Reviews with content warning for Antisemitism - When The World Was Ours: A book about finding hope in the darkest of times

When The World Was Ours is not a bad novel, but it feels surface-level and juvenile, despite its mature subject matter. The author tends to tell, not show, the characters' thoughts and emotions. The characters feel more like plot devices than actual people, making them difficult to connect to. While I did like Leo's storyline (which was directly inspired by the experiences of the author's family), the other two fell very flat for me. I did appreciate the author's attempt to use Max's character to illustrate how "normal" people willingly became part of the Nazi regime. However, the lack of depth in the writing made his character's evolution less compelling than it could have been. Ultimately, it feels as though When The World Was Ours is trying to teach a history lesson and hit all the traditional "plot beats" of fictional Holocaust literature rather than tell a story.

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drcrankypantsphd's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The book opens on Leo and his friends Elsa and Max, an inseparable trio, riding the Ferris Wheel in the heard of Vienna for his birthday. It’s the late thirties and Hitler is rising to power in Germany, though his reach has not quite solidified in Austria and the three friends enjoy the day, with Leo’s father pulling an English couple visiting Vienna, the Stewarts, into the birthday festivities.

Relatively soon after Leo’s birthday, Elsa and her family, who are Jewish, decide the threat posed by Hitler is too great and they flee to Czechoslovakia, the first of the trio to leave. She continues to write Leo and Max weekly, though Leo and Max both face challenges in Vienna. For Max, it is losing the girl he care for while also wrestling with his father’s disapproval. For Leo, it is being separated from his father by the Nazis, recently descending upon Vienna, and the challenge to leave Austria to safety with his mother. All three friends experience the horrors of World War II in different ways.

The three friends allow for a variety of possibilities to compare and contrast their experiences, allowing the reader to consider the role of timing and, quite frankly, luck in being able to navigate the war. There is something of a deux ex machina at the conclusion of the book as

Max is shot by another young Nazi rather than following through on the task of shooting Elsa. One of the themes was how Max was groomed by his Nazi father, shifting from the caring and gentle boy at the start of the novel, to a hardened Nazi who had found belonging among their ranks. It felt disingenuous to undo the character work Max had done over the course of the novel. As readers, we lose Elsa regardless and Max’s death doesn’t redeem him.

Overall, an engaging foray into WWII with engaging characters who are well-drawn and a plot that, due to the triple plot line, moves along at an engaging clip.

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gloriazthompson's review against another edition

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sad

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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rebeccal17's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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