Book Review: Stolen Secrets

I remember reading The Diary of Anne Frank in school. I was probably in 5^th or 6^thgrade. I thought that she was amazingly brave as I read her diary. Millions of people have read her diary as it is an insight into what the Jews went through during WWII. It is shocking that what the Nazis did to the people that were not part of their perfect society, and it should always be remembered.

I had received Stolen Secrets from the author and this is my honest opinion.

Livvy was pretty happy with her life. She was in the cool group at school and dated the hottest guy in high school. Then she is thrown for a loop when her mother announces that they are moving across the country to live in San Francisco for a job. Livvy’s mom is supposed to be applying for jobs as a pastry chef, but Livvy follows her to an elderly lady’s house. She finds out that her mom is caring for her grandmother, Adelle. Adelle is suffering from Alzheimers, and has flash backs to a concentration camp during WWII. Livvy also finds some papers written during that time that might be linked to Anne Frank. There seems to at least a couple family secrets that Livvy tries to unravel before it is too late.

This book was wonderful, and an easy read as it is written for a younger audience. But don’t let that deter you from trying it. I am in my thirties and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I loved how she picked the setting to be San Francisco. I have been there several times as a tourist, and L.B. Schulman accurately describes it. I can just taste the clam chowder in the bread bowl or hear the seagulls at Fisherman’s Warf.  San Fran is one of my favorite cities to visit and with her book I was able to visit it again.

The story is written from Livvy’s POV and then has snippets of Adelle’s experiences in Germany. She expertly interwines both stories to keep the reader on the edge of their seat and never expecting the ending. I found the experience enlightening and entertaining.

L.B. Schulman also touches on a few touche subjects. She covered the disease process and how it affects the family members. She also touched on bullying and how hard it is to belong in high school.

In conculsion, this story was well written and enjoyable read. I made me think about what I was reading and about the history of the Holocaust, WWII, and Anne Frank.

GOODREADS 

AMAZON

About the author from Goodreads:

L.B. Schulman is the author of two young adult novels. Her most recent, STOLEN SECRETS (Boyds Mills Press), was released on September 19, 2017.

Although technically a YA, STOLEN SECRETS' complex themes will appeal to readers of all ages. Check out the great reviews from Bay Area Librarians, School Library Journal, VOYA, and School Library Connection on her website at LBSchulman.com. While there, please join her quarterly newsletter for updates, tips for writers, and more.

L.B.'s debut YA novel, now sold as an E-reader, was LEAGUE OF STRAYS. Through the eyes of 17-year-old, Charlotte, the novel explores the ways we deal with bullies and the psychology of sociopathy.

L.B. lives in California with her husband, two daughters, and a couple of "SPCA specials." When not writing, she's obsessed with genealogy and her family tree. She now knows she's related to Johnny Cash, the first male to be hung at the Salem Witch Trials, Humphrey Bogart and shockingly, her own husband (distantly, thankfully.) She's met five third to sixth cousins and loved all but one of them. She's also a private creative writing tutor for high school students and a freelance editor and advisor on children's book projects.

L.B. hangs out at these cyberspace locations near you:

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