As a middle grade novel about WW2 and the Holocaust, I think When the World Was Ours does a really great job at teaching children and young adults about elements of the war that they might not have learned before, broaching the topics sensitively and in just the right amount of details that kids of that age are ready for, while also being a really good read.

From the very beginning, these three main characters are everything to each other, and the friendship between them is adorable to read and both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The dynamics between them are so obviously ingrained by years of friendship and trust, but are every so slightly gradually dismantled by the unrest happening around them - the changes in their parents behaviours, the new rules in school, the horrors they start experiencing. I think Kessler does a great job at showing how subtle the persecution seemed at first, how the children thought they could get through it together. Seeing this through a child's eyes and experiencing their naivety and confusion makes this a horribly emotional read (as in, the emotions are horrible, not the reading of this book!)

The time jumps in the plot are well calculated too, pulling us through the years of WW2 strategically, so we see the changes in laws and society, but also still feel connected and close to these children as they grow up, hardened and matured by their new lives and navigating the dangers of existing while still clinging to childhood and innocence.

As a MG, I think this will also greatly appeal to YA readers, as the heavy topic along with expert storytelling makes for a compelling read. I don't want to say it's a thrilling book, and I'm struggling to find the words to convey that I didn't want to put this book down - because I needed to find out what happened to these characters - while also wanting to proceed with caution - because obviously we know what happened and it's not a fun topic to read about.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for approving me for this incredible book! I have a weak spot when it comes to reading books based on WWI or WWII so this book had my name written all over it.

After reading the authors introduction at the beginning I knew this was going to be a difficult read and I would probably need my tissues. Liz Kessler doesn’t shy away from the horrendous events surrounding the Holocaust so whilst this is classed as a children’s book I would say it is more for a teen reader.

When I embarked on this book I had an incline as to where Elsa and Leo’s stories may end up. As they were Jew’s there was only two options and whilst their stories brought tears to my eyes it was Max’s story that affected me most. Being German and living with someone who was very pro Hitler he was naïve to the trap he had landed in. As his story progressed I wanted to swoop in and take him away from it all, he was the character I felt matured the most in the book and his actions broke my heart because he ultimately did what he did to feel loved. Liz Kessler did a fantastic job of portraying the Nazi side without being aggressive and violent.

In fact Liz Kessler has written a breath taking story that shows us pure heartache and the innocence that was stripped from so many children and their families during that time. The friendship between Elsa, Leo and Max was unbreakable, even to the end and yes you will need your tissues! I often had to remind myself that their stories represented real people and when I think about that time I count my blessings that we’re not going through that.

This was a beautiful, moving and poignant story that Liz Kessler holds close to her heart and I’m sure Leo is very proud of what she achieved. Thank you for sharing his, and many others, story with the world.

Oh my lord. This book made me cry so much. This is definitivily one of the best world war two books i have Read. The characters were so cute and vulnerable and adorable who went trough so much shit

When the World Was Ours is a punch in the gut, but a necessary punch in the gut. Our story starts in 1936 and centres around three best friends — Leo, Elsa, and Max — and follows them as their carefree childhood is fractured by the rise of Nazism. Leo and Elsa are Jewish, and so we see the growing cruelty and prejudice of anti-Semitism through their young eyes; meanwhile, Max's father is a high-ranking Nazi officer, providing a lens into just how a young person could be radicalised into such hateful views.

Kessler does not shy away from the horrors of the Holocaust. She takes her readers through the increasing dehumanisation of Jewish people by the Nazi regime, through the pogroms of 1938, through the invasion of Czechoslovakia, and through the concentration camps. Ultimately, this poignant, heartbreaking, tearjerking novel calls us as readers to action: to never forget, and in an age of ongoing crimes against humanity where it's so easy for somebody — especially an internet user — to fall into far-right ideologies, to never turn a blind eye to injustice and to never allow it to happen again.

