Girl Who Wouldn't Die

by Randall Platt

"Nothing short of a masterpiece.” —Gregg Olsen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of  Snow Creek

Finalist for the Washington State Book Award 

They call her the Arab of Warsaw.
Some say she’s Jewish. A few know she’s a girl. Most agree she’s high on the Nazis’ hit list.
One person believes she could become a hero.

It’s 1939 in Poland, and Arab knows that standing up for anyone—especially her Jewish family—only paints a target on her back. So she plans to survive the Nazi occupation the way she always disguise herself as an Aryan boy, lead her street gang, and sell whatever she can steal.

But though Arab starts the war with the one goal of staying alive, others have different ideas for her. When a stranger asks for her help with a covert rescue mission, Arab has to make a choice. Trying to be a hero is a surefire way to get killed. But if she doesn’t do it, who will?

Hard-hitting and unforgettable, The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die is a story about survival, the necessity of resistance, and the hope that can be found when the world is at its darkest.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Historical, Literary Fiction, War

360 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2017

About the author

JUST WHO IS THIS RANDALL PLATT?
(hint: Not a guy!)

Randall Platt writes fiction for adults and young adults and those who don't own up to being either. Platt, a lifelong resident of the Upper Left Hand Corner, has been a full-time writer for twenty-five years which is certainly long enough to know better. But since Platt finds no shortage of fascinating characters and stories springing from the beautiful Pacific Northwest, the books just keep coming. Which explains why nearly all Platt’s novels take place in Washington or Oregon, the exception being Liberty’s Christmas, which takes place in Texas during the Depression.

Platt's novels have won several awards including twice winning the Willa Literary Award and twice winning the Will Rogers Medallion for best young adult literature. Platt has also received the Keystone State Reading Award, been a finalist for the PEN Center USA award as well as the Washington State Book Award. Platt is a sought-after speaker and presenter at conferences, schools, and libraries, specializing in fun and honest answers shot straight from the hip.

Platt’s latest novels have two things common - they take place during World War II and feature a strong female protagonist who stands up, stands out and resists. The paperback edition of Incommunicado, set during the first turbulent months of World War Two and dealing with Japanese internment, releases in the spring of 2017.

The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die, also releasing in the spring of 2017, is an intense young adult novel of street kids surviving and resisting on the Nazi-occupied streets of Warsaw.

Twice Hollywood has called Platt - her first novel, The Four Arrows Fe-As-Ko was filmed by Sullivan Entertainment as Promise The Moon. Another novel, The Cornerstone, has been optioned for feature film by actor/director Tom Skerritt.

Several times a week Platt puts away the words and heads for the nearest handball court or hiking trail.

More information than you ever wished to know about Platt is available at www.plattbooks.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, as well as the usual book websites.

Reviews

[Katherine Locke · Rating 1 out of 5]

*maybe read the link before you come in here and tell me that as a Jew, I can't use the word antisemitic for this book. Maybe don't do that. I'm not repeating myself on why this book is problematic.*

Full review to come later this week but this is without a doubt the worst and most antisemitic Holocaust book I've read since FOR SUCH A TIME by Kate Breslin and I am APPALLED by it.

I should be more ~professional~ and ~tactful~ but there are LITERALLY more "Good Nazis" than Good Jews in this book and I am really furious that I gave up brain space for this book.

I put a very long, but I hope worthwhile, review up here on Medium (vs tumblr, because tumblr's formatting for long posts makes me want to hit my head against a wall): https://medium.com/@Bibliogato/antise...

Screenshots and everything. Also spoilers.

