Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The War Outside” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The War Outside

Monica Hesse (Goodreads Author)

3.83 · Rating details · 2,462 ratings · 443 reviews

A novel of conviction, friendship, and betrayal.

It's 1944, and World War II is raging across Europe and the Pacific. The war seemed far away from Margot in Iowa and Haruko in Colorado--until they were uprooted to dusty Texas, all because of the places their parents once called home: Germany and Japan.

Haruko and Margot meet at the high school in Crystal City, a "family inte ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published September 25th 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The War Outside, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason by Virginia Boecker

2018 YA Historical Fiction

54 books — 67 voters

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

March Forward, Girl by Melba Pattillo Beals

2020 Intermediate Sequoyah Nominees

15 books — 5 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.83 ·

Rating details

· 2,462 ratings · 443 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The War Outside

Jul 16, 2018 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbt-queer, teen-novels, asian, historical-fiction

I received an ARC of this book for free from TheNovl in exchange for an honest review. Since I received an ARC, my quotes from the book are tentative.

Last month I read a different YA novel about German American internment and was beyond disappointed by it. When I saw that TheNovl was offering a chance to read and review this book I jumped at the opportunity. Thankfully, The War Outside was a million times better than that other book I read.

This book was so heart wrenching and emotional. There w I received an ARC of this book for free from TheNovl in exchange for an honest review. Since I received an ARC, my quotes from the book are tentative.

Last month I read a different YA novel about German American internment and was beyond disappointed by it. When I saw that TheNovl was offering a chance to read and review this book I jumped at the opportunity. Thankfully, The War Outside was a million times better than that other book I read.

This book was so heart wrenching and emotional. There was one incident towards the end that gave me chills and goosebumps.

I loved the dual perspectives and how well the author put you into each girl’s shoes. I also enjoyed the author’s writing style. It flowed easily and sucked you into the story.

description

I’m glad that the book showed both Japanese American and German American internment. I particularly liked that it discussed how being called the enemy was different for each group. At one point Haruko tells Margot, “I’m so sorry…that your father had to wake up and realize that you had become the enemy overnight. But a least you didn’t have to wake up and realize that other Americans had thought of you as an enemy all along” (148). She then explains, “the reason this imprisonment is hard to Margot’s father is because they didn’t know yet that this country was unfair…The West Coast Japanese had already given the government their shortwave radios, and they had already agreed to their curfew, eight PM to six AM, but it wasn’t enough, it was never enough. It was so easy for the government make those rules. You can’t hate someone all of a sudden. It takes practice. It takes a long time” (148). This is an idea that Margot revisits later in the book when imagining what it would be like to go back home to Iowa. She ponders, “Haruko was right the first time we talked. It was not like with the Japanese. where entire communities went away. With us it was like a scalpel: a German here, a German there, while the rest of the town went about their business” (207). These quotes showcase the idea of how we are not free in America until we’re all free. Everyone’s freedom is in jeopardy if one group loses theirs.

The ending was…WOW. It was one of the best endings I’ve read in a while. It left you thinking about all that happened between the girls and the motives behind their actions.

I liked that the author included a note at the end about the history behind the story. It is evident that she did a lot of research and tried to make it as accurate as possible.

Overall, this was an amazing and powerful novel whose ending will leave you questioning it all.

For more book reviews, be sure to check out my blog: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/
...more

flag 70 likes · Like · see review

Jun 27, 2018 Terrie's Just Another Book B*tch rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, arc, must-read, new-author-to-me, beautifully-heartbreaking

Just Another Book Bitch's ALWAYS SPOILER FREE REVIEW

First things first... I believe this is a book everyone should read and absorb. I think it should be on every school reading list. While it is fiction, it's based on enough fact that will catapult the reader back in time to a horrific, (and in this reader's opinion, an embarrassing time,) in US history where we made thousands upon thousands of Japanese Americans suffer for no other reason than racism. A heartbreaking read that opens yo

...more

flag 53 likes · Like · see review

Jul 11, 2018 madeline ♡ rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2018, asian-rep

i've decided to change my rating for this to a solid 3 stars. the more i think about this book, the more i realize how mediocre it was for me?? it didn't stick in my mind afterwards, and i don't feel very strongly about it, even about the things i thought i liked.