Elsa, Leo and Max are childhood friends in Vienna but then the war starts and everything changes. I felt as though I knew all the characters personally and shared their traumatic journeys. I’m writing this with tears in my eyes having only just finished reading
A must read for teenagers and adults alike

When The World Was Ours by Liz Kessler is a powerful children's book that deals with the tough subject of World War II through the interlinked stories of three children. We are first introduced to friends Max, Leo and Elsa in Austria in 1936 where they are a tightly knit trio who are celebrating Leo's birthday. On that perfect day there is no inkling of the dark shadows looming over their future, but difficult times are ahead for them all. Leo and Elsa are Jewish, and while Elsa's family are worried enough about the changing political climate in Austria to move to Czechoslovakia, Leo and his family are determined to stay in the home they have worked hard for , in the city they call home. Max is experiencing trouble of a different sort, he is unable to please his father, who is rising in the Nazi ranks and is determined that no son of his will have Jewish friends.
Over the course of the book we follow these three children as they are forced to grow up all too quickly and face the harsh realities of the war, despite their very different circumstances.
It was interesting that the author was able to show two very different sides of the war through the characters, and I appreciated that she showed that even though Max was living a life of privilege he still had doubts about the ideology , and despite this how easy it was for him to get swept up in being part of the accepted crowd and behaving as society expected rather than as his conscience dictated. The descriptions of the hardship and brutality endured by Leo and Elsa and their families is heart breaking and makes for tough reading ,especially in a book intended for younger readers, but it is well handled and an important part of the history the book is seeking to illustrate.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

With 'When the world was Ours', Liz Kessler has crafted a deeply affecting book which poses the cruel reality of Hitler's rise in Europe. I have always been disappointed with 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' being used as a tool to teach young people about the holocaust and feel that Kessler has written something which is of superior quality and will be vital reading to share the horrors of the past with the younger generation.

We see the historic events through the lens of three young Austrian friends, Elsa, Leo and Max. Whilst Elsa and Leo are Jewish, Max is the son of an SS officer. At the beginning, they are best friends, experiencing the beauty of their city, Vienna, together and forging a memory captured on a photograph - this photograph will stay with them, even if they are torn apart by circumstance. Over the years, we follow each character and their experiences in war, exploring both sides of the story with Max's father granted a position of privilege in Hitler's administration and Leo and Elsa's families facing the increasingly hideous treatment of Jewish citizens.

Kessler keeps the plot pacey, every few chapters or so springing forward by a year. This allows the reader to see the character arc of the three friends play out, the inevitable tide of historic events a constant shadow whenever events seem to take a turn for the better. One slight gripe is the shifting from third to first person in different chapters which is jarring at points. However, I look forward to sharing this important work with my students. It is an accessible, and not too graphic, read yet does not shy away from portraying the painful reality more horrific moments of this period in history.

A heartbreaking but necessary read, especially at a time in our history with such political division. 5 stars and recommended for adults and young adults alike.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For a book that deals with such horrors in the history of humanity, the foundations of this story are rooted in love. Love, family, friendship and compassion are some of the tools of hope - and hope itself is an essential ingredient for life. The story of Max, Leo and Elsa is an incredibly powerful and immensely emotional read, containing harsh but essential stories from what was a living nightmare. We must never hear about these events with complicity, for then there will be no resistance. Kessler arms a young audience with knowledge of what hate can achieve, but ultimately what love can conquer.

A heart-breaking but beautiful book. Engaging and sensitively written - I cannot recommend enough.

When The World Was Ours is a thought provoking an eye opening read about three friends and their relationship during the war.

It's heart wrenching and shocking at times. But a beautiful read.

I'm not sure how to review this book, which follows three friends during the Second World War. Leo, Max, and Elsa live in Vienna, and when the book opens in 1936 they have no idea how the next few years will change their lives and their relationships. Leo and Elsa come from Jewish families, while Max's father is a high-ranking Nazi officer. The book guides the reader through the slow process of dehumanisation of the Jewish characters, alongside an ordinary boy's journey into fascism. There's nothing new here if you've seen 'Schindler's List' and read around the subject, and I was disappointed that I didn't feel more connected to these characters as they grew up, and grew apart.