[Shmegal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like so many Jewish women during the Holocaust, I'm sure my grandmother did like sooo many things just like this character. What things do you ask? Well things the average 20th Century Jewish girl did during the war, like:
1. Stopping to appreciate the clean visuals of a Nazi rally, those Nazi really put on a show!
2. Complementing Hitler
3. Spending a lot of time reminiscing about Christmas
4. Singing herself to sleep to Silent Night (you know that Christmas song us Jews love)
5. Speaking perfect Hebrew but not knowing the Kaddish
6. Thinking the Kaddish is only said at funerals when it is said daily or weekly for all of a Jew's life and any Jew that was a fluent Hebrew speaker in 1938 would know it by heart.
7. Writing limericks in Hebrew when you're a Polish Jew that, strangely, only rhyme in English
8. Forgetting about petty things like the Russian invasion of Poland because who has time for that!
9. Constantly using antisemitic language against her own people while admiring Nazis
10. Seeing that whole walled ghettos thing as super inconvenient to her thriving black market trade
11. Giving the codename Massiah to a Nazi
12. Making illusions to herself as a Christ-like figure

You know like all those scrappy Jewish girls off having an adventure during the war did.

There is not a jerkoff motion big enough for this utter garbage.

[James Phobos · Rating 1 out of 5]

So maybe it's just me, but I feel if you are going to write historical fiction, you should be decently versed in the time period and culture in which your story takes place.

However, Randall Platt's writing shows her to be ignorant about even the most basic facts of World War II, the actions of the Nazis, and the reactions of the Jewish people at the time.

Similarly, I feel that if you are going to write a Jewish protagonist, you should do research into Judaism, or at least the Jewish community. Judging by the contents of this book, as far as I can tell, the most research Randall Platt did into Judaism was digging through the dirt of her backyard to ask a worm about it.

And this is before addressing the parade of antisemitic stereotypes and constant Nazi worship. One could argue that it is just ignorance instead of outright purposeful bigotry, but after a certain extent, does it really matter? The results that are born from these actions are the same.

I'm sure there's an interesting story that could be told about Jewish perspective during the war, about the struggle of choosing between your religion/culture and your life.... But it is blatantly clear that Randall Platt is not the writer to take it on. This book has two main focuses to it: World War II and a Jewish protagonist.

On both accounts, she has failed miserably.

[Micaela · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book lacks historical context, commodifies the experiences of Jews during The Holocaust, and plays to classic antisemitic rhetoric and stereotypes. Not to mention that the author took Warsaw, home to a real, moving, and beautiful Jewish Resistance movement (that needs no altering to be inspiring), and instead chose to tell this story.

This book is offensive, crass, and callous. The author should be ashamed of themselves for how poorly done and downright nauseating this is.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Antisemitic garbage that both demonizes and fetishizes Jews in 1930s Poland, *and* makes Nazis the heroes.

My husband's late grandparents were Holocaust survivors and they are rolling in their graves at this dumpster fire.

Author is trash for writing this, editor is trash for publishing as is, and all involved should be ashamed of themselves.

https://medium.com/@Bibliogato/antise...

[skadoosh]

Katherine Locke's essay tells me all I need to know.

[R.S. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Antisemitic, ignorant, horrible (& anachronistic) voice, with a highly unlikeable main character. Let's not even talk about the "nice" Nazis. And Arab? Really? Did the author think that bastardization of the name Abra would be edgy? Blech.

[Juno · Rating 1 out of 5]

Are you tired of Jews who are still whiny about the Holocaust? Do you scour the shelves of your local library in the hopes that finally some brave author will illuminate the plight of the true victims--and heroes--of the Holocaust, The Good Nazis (TM)? Do you want a book to read that can knock "a book about Nazi occupation" off your list of books to read so you can feel smart at parties without making you actually come face to face with any real form of ableism, antisemitism, and homophobia? Look no further than this re-imagining of what Platt thinks the Holocaust was probably like! Platt streamlines this massive and well-documented genocide into a fun story about an Aryan-passing Jewish girl (because all Aryan-passing Jews definitely survived the Holocaust and never let first hand accounts of the concentration camps tell you differently!) by glossing over or ignoring critical historical events--such as the dual occupation of Poland and Kristallnacht--in favor of talking about how cool the Nazis looked and how good Hitler was at invasions! Encore! The Girl Who Wouldn't Die is sure to evoke mixed thoughts; personally, sometimes I think "how badly do her publishers need money?" and other times I think "wait, so did she not have access to Google? At all?"

