imagine growing up idolizing the people who helped eradicate that threat from your country. Now imagine learning that everything you thought was true, was good, was actually a lie
Playing With Matches does something I haven't seen before. It tells the story of the Holocaust from the point of view of German boys growing up wanting to join the Nazi army. They are part of the Hitler Youth and believe in everything the Fuehrr says......until they find a shortwave radio and hear BBC broadcasts telling the story from both side of the war.
This is a very emotional story that gives you a glimpse of what it was like growing up as a German child during the time of the Holocaust. When you think about the Holocaust it is very easy to forget that many Germans in Germany at the time of Holocaust were just normal people who trusted in
their leader to guide them. They weren't hateful people who were just set on destroying the Jews. They truly believed in what he said, especially the younger generation.
Reading this book really made you think about what it must have been like to have believed in a cause so strongly and admire someone so much only to find out that they were lying and things weren't as they seemed. That can be a very devastating thing for anyone. I really enjoyed this book for many reasons but one of the biggest reasons is because even though this book is set during the Holocaust, the emotions of the characters are still relevant today.
These characters could have lost their lives after they decided to covertly spread the word to their community that Hitler was a liar and that things were not as they seemed. Their bravery is very admirable and inspiring. These young people risked everything to help other disillusioned Germans learn the truth. The writing in this book is phenomenal and I cannot wait to read the sequel!
Playing With Matches does something I haven't seen before. It tells the story of the Holocaust from the point of view of German boys growing up wanting to join the Nazi army. They are part of the Hitler Youth and believe in everything the Fuehrr says......until they find a shortwave radio and hear BBC broadcasts telling the story from both side of the war.
This is a very emotional story that gives you a glimpse of what it was like growing up as a German child during the time of the Holocaust. When you think about the Holocaust it is very easy to forget that many Germans in Germany at the time of Holocaust were just normal people who trusted in
their leader to guide them. They weren't hateful people who were just set on destroying the Jews. They truly believed in what he said, especially the younger generation.
Reading this book really made you think about what it must have been like to have believed in a cause so strongly and admire someone so much only to find out that they were lying and things weren't as they seemed. That can be a very devastating thing for anyone. I really enjoyed this book for many reasons but one of the biggest reasons is because even though this book is set during the Holocaust, the emotions of the characters are still relevant today.
These characters could have lost their lives after they decided to covertly spread the word to their community that Hitler was a liar and that things were not as they seemed. Their bravery is very admirable and inspiring. These young people risked everything to help other disillusioned Germans learn the truth. The writing in this book is phenomenal and I cannot wait to read the sequel!
March 26, 2015
Normally the books I have read are from the Jewish side of the war, now this is a first for me to read a war book from the German side. I wanted to automatically hate Emil and his Family but I couldn't, they were caught up in the Hitler charade to. Not really having a choice but the join the war.
Emil was very young when the war started only 11 or 12 he wanted to be like the older guys from the Hitler Youth. But one day Emil and his friends find a shortwave radio and hear the truth. The boys Emil, Moritz , Johann and his sister Katharina start to write out the radio reports and spread them around town. If caught they would probably be beheaded but end up dead for sure.
Emil just want to go home, be a boy and be with his girl Katharina.
This story was emotional and I liked Emil, I felt for him when he realized that everything he was told was a lie, I felt for him when he had to things that made him hurt from the inside out, he wasn’t a bad boy just a naive child.
The writing was excellent I can’t wait to read the sequel.
Emil was very young when the war started only 11 or 12 he wanted to be like the older guys from the Hitler Youth. But one day Emil and his friends find a shortwave radio and hear the truth. The boys Emil, Moritz , Johann and his sister Katharina start to write out the radio reports and spread them around town. If caught they would probably be beheaded but end up dead for sure.
Emil just want to go home, be a boy and be with his girl Katharina.
This story was emotional and I liked Emil, I felt for him when he realized that everything he was told was a lie, I felt for him when he had to things that made him hurt from the inside out, he wasn’t a bad boy just a naive child.
The writing was excellent I can’t wait to read the sequel.
April 7, 2017
Heart breaking story. You forget about the German people who weren't with Hitler but yet had no choice but to abide by the rules set into place. They fought to survive whether in the army or at home starving and working and all struggling. It may be a fictional book but it hits you in the heart because you know that the these things happened to real people and if you think about it, if wasn't that long ago
August 10, 2014
“Playing with Matches” by Lee Strauss is a novel about the youth who were a part of Youth Organizations that were started by Hitler in Nazi Germany. It is about their families. This was an excellent story of the other side of Germany in World War II. We always read or hear about the Nazi’s and the atrocities that were committed by command of the Feuhrer. “Playing with Matches” gives us a view of those in Germany who did not want war and who were not fans of Hitler.