The War Outside is a World-War-II-era historical fiction novel that talks about the intersecting experiences of two girls whose families are being held in Crystal City, an internment camp. i did like the premise for the novel! WW2 histo ...more

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

Sep 26, 2018 Jane (It'sJaneLindsey) rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018-releases, first-reads-arcs, 2018-read

I loved the premise, and parts of this novel felt all too relevant to our current politician climate (you know, since we’re once again holding families and children in camps in the US, which is...fucked up). But The War Outside never went far enough for me. So much of this stayed surface level and I wanted MORE. I wanted more of the budding romance between our two protagonists, more insight into daily life in the camp, and more of an actual plot so there was sufficient tension building to the bi ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Nov 20, 2018 Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) rated it really liked it

I'm ashamed to say I had no clue about this dark piece of World War II history until I was around 22 years old. When we learned about WWII in school, Japanese internment camps were never discussed in the text books or in the classroom.
When I found out that over 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry were taken from their homes and incarcerated under an executive order by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, I was stunned. There was a lot of paranoia about foreign spies who could interfere with the ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Dec 16, 2018 Keelin Rita rated it really liked it

Shelves: queer

3.5

Rounded up to a 4 because I want more people to read this. This is the story of two girls who are in an internment camp for enemies of the state during World War 2. One is German, the other Japanese and they build an unlikely friendship and closeness due to their circumstances. Why do I want people to read this? Well it's about a part of our history that we try to cover up. It's also a queer story which is covered up even more. People like to act like queer people weren't invented until the ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

May 09, 2019 BookNightOwl rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime, friendship, immigrants, ww2, bullying, family, fiction, texas, rascism, coming-of-age

Was going to rate this a 3 star until I got to the ending and it left me speechless. Did not see the ending coming and it made so much sense to me. I like this story because it was something different then what I have ever read about. It was about a Japanese American and German American girl whose family are sent to an internment Camp during WW2. It deals a lot with racism, friendship, family, etc.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Oct 12, 2019 ~Bellegirl91~ rated it liked it

***2 1/2 to 3 stars.... can't decide. I'm torn between there***

So I wasn't in the mood to read and listen to any of the other two books I was already on and so I saw this audiobook available on the Libby App and I have to say this wasn't what I was expecting. It was an okay read/listen to for me. And despite being sick all week and now feeling MUCH BETTER I'm still surprised I made it through this in two days considering but that's also because I've been upping the speed on the app on my audiob ***2 1/2 to 3 stars.... can't decide. I'm torn between there***

So I wasn't in the mood to read and listen to any of the other two books I was already on and so I saw this audiobook available on the Libby App and I have to say this wasn't what I was expecting. It was an okay read/listen to for me. And despite being sick all week and now feeling MUCH BETTER I'm still surprised I made it through this in two days considering but that's also because I've been upping the speed on the app on my audiobooks on Libby lately and so I get through them a little faster.

I did find it interesting to read how the author had receieved her own inspiration for this book and the story she came up with, and I'm sure she put a lot of effort into her research to come up with this story. I personally however couldn't get into it as much nor the story. The only thing I didn't like the most though is that I WISH there was at least an epilogue if it consisted of 2 or 3 chapter or one long chapter because I actually wanted to know what happened to these two after the war. I mean, I found the twists of each girl at the end of the last two chapters interesting, but I just felt like it lacked an Epilogue. An aftermath or sorts. But overall a still worth read book. I also felt like it rushed into things and had some random moments once in a while, but then with one tragic story with a turn of events, it was heartbreaking yes, but again because of it is why I wish there was an Epilogue.

The ending to me felt bland, "boring," majorly lacked something, despite as to the WHY of the story and one of the character and why they did what they did. So this was an okay read for me. But I'd still recommend it to those who like either historical fiction, WWII Historical Fiction or just want a good book to read. This just didn't quite cut it for me is all and I wish I could have liked it as much as many other readers. So read this for yourself and see what you think since this spoke to some but it didn't to me and idk why which I can't grasp. *face palm* oh well. Anyway, happy reading and if anyone has read this I'd love to know your thoughts on it! Hope you had or will have better luck than I did.