All in all, a good book for when you're in the mood to seriously wonder why Goodreads won't let you rate a book below one star.

[Sam Levitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a young Jewish woman who spent her adolescence learning about the Holocaust, this is exactly the kind of book I would've gotten my hands on back then. Arab is an amazing female protagonist, who radiates love and strength throughout her journey. Her story is enticing, and her voice is powerful and inspiring. She's an amazing role model for young girls and women alike who might discover they have a hidden strength inside them they never knew they had. Her story will make you laugh, cry, and feel so many feelings of love, loss, and purpose. Excellent and important read.

[Isa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Y'all are wild for this one goyim

[Jamie (jamies_shelves) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disgustingly antisemitic. No Jewish person could read this and actually believe that this girl is Jewish.

This book makes Nazis the heroes and has the main character, who is supposed to be Jewish, someone who says she respects them as a whole. This novel is a disgrace and historically inaccurate.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm shocked by the number of one star reviews for this carefully researched, well written historical novel. (Particularly since many of those who scored it didn't bother to read the book. )The author's intent is not to be anti Semitic; she is providing a fictional account of events containing layers of truth. War is not a pretty story, and characters inside a novel such as this will try to survive using less than palatable means. Arab, as a protagonist, isn't "likable" in the traditional story telling sense. She can't be; she's trying to survive and protect her friends and family. If she were "Nice," there'd be no story.

As far as the characterization of the "good" Nazi, resistance movements were successful because of help from the inside. While this is a novel, this author did her homework and based the tale on elements of truth. Truth isn't always pretty. We like to divide the world into the white hats and the black hats, but the reality is life exists largely in the gray areas.

I hope you are able to ignore the undeserved one star reviews and give this book a chance. It tells an important story of how Poland suffered under the Nazi regime.

[BM · Rating 1 out of 5]

Antisemitic garbage. Should be pulled from publication entirely.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A point of view that is often ignored for more glorious tales from the period. Embark on a journey with a young peddler, an arabber without their own horse.*

This book hit on many notes which were familiar. Personal note: this reviewer, comes from a Jewish community, with a sizable population of immigrants from Poland.

Take the book with an appropriate amount of salt, praise is given with such sarcasm and spite that it amounts to a backhanded compliment.

There are notes of self loathing found throughout the book, then again, when one has an immutable trait, that pins a target on your back, what else is a person to feel?


*Arabber: One who sells goods, often by horse/donkey pulled cart. The nickname of 'Arab', may be an illusion/reference to this which appears to have gone under the radar. Taken from Baltimore vernacular, with roots back to the 19th century. Note: Baltimore has a history of Jewish immigrants, from Poland.

Spoilers Below:

Other reviews complained about certain omissions, but, when one witnesses certain atrocities, the allusion thereto should suffice, as opposed to an in depth retelling by someone who wishes to suppress trauma.

There are many lessons to be learned, and it almost felt as if the readers who complained, read the book in the wrong tone.

This book came across cynical and biting, with the skewed perspective of a protagonist who's body is changing, while their world is crumbling, after being disowned.

There are many lessons in this book, and the scariest part is how people respond, and acquiesce. Some lessons seem to be relevant to the current political climate.

There are also lessons from Sun Tzu in the book. Remember never underestimate your opponent, when it feels the world is against you, everyone is your opponent.

[Joanne]

Note to self:

Will never read because of anti-Semitism. See here.

[Roxanne]

Thanks to Sky Pony Press for a copy of this finished book in exchange for a fair review.