This story is about Emil Radle, his family and friends living in Passau, Germany, during the war. Emil was a dedicated member of the Hitler Youth, as were his friends. He was impassioned about the role of Germany in the world at the beginning. But then, he and his friends found a shortwave radio. Although it was forbidden to listen to any broadcasts except from the Nazi stations, they listened to the BBC and found that the German people were not being told the truth. Their losses were much more severe than was being reported. They began clandestinely distributing hand-lettered leaflets during the night to spread the truth.
Even though their allegiance to Germany had waned, they were still forced to join the Hitler Youth; even encouraged to spy on their families and turn in their parents if they were not in tune with Hitler’s propaganda. Everyone looked over their shoulders because you never knew whom you could trust. The German people who refused to join the Nazi party were especially watched closely by their Nazi neighbors. Rations were low, Allied bombers wreaked havoc on the German cities, Jewish neighbors and friends disappeared. Fear was the prevailing way of life among those left in the cities. Even young boys, fourteen and sixteen years old were sent to the Russian front when troops were sorely depleted. We don’t realize in times of war about the citizens of those countries who are not part of the conflict. There are those who do not subscribe to any of the warring factions, but who nonetheless become those damaged by the proximity of the fighting.
This book brought these peoples’ plight to mind. I was glad I read this book, even though it is a fictional work. I gained a lot of insight as to what it must have been to live in Germany during this time of war. I also gained a new respect for those whose lives were torn apart through no fault of their own. Their only mission was to survive. I think this book is a great novel for young adults to read as well.
You can find this review on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-cd.
This story is about Emil Radle, his family and friends living in Passau, Germany, during the war. Emil was a dedicated member of the Hitler Youth, as were his friends. He was impassioned about the role of Germany in the world at the beginning. But then, he and his friends found a shortwave radio. Although it was forbidden to listen to any broadcasts except from the Nazi stations, they listened to the BBC and found that the German people were not being told the truth. Their losses were much more severe than was being reported. They began clandestinely distributing hand-lettered leaflets during the night to spread the truth.
Even though their allegiance to Germany had waned, they were still forced to join the Hitler Youth; even encouraged to spy on their families and turn in their parents if they were not in tune with Hitler’s propaganda. Everyone looked over their shoulders because you never knew whom you could trust. The German people who refused to join the Nazi party were especially watched closely by their Nazi neighbors. Rations were low, Allied bombers wreaked havoc on the German cities, Jewish neighbors and friends disappeared. Fear was the prevailing way of life among those left in the cities. Even young boys, fourteen and sixteen years old were sent to the Russian front when troops were sorely depleted. We don’t realize in times of war about the citizens of those countries who are not part of the conflict. There are those who do not subscribe to any of the warring factions, but who nonetheless become those damaged by the proximity of the fighting.
This book brought these peoples’ plight to mind. I was glad I read this book, even though it is a fictional work. I gained a lot of insight as to what it must have been to live in Germany during this time of war. I also gained a new respect for those whose lives were torn apart through no fault of their own. Their only mission was to survive. I think this book is a great novel for young adults to read as well.
You can find this review on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-cd.
June 7, 2014
Emil, Moritz and Johann and three friends growing up in Germany. Emil is fascinated by the Hitler Youth and loves going to the meetings. He is anxious to grow up and join the famous Luftwaffe. when his two friend discover a short wave radio, everything changes . Soon they are listening to the truth from BBC. They print flyers that they secretly distribute all over town telling the truth. Johann's sister, Katharina joins them in spite of the fact that they know what they are doing is very dangerous. Soon Emil and Katharina are falling in love, Moritz, the only Jew in the group hides from the gestapo and the other boys end up in the war front. A well done story of German youth who wake up to the truth of the holocaust and Hitler.
May 18, 2015
This book was poorly proofread; I find grammar errors in novels a bit distracting. I did like the story, however it seemed fractured at times and I felt like there were things that could have been explored further.
December 4, 2015
Playing with Matches begins in 1938, when Emil Radle is 9 years-old and a member of the Passau (Germany) Deutsches Jungvolk, anxiously awaiting the day he will be old enough to join the Hitler Youth and begin to learn how to fly. Emil wants nothing more than to become a pilot in the German Luftwaffe.