The protagonists are nine years old at the beginning of the novel, and Leo and Elsa's first-person narration understandably feels more like a mid-grade story than a YA novel. I hoped that their voices would change and develop as the story moved through the next nine years, but the language remained at the mid-grade level even while describing the horrors of the Holocaust. It is an odd juxtaposition, reading graphic scenes about concentration camps and the Hitler Youth, spelled out with such simple words. It might help some readers to identify with the characters, and keep them connected to the three happy children from the first chapter, but I found it alienating and lacking in emotional impact. Leo's story is based on a real-life event, which I found genuinely moving when the author explained this at the start of the book. However, when this was translated into a fictional setting, I couldn't connect with the characters at all.

It is possible that this approach will work well for a YA audience coming to the subject for the first time. The characters feel young throughout the story, even when terrible things are happening, which gives them an innocence and a connection to younger readers that I may have missed. The book doesn't shy away from showing the inhumanity of the Nazi regime - there is a content warning at the start - and maybe this is the right way to tell these stories. Knowing the subject of the book, I wanted to be moved. I wanted to feel something for the characters, and understand how it felt to have their lives transformed over such a short time. I was disappointed, but I can see that for a younger audience this could be a very powerful read.

What a good book, but heart-breaking at times. It follows the lives of three children -Leo, Elsa and Max - in Vienna during WWII. It begins with a perfect day at the fairground, and a chance meeting that will save one of their lives. Each child tells their own story as war breaks out and their lives go in different directions. Will they ever find their way back to each other? Reading about the horror of WWII is somehow worse when it's through a child's eyes. All three children are affected by the war, despite their different backgrounds, and it makes hard reading, especially as you know this happened for real. There are some wonderful moments throughout the book but the ending broke me.

While this story will seem familiar in some ways, it offers an approach to the topic of the Second World War that will not fail to impact on readers.
At its heart this is a story about faith, love and having the courage to stay hopeful even in our darkest moments. It covers a period in history that cannot fail to shock, but what struck me in this was the emotional impact the book held.
Our story focuses on three children - Max, Leo and Elsa. Best friends, their story begins with a memory of a wonderful birthday celebration where they rode on a fairground ride, shared cake with one another, smiled and laughed. They each have a picture of that day. That picture becomes significant.
Told through their alternating perspectives, we start to see the fracturing of their idyllic childhood. Living at a time when fascism is on the rise, we know things are going to get tense. When we learn that Elsa and Leo are Jewish, we sense the personal conflict to come. Once we learn that Max’s father is becoming a much respected member of the Nazi party we get an inkling of how this might go.
Ambitious in its scope, we focus on a substantial period of history. We are given facts about the experiences the children have, while learning about the reality of the period. Disturbing, yes, but necessary if we are to ensure people do not forget what happened. There are details that will shock and upset readers - but I think this is inevitable when grappling with this historical experience. Told from the views of the children there is a simplicity to their accounts that, perhaps, renders events a little less upsetting.
Each of the children has a very different war-time experience. Leo manages to flee to England with his mother, desperate for news of his father who was sent to Dachau. Elsa remains with her family through many of the indignities bestowed on her simply because of her faith, but she is separated from them when they are taken to Auschwitz. Max has always been desperate for his father’s approval, and his need to belong and gain admiration makes him susceptible to the indoctrination of the Nazi party. As his father rises in power, Max follows. He too ends up in Auschwitz.
As we drew to the close of the book I had to face the stark reality that these three characters were not all going to get their happy ending. Some might not even survive the experience. By the end, that picture had come back to haunt us. Such a simple image, but it came to mean so much.
I’m grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance of its late January publication, and will have no qualms about recommending it to readers.

Thank you for the opportunity to read 'When The World Was Ours'..

This is an excellent, historical book aimed at the Y/A sector. The story begins just prior to WWII and follows the lives of three school friends throughout the war. It vividly details how their lives change as they take separate paths through the war years. Their experiences are sensitively handled but this is not a story for younger children., What really struck me was how little choice children had and that the journey of their lives was set by the beliefs of their parents.

I will definitely be recommending this book to my teenage students.