...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2021 Teresa rated it liked it

2.5 or 2.75, probably a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 23, 2018 Kayla rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, review-copy, lovelovelovelovelove, favorites, historical-fiction, kept-me-guessing, lovely-characters, arc, lgbtq, read-in-2018

I received a copy of this book from The Novl in exchange for my honest review.

Ya'll, I love reading historical fiction, particularly if it's set in the WWII era. I just think there are so many stories left to tell about that time period and, especially as time goes on, it's particularly important to ensure everyone is educated on this history. After all, if we don't learn from it, history is doomed to repeat itself, and the way the world is going today . . . Well, this book is particularly relev I received a copy of this book from The Novl in exchange for my honest review.

Ya'll, I love reading historical fiction, particularly if it's set in the WWII era. I just think there are so many stories left to tell about that time period and, especially as time goes on, it's particularly important to ensure everyone is educated on this history. After all, if we don't learn from it, history is doomed to repeat itself, and the way the world is going today . . . Well, this book is particularly relevant.

The War Outside talks about an era of American history that is usually (purposefully) left untold. During WWII, civilian families from both Japan and Germany were taken to camps and left there throughout the duration of the war. They were regarded with suspicion, and some in the early stages of the war were given the option to go back to the countries they had emigrated from. In these cases, usually the children had been born in America and had little connection to Japan or Germany. The families who remained in America after the war after returned to find . . . nothing. That their homes had been seized or looted, that their belongings had been taken and sold off. If they hadn't given anything to the neighbors for safekeeping--if those neighbors could be trusted--then these families were left stranded with only what they'd taken with them in the camps.

This book tells the story of two girls in one of the camps. One is German. One is Japanese. But, really, they're both American. The book is told in a dual point of view so you can understand the full scope of what is happening. The racism. The hatred. The divisions that occur even between groups of people who are all being held in camps against their will. Through it all, Haruko and Margot form an unlikely friendship. As you come to understand why both have been brought there, and the difficult choices their families are made, you really come to care for these girls. But they're good characters, in that they aren't perfect. And their flaws make for some interesting pieces of the plot that will leave you wanting more.

The War Outside isn't a very happy story, but it's a good one, and it's an important one. We need to see what it was like for these girls. We need to see where everything went wrong. The relationship between the two is hard and complex, and I think it will help readers to better understand, and empathize with, the situation. Everyone should read this book--everyone needs to know what happened, so it can never happen again. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 01, 2020 Ms. B rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, historical-fiction, ya

Two girls, Haruko and Margot become unlikely friends when both are sent with their families to an internment camp in Texas during World War II. Japanese-American Haruko is from Colorado; German-American Margot is from Iowa. What makes this one different from other World War II stories is not only does it take place in the United States, it is about German-Americans living in internment camps. (I did not know about this part of American history.)
The girls plot a future together after the War end ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jul 18, 2019 Jaye Berry rated it it was ok

Shelves: audiobook, 2019, ya, historical

I don't know what I was thinking. When it comes down to it I just don't like books that take place during WWII but I figured, hey, I really liked this author's other book Girl in the Blue Coat so maybe I could like this one! I did not.

The War Outside is about two girls who meet in Crystal City, a "family internment camp" for German and Japanese-Americans families that are accused of siding with the enemy in 1944. Haruko and Margot meet at the high school and learn they are complete opposites, bu ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 03, 2018 Emmi Rose (emmirosereads) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: five-star-reads

Thank you to TheNovl for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for a review

"I don't want you to ever forget where you are. You are a prisoner here. I don't care if you have a new friend, or if there's a school newspaper, or if there are books in the new library, or if there are community picnics. Or if there's a football team everyone comes out to cheer for. At the end of the day you're a prisoner in the only way that matters. If our family wanted to leave they wouldn't let you."