But the Jungvolk is hard work and the leader, Heinz Schultz, likes to pick on Emil's friend Moritz for being weak. Emil is aware that Moritz and their friend Johann aren't really supporters of the Reich and, in fact, neither are Emil's parents. And maybe Emil isn't either, since he still likes his friend Anne Silbermann, a Jewish girl whose family owned a bakery, and is very upset when he saw what happens to her family on Kristalnacht.
Even after war is declared in 1939 and the youth leaders and his school teacher continue to speak Nazis rhetoric to the kids, Emil half wants to believe what he hears. Seeing Anne and her mother boarding trains east, he thinks they are being resettled, while Moritz and Johann inform him otherwise. Other incidents begin to cause Emil to question things more, and his belief in Nazi Germany's greatness begins to waver.
In the summer of 1941, when Emil turns 13, he discovers that Johann and Moritz are secretly listening to BBC reports on a shortwave radio. When the reports contradict the Nazi reports on how the war is going, Emil's chasm of doubt in the Fatherland widens. Soon, the boys are joined by Johann's sister Katharina, and all four begin to transcribe the reports and leave them around town for people to read. And Emil begins to notice he has a strong attraction to Katharina.
The friends continue their resistance activities, as it becomes clearer that Germany is really starting to lose the war. Emil's father is sent to Berlin for not joining the Nazi Party and isn't heard from for a very long time. When news breaks about the arrest and beheading of The White Rose group, college students doing something similar to what Emil and his friends are doing, instead of backing down, they continue to distribute their flyers transcribed from the BBC.
Emil's affection for Katharina becomes stronger as time goes by. In the summer of 1944, after he turns 16, Emil finally asks Katharina to marry him and is happy when she says yes. But even though the Germans are losing the war, there is still another year of it left. And it is a treacherous year in which some will survive and some won't.
It's no secret that the Nazis used kids to further their cause, but we don't often get books that look at the lives of those kids. The book covers 7 years in Emil's life, which probably mirrors the experience of many boys and girls at that time. Not everyone was a full, enthusiastic supporter of Hitler and his policies the way the leaders of Emil's Deutsches Jungvolk or his teacher are, but there were plenty who did. And there is one incident in the novel of a girl in Emil's class turning in her parents for saying something against Hitler and that kind of thing did happen.
That said, Playing with Matches is a compelling story that really is a chronicle of one boy's life between 1938 and 1945, character driven rather than plot driven. And, we meet a remarkable cast of characters that surround surround Emil's life - from staunch Nazis and bullies, to people caught up in a situation they don't support and their little acts of kindness, generosity and the type of support for each other that the Nazis discouraged, and who, it turns out, are real heroes for staying true to their own values and principles even in the face of a regime grounded in hate and violence.
Playing with Matches is an interesting coming-of-age novel, ideal novel for young readers interested in historical fiction, WWII history and for understanding what life was like in Nazi Germany. It would make a nice companion book to Markus Zusak's novel The Book Thief.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was purchased for my personal library
This review was originally posted at The Children's War
But the Jungvolk is hard work and the leader, Heinz Schultz, likes to pick on Emil's friend Moritz for being weak. Emil is aware that Moritz and their friend Johann aren't really supporters of the Reich and, in fact, neither are Emil's parents. And maybe Emil isn't either, since he still likes his friend Anne Silbermann, a Jewish girl whose family owned a bakery, and is very upset when he saw what happens to her family on Kristalnacht.
Even after war is declared in 1939 and the youth leaders and his school teacher continue to speak Nazis rhetoric to the kids, Emil half wants to believe what he hears. Seeing Anne and her mother boarding trains east, he thinks they are being resettled, while Moritz and Johann inform him otherwise. Other incidents begin to cause Emil to question things more, and his belief in Nazi Germany's greatness begins to waver.
In the summer of 1941, when Emil turns 13, he discovers that Johann and Moritz are secretly listening to BBC reports on a shortwave radio. When the reports contradict the Nazi reports on how the war is going, Emil's chasm of doubt in the Fatherland widens. Soon, the boys are joined by Johann's sister Katharina, and all four begin to transcribe the reports and leave them around town for people to read. And Emil begins to notice he has a strong attraction to Katharina.
The friends continue their resistance activities, as it becomes clearer that Germany is really starting to lose the war. Emil's father is sent to Berlin for not joining the Nazi Party and isn't heard from for a very long time. When news breaks about the arrest and beheading of The White Rose group, college students doing something similar to what Emil and his friends are doing, instead of backing down, they continue to distribute their flyers transcribed from the BBC.