Abra Goldstein is dead, well not really but she does have her own gravestone in the cemetery. But don't call her Abra, just call her Arab and well don't call her a girl either. She knows from spending the last two years in Vienna that the Nazi's don't care for Jews or girls, and she plans to leave both behind and survive what is coming.


So she returns home to Warsaw and resumes her street life. She avoids the ghetto and soon meets a mother who is hiding out in the cigarette factory she used to own. Arab comes up with the plan to have her make cigarettes and Arab will sell them.


Arab carries on for more than a year with the scheme, making connections and friends even among the Nazi's, but soon she meets Otto and he changes everything. He dares her to think that she can save some of the Jewish children in Warsaw. As plans go well you know what they say....


I admit it took me a minute to get into this book, but once I was hooked I couldn't stop reading it. I love historical fiction and there are some great world war II ones out there. Both adult and YA, and this one was up there. I did wish that the author included more information about the basis for this book because I was intrigued to learn about the real story. I like learning and I love learning about lesser known stories of the Holocaust.

I am not going to rate this book after reading the blog post written by Katherine. I was orginially going to rate this very high because I enjoyed it overall, however when I came to post my review here I saw the rating and started reading the reviews. After reading the blogpost I totally understand why it has been labled problematic.

[Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do love a good anti-Semitic book where there are more 'good Nazis' than good Jewish people.

[Carol Crigger · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teenager, I read Leon Uris’s book, Mila 18, and began badgering my parents as to why I’d never heard anything about the Warsaw Ghetto and what the Nazis did to the Jewish people there. They never had a good answer for me. But that began a search for whatever I could read about a persecuted people forced into a ghetto and their final resistance. About those courageous few who survived long enough, despite starvation and deportation to death camps, to take on the might of Nazi Germany, and who held out for longer than all of Poland. Who paid for it with their lives.

Enter the latest book on the subject. In the first chapter, Platt introduces the reader to a young girl, a wild girl perhaps no better than she should be, who is returning to Poland from Austria. Not, you notice, trying to escape a homeland overrun by the enemy, but trying to get in.

Abra, known the Warsaw streets as Arab is, perhaps, lucky not to appear stereotypically Jewish. She finds this handy as, unwillingly and quite by chance (and don’t forget by hook or by crook), becomes the savior of many children, rescued in the last days of the ghetto. Some unexpected friends risk everything to make this happen and the action packed tale is exciting and very real.

Randall Platt’s, The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die, is a stellar addition to wonderfully researched historical fiction. As a reader, you’ll be fascinated and thrilled by the strength, the courage, the sheer will to live of the characters Platt has created, even as your heart breaks for them.

[Lily Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeesh. After reading this book I am having some mixed thoughts. Alrighty, let’s start of with the bad parts, shall we.

1. Having the main character (who is Jewish by the by) compliment Hitler and the Nazis is NOT an appropriate idea for a Holocaust book.

2. Sure, making friends is great...except when they are Nazi soldiers who could easily have you arrested or killed at any moment.

3. I also noticed that the author could have put so much more time into researching about the Jewish religion AND the grief, sadness and hopelessness felt during WWII by the Jewish population as well as other groups affected by the war.

4. Throughout the story, Arab (the main character) is faced with lots of challenges and problems that make her life more difficult. But during the times of extreme danger and sadness, the author only writes about Arab...and never about the other people who are also going through the same struggles. This makes Arab seem like a somewhat self-centred character because she never seems to think of other people, other than herself and her group of friends and family.


Now for the good parts:

1. This plot was bananas!! It had so many twists and turns which made the story very engaging.

2. The actual story was good as well. Interesting topic and lots of suspenseful situations and decisions.

So there you have it...The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die by Randall Platt, definitely not what I was expecting.

[Grier Jewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buckle up buttercup. The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die delivers a relentless present-tense punch in the gut in this stark account of war, identity and resistance. In other words, it’s not for dainty readers.