If this review Thank you to TheNovl for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for a review

"I don't want you to ever forget where you are. You are a prisoner here. I don't care if you have a new friend, or if there's a school newspaper, or if there are books in the new library, or if there are community picnics. Or if there's a football team everyone comes out to cheer for. At the end of the day you're a prisoner in the only way that matters. If our family wanted to leave they wouldn't let you."

If this review makes little to no sense I'm apologizing in advance because I'm just filled with so much emotion after finishing this beautiful book. I don't have enough of the right words to express everything I feel. 😂

When I think back on my other five star reads and my feelings surrounding them they're so different compared to my feelings on The War Outside. I'm the type of person to pick up a book for simple entertainment and to relax, because of this I'm likely to rate more on my overall enjoyment and entertainment of the book. I feel like I have to approach this rating from a different angle as I don't feel this is a book that should be picked up unintentionally just for simple entertainment because it is so much more then that and it deserves so much more then that. It's raw, it's real, it's impactful. For about 80% of this book, all that was going through my head was simply just, wow. Giving this book anything less than five stars just feels wrong.

Monica Hesse's writing is absolutely incredible and so immersive. I never felt like I was pulled away from the story. It felt all too real and like I was right there living this life with Haruko and Margot. Monica managed to do what I feel is so hard to do right, and that's to write in multiple first person POV's that don't feel awkward or too similar to the other POVs. I think each POV was realistic and distinct and I cannot imagine this being written in any other kind of style. I believe that was part of why this book was so immersive.

Monica Hesse managed to tug along my emotions with each of these characters. I was holding my breath and tense when they were, shocked and hurt when they were, ect, ect.
I also loved the little, almost, side notes that are scattered throughout the story told from either one of the two characters. If you've read the book you'll know what I'm talking about. They really added another layer to the whole book and caused even more of an impact.
Also that ending, THAT ENDING!! That's all I want to say because I obviously don't want to spoil anything. I think it was so genuis and it really causes you to think.

I think there's just something about those authors who can write historical fiction in such a way that even causes you to think about current times and ask questions. Maybe even uncomfortable questions. The Historical events that this book was based off of didn't even happen 80 years ago and that's a strange thought.

I've marked so many areas of this book and that's something I don't often do. When I do it I usually mark my favorite quotes or lines but I have so many scenes marked that just hit me hard, and so many quotes and sayings that did the same thing. Something that really struck me were those moments where these characters have to be reminded that this was not normal or right. whether they truly believed that it was or it was simply a coping mechanism because thinking anything else would be too much.

This is not a story or side of World War II that gets told often or at all I feel like, and it's reminding me just how many sides there were to this war, just how many different believes people had in this time and how many stories that haven't been told yet. But long messy review in short this book is incredible and real and important! You must read it as soon as you can get your hands on it! ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 05, 2018 Kath (Read Forevermore) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviews, 2018-arcs

An arc of this book was sent to me by The NOVL/Little Brown Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5

The War Outside is a heartbreaking historical fiction that highlights one of the darkest times in US history. It tells the story of two friends in internment camps used by the US during WWII, who are conflicted and struggle with trust, love, and finding a place for themselves in a cruel world.

This story follows two friends, Japanese-America ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 13, 2018 Kamis Gardner rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ww2, audiobooks, ya-and-mg, historical-fiction, 2018-read

3.5

I didn't love this book as much as Hesse's debut novel. I was really interested to read it, because it deals with internment camps, and that's something I haven't read a lot on dealing with WWII. However, things just fell a little flat for me. I feel like there was so much more that could have been done here and wasn't.

We got a little glimpse of life in the interment camp, but not enough to really know what it was like, which was disappointing because that's what I was most looking forward t ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 02, 2019 Maria Carmo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, dystopia, childhood-and-youth-books, novel-romance-revealing-historica, preparedness-and-security, life-changing-self-discovery-self

Intense sad and compelling. The research about the internment camps in the US during the second world war ended up in this excellent and touching book about two fictional characters, but in the end there is enough information to prove that many of the details that come up through the story are real and can easily be found online. I know, because I did that before I ended the book and found the extra information included by the Author, and immediately found a trove of data about Cristal City and ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 27, 2018 Elise rated it liked it