Emil's affection for Katharina becomes stronger as time goes by. In the summer of 1944, after he turns 16, Emil finally asks Katharina to marry him and is happy when she says yes. But even though the Germans are losing the war, there is still another year of it left. And it is a treacherous year in which some will survive and some won't.
It's no secret that the Nazis used kids to further their cause, but we don't often get books that look at the lives of those kids. The book covers 7 years in Emil's life, which probably mirrors the experience of many boys and girls at that time. Not everyone was a full, enthusiastic supporter of Hitler and his policies the way the leaders of Emil's Deutsches Jungvolk or his teacher are, but there were plenty who did. And there is one incident in the novel of a girl in Emil's class turning in her parents for saying something against Hitler and that kind of thing did happen.
That said, Playing with Matches is a compelling story that really is a chronicle of one boy's life between 1938 and 1945, character driven rather than plot driven. And, we meet a remarkable cast of characters that surround surround Emil's life - from staunch Nazis and bullies, to people caught up in a situation they don't support and their little acts of kindness, generosity and the type of support for each other that the Nazis discouraged, and who, it turns out, are real heroes for staying true to their own values and principles even in the face of a regime grounded in hate and violence.
Playing with Matches is an interesting coming-of-age novel, ideal novel for young readers interested in historical fiction, WWII history and for understanding what life was like in Nazi Germany. It would make a nice companion book to Markus Zusak's novel The Book Thief.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was purchased for my personal library
This review was originally posted at The Children's War
September 15, 2018
I enjoyed this book. I am not familiar with this author but I will definitely be checking out more of their books. I enjoyed the writing and the characterisation. I do read a lot of books set around this period of history, but rarely do I read books where the central character is coming of age in Hitler’s Germany and also the Hitler Youth movement. A great read! I’m counting it towards my Penguin Read The Year challenge too whose theme is ‘coming of age’ this month.
August 3, 2020
This is a gripping and compelling story that is difficult to put down. Strauss has crafted a war story that humanizes history in a way that will remain with you long after you are done reading .
I highly recommend this for young and adult readers alike.
I highly recommend this for young and adult readers alike.
June 15, 2021
😥
This story follows three friends from indoctrination into the Hitler Youth to treasonous acts to the front line in Hitlers Germany. The unyielding belief in their leader that starts to crack with the discovery of a radio that allows them to listen to BBC broadcasts that tell them both sides of the story. Having to pretend that they still believe to save themselves and their families from death at the hands of their own country men.
This book was different from almost all I have read when it comes to the the second World War. Usually told from the Jewish point of view, this one is told from a child's point of view.
This story follows three friends from indoctrination into the Hitler Youth to treasonous acts to the front line in Hitlers Germany. The unyielding belief in their leader that starts to crack with the discovery of a radio that allows them to listen to BBC broadcasts that tell them both sides of the story. Having to pretend that they still believe to save themselves and their families from death at the hands of their own country men.
This book was different from almost all I have read when it comes to the the second World War. Usually told from the Jewish point of view, this one is told from a child's point of view.
June 17, 2015
In my opinion, Playing With Matches is a story that has been waiting to be told. Books about the Jewish experience of World War Two, whether fiction or non-fiction, are well-known and I am sure that the majority of people reading this review have come across The Diary of Anne Frank or Schindler’s Ark. I think because of this there is an assumption that the lives of ordinary German people were full of unicorns and rainbows – until this book.
Lee Strauss writes Playing With Matches with so much realism that we can believe that the Radles, Schwarzes and Ackermanns actually existed. We are constantly reminded that Passau is only a small community, set apart from Berlin and Munich, yet the town is still progressively torn apart by Hitler and his Lebensraum objective.
The novel is initially an uncomfortable read. The story’s main character, Emil, is a member of Deutsches Jungvolk; unknowing pawns in Hitler’s plan to spread his hatred for anyone outside his ideal human model,
“all important accomplishments in art, science and technology have been made by the Nordic or Aryan race. Therefore, this is clearly the only race of culture founders.”
Though I think we want to despise Emil and his reproduced chants, there are moments at which he redeems himself, particularly when he goes against everything he has been told and helps his friends Anne. Emil’s character develops greatly over the course of the story and he shows us that duty is different than acceptance.
Lee Strauss helps us to understand how Germany’s citizens were controlled by the propaganda fed to them by Joseph Goebbels. It is not until Emil and his friends, Moritz and Johann hear an illegal BBC broadcast that they realise the damage the war is causing to their country.