Told through the narration of teenage Arab (Abra in her former life) there is nothing as simple as good and bad in the world of gutted wartime Warsaw. There is a slow growing chill that devolves into evil and horror, chaos and inhumanity. And there are the people who strive to resist in whichever ways they can.

The story opens on the brink of war, long after Arab has been shunned by her well to do Jewish family for her unorthodox lifestyle as a gender-bending street kid and smalltime crook. When Hitler crushes Poland in record time, she watches and records the onslaught with teenage snark and mockery— qualities that serve her well as she copes with the dismantling of her home, city, country, and humanity. After witnessing Hitler’s parade to celebrate the crushing defeat of Poland, she writes one of several poems that pepper the book with tiny truth bombs of her own:

Hitler Arrived
Mustache and All
October Five, After the Fall
Since that Day
Everything’s Rotten
Hitler’s Gone
But Not Forgotten

The present-tense first-person narration felt jarring and uncomfortable at first, but it did its job to draw me in with a voice that’s a perfect blend of teenage (in)sensibility that transcends time, effectively bridging the present to the past.

Arab has many wars to fight—with her family, her identity, her place in the world and, of course, her public war against Hitler and his weaponized hatred. On a human level, she stands in and stands up for all who feel alienated, shut out, displaced, or shunned. Through Abra, humanity triumphs. But it is far from a sanitized journey. Like the war itself, the wounding is deep and lasting, but not to be ignored.

The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die is both hard to read and hard to put down. A great story for a fearless reader.

(Provided an Advance Reading Copy by the author.)

[Connie Claussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no better read than a strong young female character, Arab, who is street smart, fearless and self-sufficient. For younger readers this is a gripping description of a desperate time in Warsaw, Poland in 1939 when Hitler created the Jewish ghetto in the city and Arab’s determination to survive makes her a great role model The author makes history and the characters come alive. Her characters are determined to survive one of the worst periods of our history and you feel their fear, strength, loss and hope. I couldn’t put the book down as I was so drawn into the story. This is an important story, an excellent read and while it is marketed as a young adult book, everyone should read it. I was gifted this as an advance copy by the author. I have read all her books, am amazed at the research that goes into each one and this is her best!

[Marjorie Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s 1939. Hitler’s soldiers occupy Warsaw, Poland where Abra Goldstein, a sixteen-year-old Jewish girl posing as a disheveled, thieving, gentile boy, has only one goal. To stay alive. Although she hides her abilities, she can speak five languages, boldly confront the enemy and make tough decisions in life-threatening situations. She is shrewd, ruthless and unrelenting. Despite her determination to avoid Jewish comrades and Nazi invaders, she is drawn into the resistance, putting herself, her young sister and others in mortal danger. I admire the author’s skill in evoking a historical world so frightening I can see the Nazi soldiers shoving Jews into a makeshift barbwire ghetto. I can hear the gunshots as the Nazis massacre them in groups. I can smell the sewers Abra must navigate to escape the Nazis. I can feel her fear, her empty stomach and the grinding winter cold. The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die, which I received as an advance copy, puts the reader into the story as a witness, and while it is grim at times, it recreates an era we must never forget. This novel is targeted at young adults, but it’s a haunting, powerful book everyone should read.

[Carrie Westmoreland Kurtz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I. Am. So. Confused.

When I finished this book I thought I really liked it! I realize how stupid that sounds but hold on a minute and I'll explain. Like I said, I honestly put the book down and let out one of those breaths that you don't really realize that you're holding when you get to the end of a really impactful book. I really, really liked it!

Now here I am, starting to type out a review and I go to Goodreads to snag a copy of the cover of the book. I scroll down to see if many people have already posted reviews and I see a ton of reviews that just trashed this book! More 1 star ratings than I've ever come across before. So, I read some and discovered how problematic this book seems to be.