Shelves: social-commentary, young-adult, hist-fic-ya, teens-with-issues

Unfortunately, for me, The War Outside failed to carry the same character development and emotional depth of her first book, Girl in the Blue Coat. However, this is an important addition to any library young adult collection, as it focuses on the dark period in American history where the US government forcibly removed German-American, Japanese-Americans, and Italian-Americans from their homes and sent them to internment camps.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2018 Alex Baugh rated it really liked it

Shelves: japanese-americans, coming-of-age, historical-fiction, ya, internment, german-americans

It's August 1944 when Haruko Tanaka, 17, her sister Toshiko, 12, and her mother have just arrived at the Crystal City Internment Camp, in Texas to join their father. They haven't seen Ichiro Tanaka, in five months, not since the government came and removed him from their home, accusing him of passing secrets to the Japanese through his night job at a hotel in Denver, Colorado. Living in Denver, the Tanaka's weren't interned, unlike the people living on the western coast of the United States. Sho It's August 1944 when Haruko Tanaka, 17, her sister Toshiko, 12, and her mother have just arrived at the Crystal City Internment Camp, in Texas to join their father. They haven't seen Ichiro Tanaka, in five months, not since the government came and removed him from their home, accusing him of passing secrets to the Japanese through his night job at a hotel in Denver, Colorado. Living in Denver, the Tanaka's weren't interned, unlike the people living on the western coast of the United States. Shortly after Mr. Tanaka was detained, Ken, Haruko's older brother, enlisted in the army.

Watching the Japanese families arriving in Crystal City is Margot Krukow, a German American girl, interned in Crystal City with her German-born parents. As the families begin to walk away from the gate, Haruko and Margot catch each other's eye. But it isn't until Haruko's first day of school at the Federal School that she finds out who Margot is. Sitting next to each other, they completely ignore one another while being completely aware of each other. Generally, Japanese and Germans internees don't mix in Crystal City, going to separate schools, shopping in separate commissaries, but Margot chooses the Federal School because the German school is too Nazi for her and isn't accredited.

It isn't until a dust storm hits that the two girls finally speak. Margot pulls the confused Haruko into the icehouse, and before she knows it, Haruko is pouring her heart out to Margot, telling her things she can't tell anyone else. Slowly over time, the two girls find they are attracted to each other, using their meetings in the icehouse to escape the pressure and tension they both feel within their families and at being in an internment camp. Haruko can't help but wonder whether he is guilty of espionage or not, and continually worries about her brother, whose letters are beginning to sound less and less like the Ken she knows.

Margot worries about her mother's health, concerned that her pregnancy will end in miscarriage like the previous ones. And concerned that her father will finally be won over by the Nazi contingent among the Germans in the camp, and that he also may be guilty of aiding the enemy.

When a tragedy strikes the camp, things come to a head and the two girls begin to wonder if they can really trust one another. Because of the way the novel is structured, however, the reader knows right from the beginning that the friendship is doomed and that some kind of betrayal has happened, but not what it is or why. The basis of the novel are the events leading up to that betrayal, if you can really call it that.

The War Outside is told in alternating points of view, switching between Haruko and Margot to give both sides of their story in this family internment camp and the events that lead to the conclusion. It is told from the perspective of the present but there are interruptions by both girls that refer to the narrated events from a future perspective. It's an interesting device and by the second interruption (there aren't that many), I did not find them at all disconcerting, but rather interesting and made me even more curious to see what they are talking about.

Still, given the way the relationship between the girls unfolds, and the way their respective home lives are depicted, I wondered where this novel or should I say where the relationship between the two girls was going. The writing is certainly compelling, the descriptions of life in this particular internment camp are incisive and accurate, all of the characters are realistically flawed and believable, but in a place where there was no privacy, where armed guards watched internees from towers spaces along fences topped with the barbed wire, and walls were paper thin, and where Germans and Japanese don't fraternize, I have to admit I did kind of assume where the story was heading. Boy, was I wrong! Boy, did my jaw drop! I did not see that coming.