Playing With Matches is a sometimes difficult journey in which Lee Strauss effectively reveals the horrors of the Second World War. Although it is told in third-person narrative, concentrating on Emil and those close to him, the author does not ignore the appalling treatment of the Jews and non-Aryans. Playing With Matches often led me speechless and sobbing, but I think this is a very important text which can teach readers, no matter their age, about hatred, prejudice, corruption of power and suffering.
Lee Strauss writes Playing With Matches with so much realism that we can believe that the Radles, Schwarzes and Ackermanns actually existed. We are constantly reminded that Passau is only a small community, set apart from Berlin and Munich, yet the town is still progressively torn apart by Hitler and his Lebensraum objective.
The novel is initially an uncomfortable read. The story’s main character, Emil, is a member of Deutsches Jungvolk; unknowing pawns in Hitler’s plan to spread his hatred for anyone outside his ideal human model,
“all important accomplishments in art, science and technology have been made by the Nordic or Aryan race. Therefore, this is clearly the only race of culture founders.”
Though I think we want to despise Emil and his reproduced chants, there are moments at which he redeems himself, particularly when he goes against everything he has been told and helps his friends Anne. Emil’s character develops greatly over the course of the story and he shows us that duty is different than acceptance.
Lee Strauss helps us to understand how Germany’s citizens were controlled by the propaganda fed to them by Joseph Goebbels. It is not until Emil and his friends, Moritz and Johann hear an illegal BBC broadcast that they realise the damage the war is causing to their country.
Playing With Matches is a sometimes difficult journey in which Lee Strauss effectively reveals the horrors of the Second World War. Although it is told in third-person narrative, concentrating on Emil and those close to him, the author does not ignore the appalling treatment of the Jews and non-Aryans. Playing With Matches often led me speechless and sobbing, but I think this is a very important text which can teach readers, no matter their age, about hatred, prejudice, corruption of power and suffering.
June 9, 2015
Emil is growing up in Passau, Germany under Hitler’s rule. He attends his Deutsches Jungvolk meetings with fervor and wants to be a pilot. Emil begins to see the faults in Hitler’s plans as tensions arise and the hatred of the Jewish people grows. Emil’s friends Moritz and Johann discover the truth behind the German propaganda with the BBC news broadcast over a shortwave radio, not everything is going so well for the German’s during the war and fatalities are much worse than reported. The three friends decide to distribute the news with the help of Johann’s sister, Katharina. As the years pass, the boys grow older and are eventually trained to fight and sent to the front for a war they no longer want to fight; even Katharina finds herself in training as the German losses mount.
Playing With Matches proved to be a moving coming of age story told from the point of view of a German teen. The history in the story really grabbed me and I learned about the German Youth meeting, the effects of World War II on the average German Home and the efforts of The White Rose resistance. It was interesting to watch Emil’s character grow as he began to emulate his Deutshes Jungvolk leader and argue with his parents as a youth, to seeing his Jewish friends business destroyed, to taking huge risks by distributing treasonous pamphlet and eventually fighting. Emil’s character struggles through many emotions: fear, hope, survival and love to create a realistic story of a German youth growing up during World War II.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Playing With Matches proved to be a moving coming of age story told from the point of view of a German teen. The history in the story really grabbed me and I learned about the German Youth meeting, the effects of World War II on the average German Home and the efforts of The White Rose resistance. It was interesting to watch Emil’s character grow as he began to emulate his Deutshes Jungvolk leader and argue with his parents as a youth, to seeing his Jewish friends business destroyed, to taking huge risks by distributing treasonous pamphlet and eventually fighting. Emil’s character struggles through many emotions: fear, hope, survival and love to create a realistic story of a German youth growing up during World War II.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
May 7, 2014
I received this novel from NetGalley.
This novel is moving, heart-wrenching and honest, it is almost perfect in its telling of a young boy's progression through the ranks of Nazi's during WW1.
This novel is well written, creative and original, its protagonist is believable and it hurts my heart to realise he is only 16 for the most part of the novel, so young and yet faced with unbelievable tasks. That is the horror of Hitler's reign.
Completely moving, this novel, although aimed at YA readers, is definitely not for the faint hearted, this novel is moving and makes the reader realise just how much is at stake for those faced with war. It shows that not all people within an invading country share the same beliefs as the ruler. This novel is incredibly moving.
This novel would be the perfect addition to a college or high-school library, perfect for any Tertiary Level teachers curriculum.
This novel is moving, heart-wrenching and honest, it is almost perfect in its telling of a young boy's progression through the ranks of Nazi's during WW1.