I am not Jewish. I sadly do not know much about Jewish history. I knew that there were things in the book that made me cringe at times but I didn't really realize why. Apparently, this book seems to be very offensive to the Jewish culture. I hate that I didn't see it for myself.

This is where my problem comes in. As someone who didn't know and recognize the problematic content, I really liked the book. The story itself kept me engaged and not wanting to have to put it down.

I think that I will just post this review and give the book a 3 star rating. That way it’s smack in the middle...

*Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Ty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since the reviews left are so horrible I figured I'd leave a positive one so this author can see there is good in the world. This is my favourite book. I found it in the library one day and I've taken it out so many different times since. It pulls you in and doesn't let up until it's over. Absolutely 10/10 for me.

[American Mensa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Research, Okay Story
The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die is a historical fiction novel that follows a teenage, Jewish girl, stupidly named Arab, who deals with contraband in Warsaw during the first 2 years of German occupation. She ends up joining the resistance to save the one she loves, and around half of the book follows her life in the resistance.
The main problem with this book was the characterization of Arab, as she did and thought many things that were not Jewish at all and would have been extremely unlike a Jew of this era to do. Her original name, Abra, is a prime example; Abra is not a Jewish name, and as Jews of this era were very insular, they would not have invented a nice sounding name for their daughter because they would only have been able to use the Torah for names. Additionally, is it supposed to be a joke, her calling herself Arab? The author seemed to think that she was very clever, but it just sounds like a weird joke. Moreover, the author did not seem to know how Jews of the time were. Arab repeatedly writes about Polish culture as if it were her own, but any Jew alive in Eastern Europe at this time could tell you that Jews identified as Jews first, with their nationality being only a thing of convenience, as they were forced out every few centuries. The author makes strange references that are meant to reinforce Arab’s Jewishness, such as having Arab call her parents “filthy-rich Jewish parents,” certainly an odd stereotype and an odd mention as it implies she has other goyim parents. Her origin before the book is very murky, so as a character she seems to have been forced out of nowhere, with Platt only adding her Jewish background as an afterthought. For example, Arab even knows all about Christian religion, such as wishing to confess about others dying for her sins and singing Silent Night, which again no Jew would have done or really known about in this time. Additionally, Arab was in Austria during Kristallnacht, but she never mentions it, pointing again the poor research done for this book, as any Jewish person would have felt something against the Nazis, certainly not the admiration that Arab has for them at the beginning of the book. In addition, how does Arab know how to write in Hebrew, when she cannot remember the Kaddish, which is sung all the time in Jewish religion? A separate, non-research based flaw is the lack of any emotion during key scenes, like when Arab kills people, even if they were important to her. She sounds like a robot, repeating emotion can kill you even when the death should affect her.
Many of these errors were character-based, so the story itself was not really affected. The book has a fast and engaging writing style and a story that keeps your interest. It has some heart in it, though the characters do not really show it. I like the hope in the ending, similar to the final sentence in the Diary of Anne Frank, demonstrating that even in times of hardship, you can still do good. I especially liked the scene where Arab gets her gun, as I think it added hope to a story that desperately needed it and it was written in a way that did make the old woman feel like an old Jewish woman, sacrificing for others.
Overall, this book was poorly researched historical fiction. However, if you ignore any Jewish mentions in your head and think of Arab as a Polish Catholic that became a Righteous Gentile, the main errors are washed away, making the book much less infuriating. The story is interesting, so consider reading this, just be careful about believing any information you read.
Review by Nathan P, 15, Delaware Valley Mensa

