From the Bookshelf of Mostly Sapphic…

Rose Under Fire

Elizabeth Wein

Start date: October 1, 2013

Finish date: October 31, 2013

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May 07, 2013 Danie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbt, ya

This has to be one of the most intense books I've ever read, and one of the best as well in quite a while.

It's main character is Rose Justice. An American Female ATA pilot for Britain. She's been flying since she was twelve and in the book she starts as an 18 year old.

The book is broken into three parts. The first one is a lot like parts of Wein's previous book, Code Name Verity, lots of stuff about the ATA pilots and their personal lives. Maddie from Code Name Verity is even on of Rose's friend This has to be one of the most intense books I've ever read, and one of the best as well in quite a while.

It's main character is Rose Justice. An American Female ATA pilot for Britain. She's been flying since she was twelve and in the book she starts as an 18 year old.

The book is broken into three parts. The first one is a lot like parts of Wein's previous book, Code Name Verity, lots of stuff about the ATA pilots and their personal lives. Maddie from Code Name Verity is even on of Rose's friends and fellow ATA pilots. I had known from the PR that Maddie would be in it, but I was happily surprised by just how much she was in the first part.

And, while the first part was interesting, it wasn't until the second part that the story really got rolling. Rose goes down in a plane she's flying back to Britain and gets captured by Germans. Then, she gets put into a concentration camp. That camp is where most of the novel takes place and it didn't seem to me that any of the horrors and horribleness of the concentration camp was softened by Wein in the narrative. We met people like Roz'a, Lisette, Irina, Karolina, Elodie among others. They're all such different characters and very unique. And the way that Wein wrote about them just made me care what happened to each and every one of them throughout the second and third parts. Code Name Verity had good characters too, but I felt like that novel was more about the story, the adventure, the situations, while this novel seemed to be all about the characters. And Wein knits all the characters together like a brilliant (and warm) sweater. As an aside, I usually don't read afterwords in fiction novels, but I heartily recommend reading this one as it has an interesting point of view on the entire novel.

But, back to the book, there was also a twist in the third part concerning the character of Anna (who was introduced in the second part) that surprised me too.

I don't generally love historical fiction, it's just not my cup of tea, but this novel and Wein's other historical novel, Code Name Verity, are just so good. You get hit with some history, a lot of great characters and quite a story. It's awesome. And, just my opinion, but, it doesn't matter what age group you're in (since I've seen both Wein's books advertised as for Young Adults) everyone who can read should read this novel.

I got this advanced galley through Netgalley on behalf of Disney Book Group hoping that I would review it. ...more

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Mar 21, 2015 Lauren rated it it was amazing

Shelves: loved, identity, history-catch-all

I wish I had words to describe how I feel about Elizabeth Wein's writing. I was so afraid to read this book because of how much I loved Code Name Verity. At first, I wish I had reread Verity before starting Rose, but I slowly changed my mind.

Rose Under Fire is a very different book. It's hard to get into precisely how without spoiling both, but I think it is important to remember that Rose was always a witness in this story, not a heroine. She grew up privileged, and she maintains a certain amou ...more

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Oct 06, 2013 Blu rated it it was amazing

Phenomenal. Challenging. Engrossing.
A novel of the utter depravity and resilience of humans. A resounding story that forces you to examine yourself and dares you to remain unmoved.

Elizabeth Wein's Rose is initially a confident, ignorant "do-gooder" whose experiences bring Viktor Frankl to my mind. Her subsequent responses and growth are exceptionally believable and made more so by the depth of research imbedded in this text. The story of Rose and her fellow Ravensbruck prisoners lingers long a ...more

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Oct 08, 2013 Cheri rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, historical-fiction, military

I do think this book was amazing. While it was a little slow to start, there was a purpose to it. Rose was a little naive and upbeat and cheerful, but there was a purpose to that, as well.

The author's descriptions and characters put me right in Ravensbruck with Rose, the Rabbits, and the other women featured in Rose Under Fire. I think this one will stay with me for awhile.

If you've read Code Name Verity and enjoyed it, you must read this. If you haven't read CNV, you should and then read Rose ...more

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Oct 09, 2013 Ulla rated it really liked it

Didn't like this one as much as I liked "Code Name Verity", maybe because at the beginning it was so much alike "Code Name Verity". But when Rose landed at Ravensbrück things started to happen and the picture we get of this concentration camp is really terrifying.
I do appreciate Elizabeth Wein's ability to describe terrible things sugared up with funny characters and discussions, because otherwise I wouldn't be able to read the whole story!! ...more

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Apr 26, 2015 emily rated it liked it

Shelves: made-my-heart-hurt, 1930s-40s-era, good-for-her, friendships, historical-fiction, war

This is truly more of a high 3 for me. As always, I hate goodreads lack of half stars. I really did enjoy this book. As Much as one can enjoy a fictional first hand account of a girl in a concentration camp. The writing was just as brilliant as in Code Name Verity (which I enjoyed more) and I loved seeing glimpses of characters from that book here. I'll definitely read whatever else this author puts out. ...more

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