I did have to take a step back, though, and remind myself that he’s a nine-year-old running from Nazis, but still… it felt like a bit much for the protagonist to be so victim-y and not at all heroic.

Felix was only slightly annoying, especially in comparison, due to his endless martyrdom and woe is me mentality. Zelda annoyed me in the first book, and she hasn’t grown out of her “Don’t you know anything?” question, so I’m still finding myself endlessly annoyed by her. I did find myself getting annoyed by Gleitzman’s writing style, though… and by Felix and Zelda. The whole plot line of them trying to pass as Catholic kids made for a much more entertaining read than them surviving in the woods, so I’m glad the author didn’t spend too long on the boring and chose to focus more on the exciting.

However, it began picking back up for me pretty quickly once Felix and Zelda found Genia. It died for me HARD from where the first book had ended, and I was quickly deciding whether I should even finish the book or not. Review: From the start of the story, I was very disinterested. However, life isn’t as easy as they’d have hoped with the threat of the German Nazis still looming large over them and their small town. Summary: Felix and Zelda have found their way to an isolated farm in the Polish countryside, run by the brash Genia, where they find some solace and comfort after being on the run for so long.

After book morris gleitzman