Very easy to read account of three young best friends whose lives are torn apart by events they neither understand nor have control over. A very sad tale, but a necessary one, made all the more poignant by the fact it is based on the author’s own family history.

When the world was ours is a beautiful heartbreaking tale of three childhood friends and their lives as they progress during hitlers reign.

liz cleverly allowed the reader to live and experience the cruel and devastating times through the main characters journeys. Each different, each challenging.

It was a nice easy read, flowed really well and I like how it switched between the characters through the chapters.

I could feel myself getting upset and angry with certain characters in the book so the use of emotion was perfect.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and schuster uk for allowing me to read this book!

This book was good for 9 or so year olds to give them some background into World War II and the consequences involved for Jews. Written from 3 different perspectives of some friends who start at age 9 and get older during the course of the book. Two of them are Jewish and have very different experiences of the war, the other is a German who becomes involved in the Hitler Youth movement and later ends up at a concentration camp. I would recommend this to middle grade readers and primary schools as a basis for discussions about the impact of the second world war.

A really thoughtful read. I can be very critical of holocaust fiction being a history teacher but I thought this was done well. Gave real insight into events looking at the impact of the Nazis actions and the escalation of actions from low level discrimination to murder. Definitely one I’ll be recommending to the students I teach.

Genuinely heartbreaking - this story unfolds in three narratives, Elsa, Max and Leo. Elsa and Leo are Jewish, Max’s dad is a Nazi.

From the beginning of the story as a reader you know things will bot go happily for any of the children despite the very optimistic opening scene. It is heartbreaking to watch the deterioration of the three friends relationship, mirroring the deteriorating state of Europe as Hitler mounts his grab for power.

I loved the time period of the book, beginning three years before war was declared. It gave the opportunity to see what was happening in the build up to World War 2. Through Max we also saw why young people would be keen to join organisations like the Hitler Youth, despite knowing now how dangerous they are.

Above all this book is thought provoking and provides a really great starting point for discussion about the issues surrounding war, I will be using this with my secondary school students.

Three young children in Vienna share everything. Leo, Max and Elsa are best friends and on Leo’s 9th birthday are taken on the Vienna Ferris Wheel by Leo’s Father as a treat. Whilst paused at the top, Herr Grunberg, a renowned photographer, takes a photo of all the children to give each a copy. Leo manages to trip over the feet of another passenger, and whilst apologising Leo’s Father strikes up a conversation, discovering the couple are English. He offers them hospitality and they quickly become friends.
But this is 1936 and dark forces swarm over Europe.
The children find themselves separated, because Elsa’s family thought Vienna unsafe for Jews and opted for the ‘safety’ of Prague, and then by rules dictated by Nazis for all Jews living in these countries as Leo was Jewish and Max not. What follows are the fortunes of the children during the war and how they deal with their changing circumstances. Hope and determination prevail. Linked by the photo, it brings the story full circle in the end. The horrors of life in occupied Czechoslovakia and in the death camps compared to life as the ruling party are conveyed, yet not so graphic that this book is unsuitable for young children. Based on a true story of relatives of one of the characters this is an important addition to Holocaust fiction for this age.

This historical fiction book was inspired by a true story & if you have ever read books on the Holocaust the author has done their work well. In one word wow!!!! Had me truly hooked from beginning to end.
The story is told by the three young friends this story revolves around Leo, Elsa & max who live in Vienna. They spend as much time as they can together. They have just enjoyed the absolute best day out unaware that their lives will change forever. There are worrying things happening in Europe & it looks like war is looming. Elsa & Leo are Jewish & Max is the son of man who will become an important part of Hitlers regime. Their friendship will be tested time & again & you wonder if it can survive these horrors . It really is hard to imagine anyone going through what they had to. Not going to say too much more on story not giving out any spoilers. I felt the impact more of this book I think as it was told through the experiences of the children. I felt quite emotional at times & it touches your heart. This book could be for Y/A & older readers but could be upsetting for really younger readers. Kesslers writing is brilliant I was really impressed with this story. Inspired by true events this story is a must read that I would definitely recommend