The War Outside is a very interesting coming of age novel. It is part romance, part mystery, and historical fiction at its best. Monica Hesse has really done her research resulting in a clear picture of what life was like in Crystal City. Crystal City was not quite the same as the other internment camps in that it was a place for people of Japanese, German, and Italian ancestry who were considered to be "enemy aliens" or spies. It was not run by War Relocation Authority, but by the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) division of the Department of Justice and yes, forced repatriations were carried out from there. I suspect that on several levels this novel will resonate for today's readers.

Do read the author's A Note on Historical Accuracy to discover how she researched this novel as well as what events really happened in Crystal City and how they were seamlessly incorporated into The War Outside. It is s fascinating as the novel.

This book is recommended for readers age 13+
This book was an EARC received from Edelweiss+ ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 18, 2018 Librariann rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, historical-fiction, wwii

Ages 11+

All of a sudden I am on a huge historical fiction kick, especially World War II historical fiction. I know, so out of character. So when I saw this ARC up on Edelweiss, I thought I'd give it a click. Apparently, the author has written two other really popular books? (I am SO out of the loop.) Quick, interesting, lovely, with characters that jumped off the page and a very realistic almost-romance. Also heartbreakingly showed how small moments can destroy or derail lives, especially during ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 23, 2018 Paige Green rated it it was amazing

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from TheNovl! Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Recommended Age: 14+ (violence, bombs, war, prejudice, Nazism, and consequences)

Pages: 336

Author Website

Amazon Link

Synopsis: It's 1944, and World War II is raging across Europe and the Pacific. The war seemed far away from Margot in Iowa and Haruko in Colorado--until they were uprooted to dusty Texas, all because of the places their parents once called home: Germany and ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 14, 2019 Wyatt rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 10, 2018 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, multicultural, lgbtq, realistic-fiction, edelweiss, ya

Many thanks to Edelweiss Plus and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.

This was a fantastic historical fiction read that highlighted a dark part of US History and did so with grace and intensity. While it focuses on the internment camps developed and used by the US government during WWII, it also takes readers on a quiet journey between two friends (maybe more?) who struggle with trust, love, and finding a place for themselves. Highly reco ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 05, 2019 Melanie Dulaney rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grades, historical-fiction, ya

Monica Hesse gives readers of historical fiction a look at a lesser known chapter in the story of WWII, stateside. Most are familiar with the harsh treatment of Japanese immigrants and Americans of Japanese descent, but few are likely to know of the camp in Crystal City, TX where thousands of Japanese and German families were incarcerated as so-called enemy aliens. Hesse uses the characters of Japanese Haruko and German Margot to weave a story of an unlikely and secret friendship between the two ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 25, 2018 Karen rated it really liked it

4.5 two high school aged girls: Margot from Iowa, whose parents were born in Germany; Haruko from Colorado, her parents were born in Japan. They meet in 1944 at an interment camp in Texas. Their secret friendship bonds them together and leads to their lives changing forever. They live in a prison, regardless of how you might sugarcoat the camp. The story is revealed through the two voices of Haruko and Margot. They are superbly drawn characters; writing style enjoyable and allowed this story to ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 25, 2019 Kim rated it really liked it

A good story. We don’t get a lot of stories about these interment camps during WWII. Left me with a lot to think about.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 10, 2018 Melissa (YA Book Shelf) rated it it was amazing

Loved this novel about a Japanese-American teen and a German-American teen who are both in an internment camp for enemy aliens with their families. Lots of stuff happens, and the sexual tension between these two girls was palpable. Must read.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 28, 2019 Christy rated it really liked it

Shelves: beat-the-backlist-2019

I would like more contemporary historical fiction pls. Full review to come!

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 20, 2018 Nicole(Newbookcats) rated it it was amazing

"Horror grows out of humanity. If you are paying attention, it always starts small. We all tell the versions we wish were true."

description

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

First, this book means a lot to me. I am not Japanese nor am I German. My family comes from Italy and a couple Eastern European countries. I have never been forced to live in an internment camp. I have never been the subject of accused allegations by my government nor have I known anyone personally who has had that happen. I consider myself lucky that I do not live in a time of war when everyone is protecting themselves and their families before anything else. I consider myself lucky that no government officials have come knocking on my door to take me away from my house and family. I consider myself lucky for a lot of things, such as cake and the freedom to read any chemistry or physics textbook I want; however, I am extremely thankful for the two I stated. This book taught me a lot about my life and others' lives; therefore, I am very excited to be able to write this review!