[Nate · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die is a historical fiction novel that follows a teenage, Jewish girl, stupidly named Arab, who deals with contraband in Warsaw during the first 2 years of German occupation. She ends up joining the resistance to save the one she loves, and around half of the book follows her life in the resistance.
The main problem with this book was the characterization of Arab, as she did and thought many things that were not Jewish at all and would have been extremely unlike a Jew of this era to do. Her original name, Abra, is a prime example; Abra is not a Jewish name, and as Jews of this era were very insular, they would not have invented a nice sounding name for their daughter because they would only have been able to use the Torah for names. Additionally, is it supposed to be a joke, her calling herself Arab? The author seemed to think that she was very clever, but it just sounds like a weird joke. Moreover, the author did not seem to know how Jews of the time were. Arab repeatedly writes about Polish culture as if it were her own, but any Jew alive in Eastern Europe at this time could tell you that Jews identified as Jews first, with their nationality being only a thing of convenience, as they were forced out every few centuries. The author makes strange references that are meant to reinforce Arab’s Jewishness, such as having Arab call her parents “filthy-rich Jewish parents,” certainly an odd stereotype and an odd mention as it implies she has other goyim parents. Her origin before the book is very murky, so as a character she seems to have been forced out of nowhere, with Platt only adding her Jewish background as an afterthought. For example, Arab even knows all about Christian religion, such as wishing to confess about others dying for her sins and singing Silent Night, which again no Jew would have done or really known about in this time. Additionally, Arab was in Austria during Kristallnacht, but she never mentions it, pointing again the poor research done for this book, as any Jewish person would have felt something against the Nazis, certainly not the admiration that Arab has for them at the beginning of the book. In addition, how does Arab know how to write in Hebrew, when she cannot remember the Kaddish, which is sung all the time in Jewish religion? A separate, non-research based flaw is the lack of any emotion during key scenes, like when Arab kills people, even if they were important to her. She sounds like a robot, repeating emotion can kill you even when the death should affect her.
Many of these errors were character-based, so the story itself was not really affected. The book has a fast and engaging writing style and a story that keeps your interest. It has some heart in it, though the characters do not really show it. I like the hope in the ending, similar to the final sentence in the Diary of Anne Frank, demonstrating that even in times of hardship, you can still do good. I especially liked the scene where Arab gets her gun, as I think it added hope to a story that desperately needed it and it was written in a way that did make the old woman feel like an old Jewish woman, sacrificing for others.
Overall, this book was poorly researched historical fiction, but the story is interesting, so consider reading this, just be careful about believing any information you read. I think the author should just make a few quick fixes and turn Arab into a Righteous Gentile Polish Catholic

[Jaina Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.

Oof, this book is gritty. And I don't necessarily say that because it has violence (though it definitely does!), I've read books that beat The Girl Who Wouldn't Die when it comes to straight up bloodshed. No, it's super gritty because it's so dang dark. Arab is a street rat in Warsaw, Poland during the German bombings and then the occupation, eking out a living for herself and a band of children made up mostly of war orphans. As we all know, horrible things happened in Poland during WWII–especially to the Jews. Every turn of the page seems to offer some new twist in Arab's story, and it's usually a bad one.

To be honest, I really couldn't get a feel for Arab's character. She was this really cutthroat, merciless street rat who . . . came from a wealthy Jewish family and loved children? What? I still don't really understand why she felt forced into a life of crime on the streets while her family was literally down the street–oh, wait, unless she was saving her neck by distancing herself from Judaism. I suppose that makes sense. But her father literally bought a gravestone and pretended to bury Arab just because she got caught robbing a jewelry store. I can understand him being really upset about her crimes, of course, but completely abandoning his daughter? Why? I just can't comprehend it.

Honestly, though, that's the main flaw in the story for me: I can't understand Arab or her family. Other than that, The Girl Who Wouldn't Die was a very gripping and intense read that was gritty and dark but also managed to focus on the selflessness of a few individuals focused on salvaging all the good they could from a bad situation. It's a little more vulgar than I would like in some parts, especially when it comes to language (the f-word is used sporadically). Because Arab disguises herself as a boy, she's accused of being lesbian a few times. There are also many deaths throughout the book, some described in a passing manner and others in gruesome detail.