This novel is well written, creative and original, its protagonist is believable and it hurts my heart to realise he is only 16 for the most part of the novel, so young and yet faced with unbelievable tasks. That is the horror of Hitler's reign.
Completely moving, this novel, although aimed at YA readers, is definitely not for the faint hearted, this novel is moving and makes the reader realise just how much is at stake for those faced with war. It shows that not all people within an invading country share the same beliefs as the ruler. This novel is incredibly moving.
This novel would be the perfect addition to a college or high-school library, perfect for any Tertiary Level teachers curriculum.
September 2, 2016
I received this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
This was a wonderful and yet terribly sad story about a boy in Germany who desperately wants to love his country and yet, as WWII begins and he sees the atrocities around him, he is forced to choose what is truly, morally right. And yet, even as he and his friends fight for what that believe in, he also learns about the simple struggle to survive. So many stories about WWII talk about the trials of the Allies. This book is about the trials of the Germans. But it is not sympathetic to the Nazis. It is about the people who are simply trying to survive.
The author's note at the end indicates that much of the story is based on interviews with survivors of the war. There is a real sense of being there.
Well worth reading.
This was a wonderful and yet terribly sad story about a boy in Germany who desperately wants to love his country and yet, as WWII begins and he sees the atrocities around him, he is forced to choose what is truly, morally right. And yet, even as he and his friends fight for what that believe in, he also learns about the simple struggle to survive. So many stories about WWII talk about the trials of the Allies. This book is about the trials of the Germans. But it is not sympathetic to the Nazis. It is about the people who are simply trying to survive.
The author's note at the end indicates that much of the story is based on interviews with survivors of the war. There is a real sense of being there.
Well worth reading.
January 14, 2016
Excellent novel about coming of age during WWII as a young man. I found it touching as the protagonist noted his parents fearing what they said in front of him in case he might turn them in to the Gestapo as one of the other children on the street had done. He and three of his friends begin listening to the BBC on a radio of one friend's brother and writing out the news reports to scatter about town. They swear not to implicate each other should anyone be caught and then that fatal day happens... what? Oh no, you'll have to read it for yourself! Trust me, it's harrowing at points, but well worth it. I've read a number of autobiographies from WWII and this reads just like them, you don't feel like you're reading a novel. The author did excellent research. HIGHLY recommend this book.
April 18, 2017
The story takes places during the World War II, it gives us the Germans view during the war.
At first, a young group of friends are fascinated by the Hitler Youth. Then, they find a shortwave radio and start listening to the BBC on which they hear the brutal truth about the on going of the war. They begin writing flyers and they secretly distribute them all over town. If caught, it would certainly mean death. They fought to survive whether in the army or at home starving due to lack of supplies and food shortage. The German people had to choice but to follow the rules set by their Führer otherwise, it meant death to them and their family. It takes us to the Eastern front and near the end of the war where they enlisted children, elderly and women to help fight. Loved the book!
At first, a young group of friends are fascinated by the Hitler Youth. Then, they find a shortwave radio and start listening to the BBC on which they hear the brutal truth about the on going of the war. They begin writing flyers and they secretly distribute them all over town. If caught, it would certainly mean death. They fought to survive whether in the army or at home starving due to lack of supplies and food shortage. The German people had to choice but to follow the rules set by their Führer otherwise, it meant death to them and their family. It takes us to the Eastern front and near the end of the war where they enlisted children, elderly and women to help fight. Loved the book!
December 18, 2014
I'm a sucker for historical fiction, but I appreciated that the stories and characters in this book were based on actual lives. An interesting perspective of a young nationalist's coming of age, not through choice but by circumstance. The most interesting thing to me was the main character's lingering thoughts about what might be right and wrong despite what he has believed all of his life. Though opposed to the actions he would have to live with, he acts to survive in the hope of a redeemed future.
March 8, 2015
Strauss weaves fictional characters throughout the history of the Hitler Youth. She brings to life the brainwashing of these children in school and in their various Hitler Youth groups. Fascinating to see how these 12 & up adolescents would put Fuehrer before family even when their parents instructed otherwise. The story centers around one youth who, with his friends, finds a short-wave radio and learns the truth about the war. Once enlightened, the four of them must learn to survive without letting on that their Fuehrer is one big lie.
January 20, 2015
This is an excellent book for young adults. I'm an adult and I could not put it down. Playing With Matches gives a view of war from the citizens who do not favor what the ruling party believes. Sadly, the voices are those of children/teens and tell of the horrors they experienced. The book is dedicated to the author's parents and parent's in-law, who's memories are reflected in the story.