As this is a novel starring a friendship (that really is a romance since they are always wondering what they are to each other), beginning with the characters feels right. The first character introduced is Haruko, a Japanese descendant who is not as excited to go to Crystal City as the rest of her family is. Already, it is known that she wants to erase her heritage as she hates how much discrimination she receives and wants to be called Helen. Throughout the novel, she becomes more comfortable with her heritage as she befriends Margot, the statistic loving and distant German girl who believes she and so many other families like hers were put into Crystal City for the wrong reasons. These two girls, both from different backgrounds and different sides of the camp, form an unlikely friendship that seems to turn into more after each time they spend time together. At first, I was apprehensive about this friendship since both Haruko and Margot are very reserved; however, that immediately changed as the novel proceeded and they became closer. If only I could get a sequel...

Also, the reason why The War Outside is a five star read is because it makes you think. Anyone can read a book and just move on, but there are those special books that make you think. The War Outside is one of those books. It focuses on American citizens that have Japanese and German ancestry can be discriminated against without a second thought in several situations. One of them included two girls drowning and several people accusing the administration of lying. With no second guess, guards and administration believed it was the fault of the German and Japanese prisoners. My thoughts after reading this book circled around the idea that all of this could happen again with same or different races in the same country I call home. It kept me awake for hours, and I am still pondering the "what-ifs" of this occurring once again.

In conclusion, The War Outside is a worthwhile read. It reinforces lessons I already knew by heart and teaches me others that I will always keep with me. Before reading this, I read Farewell to Manazanar, which is another five star read, and I learned about the history of these types of camps. Although Hesse may not center on specific details like Houston in Farewell to Manzanar, she does intertwine the stories of Haruko and Margot magnificently. Also, I am a still confused with my feelings about the ending of this book as it left me pondering the possibilities. The ending is ambiguous, which is something that I usually don't like; however, it worked for this story. Now that I have read The War Outside, I cannot wait to read more of Hesse's works, especially Girl in the Blue Coat.

*Received a free copy from TheNOVL and Little, Brown Books for Young Reader in exchange for a honest review. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 12, 2018 Annette rated it it was amazing

The War Outside is a unique, compelling story about life during WWII that has never been told.

Margot and Haruko have been uprooted from their lives along with their families. WWII is raging, and these families have been taken to a Family Internment Camp in Texas because their fathers have been accused of spying for the enemies.

Based on true events, this camp was the only one of its type in the country. Both Japanese and German families were sent here. The two teens’ friendship is unlikely, since ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Nov 24, 2020 phoebe rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, lgbtq, realistic-fiction, historical, three-stars, 2020, contemporary

After being blown away by Hesse's other book, Girl in the Blue Coat and I was expecting to once again be amazed. Unfortunately, this book under-delivered. I loved the idea of this book, and I've never read a book about the Japanese and German camps. This was completely new to me and I was excited to read about it. I wish I could have liked this book more, but it just didn't 'wow' me. It was so utterly mediocre.

The characters were not that memorable, first of all. And Haruko and Margot's friends ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Young Adult Conte...: #50 The War Outside by Monica Hesse	1	5	Dec 23, 2018 09:27AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Historical > Historical Fiction

339 users

Young Adult

124 users

Historical

60 users

War > World War II

34 users

Fiction

34 users

War

30 users

Young Adult > Teen

20 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Historical Fiction

16 users

Audiobook

12 users

LGBT

12 users

See top shelves…

About Monica Hesse

Monica Hesse

725 followers

Monica Hesse is the national bestselling author of the true crime love story American Fire, and the historical mystery novel Girl in the Blue Coat, which has been translated into a dozen languages and won the 2017 Edgar award in the Young Adult category. She is a feature writer for the Washington Post, where she has been a winner of the Society for Feature Journalism's Narrative Storytelling award ...more