I don't usually like books that have bad language or detailed violence in them, but I occasionally make an exception for a WWII book that uses them for the purpose of portraying such a terrible time in the past. This is the case with The Girl Who Wouldn't Die, so while I wouldn't say that I enjoyed the book, I will definitely say that it was a good book for me to read. If you've read it, let us know in the comments what you think!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary E Trimble · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die by Randall Platt is a gritty, unforgettable novel of triumph over tyranny during the bleak years of World War II and the Germane occupation of Poland.

Her street name is Arab and she is wise beyond her sixteen years. Abra Goldstein is the oldest daughter of Jewish parents. Arab is estranged from her father, but longs to see her little sister, Ruth. Blond and fair-skinned, Arab passes for German and can speak four languages, though she fears her German has a Polish accent.

Conditions are desperate in Poland. Jews are being rounded up and forced to leave their homes and stay in walled-up ghettos. Desperately needed items are scarce but Arab is expert at stealing and trading black market goods. She knows all the best routes to avoid the goose-stepping Nazis, even though some of those escape routes include going underground. Yes, the sewer. She’s beyond caring how she looks, or smells. Her goal is to get her little sister to safety, out of Poland.

Masquerading as a boy, Arab teams up with carefully selected Polish friends, and even a turncoat German, to plan an escape that has little chance of success. The fact that it’s in the dead of winter doesn’t help, nor does being on a “wanted” list make it easy to maneuver in bombed out Warsaw. And the escapees now include more than just her little sister, they involve numerous children, some of them sick.

The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die takes place from the summer of 1939 to the fall of 1941. It’s an engaging story to remember, to learn what resistance means, and to appreciate the price of freedom.

[Kathleen Burkinshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE GIRL WHO WOULDN'T DIE (Young Adult)
The Nazi Occupation begins in Poland and a young girl will do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means pretending to be an Aryan boy. I was lucky to read an ARC of the YA historical fiction, THE GIRL WHO WOULDN’T DIE by the talented fellow Sky Pony Press author, Randall Platt. This is a gripping, impactful story about the German invasion of Poland through the unique perspective of a young, street-smart Jewish girl who must decide if family bonds are worth the risk of trusting someone other than herself. And I’m not just saying this because it was also my first ‘blurb’ on a book jacket 😊
Some of my favorite lines were:
“Tomorrow means nothing. Today is everything.”
“…tombstone says GONE AND FORGOTTEN and gravestones never lie.”
“Looking up means the tears flow back into my ears and can’t wash down my face, cleanse away the splatter of blood and tell the world how very, very, scared I am.”
“How long can a heart beat this fast and not just stop cold?”
“They say we should know our enemies. I don’t know my enemy yet, but one thing’s for certain-I sure as hell respect him.”
“Inconvenience gives way to concern, concern gives way to panic, and panic gives way to greed.”
“It warms me to the marrow to know, we, a bunch of Jews, just might get away with it right under the German’s straight, Aryan noses.”
“How much room does a soul take up?”

[Inthestyleofbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this through the goodreads giveaway program. It’s hard for me to rate this, I gave it three stars because part of me enjoyed the book and part of me didn’t. I was conflicted with Arab at times, as she could come off a bit too oblivious to the world the character is in. However, other times she was a great female protagonist, one of those strong female characters I love in books. Sometimes I forgot I was reading a historical fiction, which I don’t think was meant to happen? The one thing I can say for certain is the book was a very quick read for me, I read it in two days. That typically for me means the book never got boring or had emptiness in the plot. The plot for the book was great, it kept me on my toes wondering what would happen next. I just am not sure how accurate some of the details were, but it is fiction so I don’t feel you have to be completely accurate. Maybe on this topic it is important to be accurate though. That’s why I am on the fence. All in all the writing was great, the characters were strongly built, the plot was great. Details maybe could have been more paid attention to, and Arab could have been tweaked a little. 3/5 Stars, not great, not bad, just good