July 12, 2015
Very good fictional account
This book was very good and seemed true to history. The biggest crime in history perpetrated by a psychopaths. The German people were swept up by the times after the treaty they were forced to sign. The French should have known it was just an armistice for twenty years.
This book was very good and seemed true to history. The biggest crime in history perpetrated by a psychopaths. The German people were swept up by the times after the treaty they were forced to sign. The French should have known it was just an armistice for twenty years.
May 15, 2015
Excellent book about growing up in Germany during WW 2. It was the best way to realize how hard it was for the German people who were not Nazis to live in Germany during the War. This would be a great book for my granddaughters to read when they study about Germany and WW2.
September 29, 2015
Excellent book told from the side of German youth that did not believe in nor want to fight for Hitler's Dream. It shows their struggles with what is moral and what was expected of them. The things that they did to fight against Hitler's cause, risking death for them and their families by doing so.
February 28, 2016
Playing with Matches is an intriguing story from the point of view of a German boy. I found the detail of the story compelling and I was surprised to learn of the hardships of the German people during WWII. I recommend this book.
January 29, 2016
Interesting premise, but the writing didn't really hold together for me. It was fine, but didn't grasp me the way I think it could have.
December 22, 2016
If I were a much younger reader, I would probably have given this book a higher rating. When I ordered it I had no idea it was a YA book.
February 7, 2017
Amasing
Loved this book. I couldn't put it down. If you like historical fiction I recommend this book highly. Definitely a five star book.
Loved this book. I couldn't put it down. If you like historical fiction I recommend this book highly. Definitely a five star book.
February 28, 2017
It is the best book I have read by far. I really felt like I was
inside the story.
Love the story of Emil, his family and the experiences he had
growing up during the war.
inside the story.
Love the story of Emil, his family and the experiences he had
growing up during the war.
January 2, 2019
Life in Germany in WW2
Everyone who considers themselves a patriot of their country will find a version of themselves in this novel. I have read many novels describing the different ways that people dealt with the reality of the situation, as my parents were part of that generation, but kept their personal experience with the war under wraps. It was after their deaths did I find out happened with their lives in that time period. In this novel, we given a viewpoint from ordinary citizens of Germany, who didn't follow the fanaticism culture belief of Nazism but had a strong patriotism to being a German, especially after the way Germany had been treated after WW1 and financially ruined. Promises of better, stronger Germany sounded good. Unfortunately, the methods used to achieve this was kept hidden from public knowledge by suppression of the truth and false propaganda.
This story is told from the eyes of a young teenage boy, whose dream is to become a pilot in the Luftwaffe. A big part of German pride is an achievement of status in a military service. Unfortunately, as Hitler rises in power and starts to invade across Europe, German military forces are overextended, especially when faced with two fronts. The main character of this tale should not have faced actual fighting but for this overextended of the military forces, which the truth of the losses were not made public. Emil and his friends have a shortwave radio from which they hear broadcasts of the War different from what is being told to them. They try to get this news to others by passing out handwritten pamphlets but are forced to stop when one of them is shot and killed. As the war progresses, all supplies are extremely limited and food is rationed, even what they grow on the farms. Emily's father is sent to the eastern front and he is sent at first to the Russian front, where he is injured, rescuing his friend Johann, who lost a leg. After his recovery, he is sent to a military base to man the Flax guns against enemy aircraft, where he stays until Germany surrenders. After the Americans let most of the captives free, Emil walks back home to find his family. He was barely 17 by end of the war.
Excellent story of life affected by war, showing us everyone suffers from a war, especially the ordinary people who just want to have a simple life.
Everyone who considers themselves a patriot of their country will find a version of themselves in this novel. I have read many novels describing the different ways that people dealt with the reality of the situation, as my parents were part of that generation, but kept their personal experience with the war under wraps. It was after their deaths did I find out happened with their lives in that time period. In this novel, we given a viewpoint from ordinary citizens of Germany, who didn't follow the fanaticism culture belief of Nazism but had a strong patriotism to being a German, especially after the way Germany had been treated after WW1 and financially ruined. Promises of better, stronger Germany sounded good. Unfortunately, the methods used to achieve this was kept hidden from public knowledge by suppression of the truth and false propaganda.
This story is told from the eyes of a young teenage boy, whose dream is to become a pilot in the Luftwaffe. A big part of German pride is an achievement of status in a military service. Unfortunately, as Hitler rises in power and starts to invade across Europe, German military forces are overextended, especially when faced with two fronts. The main character of this tale should not have faced actual fighting but for this overextended of the military forces, which the truth of the losses were not made public. Emil and his friends have a shortwave radio from which they hear broadcasts of the War different from what is being told to them. They try to get this news to others by passing out handwritten pamphlets but are forced to stop when one of them is shot and killed. As the war progresses, all supplies are extremely limited and food is rationed, even what they grow on the farms. Emily's father is sent to the eastern front and he is sent at first to the Russian front, where he is injured, rescuing his friend Johann, who lost a leg. After his recovery, he is sent to a military base to man the Flax guns against enemy aircraft, where he stays until Germany surrenders. After the Americans let most of the captives free, Emil walks back home to find his family. He was barely 17 by end of the war.
Excellent story of life affected by war, showing us everyone suffers from a war, especially the ordinary people who just want to have a simple life.
July 22, 2017
When Lee Strauss describes how Emil and his friends grow up and learn the truth about Nazis you can really relate to Emil, Johann, Moritz and Katharina. It is truly a slow process growing up from prepubescent boy or girl in the 'Jungvolk' to the teenagers who barely survived the WW II or died during this regime. His life in 'Nazi-Deutschland' is shown to us in such a unspectacular way that you see the true history people lived in, children lived in.
'Playing with matches' is a wonderful and sad statement against totalitarianism and against war. The questions the children asked themselves are the questions young Germans like Hans and Sophie Scholl, Alexander Schmorell, Christoph Probst, Willi Graf or Kurt Huber had in their mind when the worked their own special way of resistance by spreading the leaflets of the 'Weiße Rose'.
Lee Strauss' 'Playing with matches' should be a school book in Germany's English lessons. And it should be a school book in every other country too.
So that young children can learn to be alert when adults try to abuse them – for the lust for power of the adults. So that even children learn to ask themselves the question 'Is this really in the interest of all people or only in the interest of a single group of people?' And to resist and rebel if the answer is 'No'.
'Playing with matches' is a wonderful and sad statement against totalitarianism and against war. The questions the children asked themselves are the questions young Germans like Hans and Sophie Scholl, Alexander Schmorell, Christoph Probst, Willi Graf or Kurt Huber had in their mind when the worked their own special way of resistance by spreading the leaflets of the 'Weiße Rose'.
Lee Strauss' 'Playing with matches' should be a school book in Germany's English lessons. And it should be a school book in every other country too.
So that young children can learn to be alert when adults try to abuse them – for the lust for power of the adults. So that even children learn to ask themselves the question 'Is this really in the interest of all people or only in the interest of a single group of people?' And to resist and rebel if the answer is 'No'.
October 29, 2018
I recommend the book. I got it through Bookbub for free, but the price has nothing to do with my rating. I had read MOTHERLAND by Maria Hummel a few weeks ago and found the books very similar. After readers finish this book, they should immediately read ARMAGEDDON by Leon Uris. Both of the aforementioned books should be on sale at Bookbub or Amazon, but ARMAGEDDON is worth buying at full price.
The present book opens in early 1930's during a global depression. Hitler came out of the masses with an enticing plan to make Germany a great nation once again. The characters in this book relate how they fell for Hitler's propaganda not knowing that Hitler's asperations went far beyond the German borders. The German people had no communications with the world outside Germany until the pubescent main characters found a radio that could receive broadcasts from England. They heard the other side of the story and wrote flyers about the English broadcast and distributed the fliers at a grave risk to themselves and their families. Their bravery was real. When the tides of war turned against Germany, these boys were drafted, and the author writes the horror story that is ingrained in world history.
This book seems targeted to younger readers, but her writing mechanics were excellent making it a good read for adults, too.
Thank you, Ms. Strauss, for a good read.
The present book opens in early 1930's during a global depression. Hitler came out of the masses with an enticing plan to make Germany a great nation once again. The characters in this book relate how they fell for Hitler's propaganda not knowing that Hitler's asperations went far beyond the German borders. The German people had no communications with the world outside Germany until the pubescent main characters found a radio that could receive broadcasts from England. They heard the other side of the story and wrote flyers about the English broadcast and distributed the fliers at a grave risk to themselves and their families. Their bravery was real. When the tides of war turned against Germany, these boys were drafted, and the author writes the horror story that is ingrained in world history.
This book seems targeted to younger readers, but her writing mechanics were excellent making it a good read for adults, too.
Thank you, Ms. Strauss, for a good read.
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