I did not read any reviews of this book before having the pleasure of reviewing it for NetGalley. As a fan of John Boyne's other books, it was immediately obvious that it is the sequel to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which was one of the books studied when I worked in a school. Although this one, Gretel's story, can be read alone, I believe that it compliments the first book and it was good to revisit old characters and see what had happened to them.
I loved it, I could not put it down, it is emotional and thought provoking, and I was left bereft when it ended and had me thinking about both books for days afterwards. I expect to see this going straight into the bestsellers list on publication day, and I feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity to review this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the advance review e copy.

The novel "is about guilt, complicity and grief". However Boyne's writing is light and bright and never in any way feels weighed down by the gravity of what the novel sets out to consider. The story follows the life of Gretel, a young German girl, at the time of WWII and the Holocaust, as she tries to create a new life post-war whilst coming to terms with her family's central role in the horror. The story moves back and forth between events in 2022 London and Gretel's journey to Paris, Sydney and London in the years directly after the war. Boyne invites the reader to consider "how culpable a young person might be, given the historical events unfolding around her, and whether such a person can ever cleanse themselves of the crimes committed by the people she loved". In his author's note, he states that his central character Gretel's story is worth telling, whilst acknowledging that it is ultimately up to the reader to decide whether it is worth reading. I say unequivocally that this book it is well worth reading. With special thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for a no obligation advance review copy.

I was not a huge fan of Boy in the Striped Pyjamas at all and have seen lots of well deserved criticism of the book in many places and so I was eager to read this book to see if Boyne had taken any of this on board.

In my opinion he hasn't and a book hasn't made me so cross in years. There's no coincidence unexplored and no part of the Holocaust history and post war reckoning unused.

The one saving grace that I can see to this book is that it definitely isn't aimed at the same young audience as Boy and there's little likelihood of this book turning up in the curriculum.

I can't in any conscience give this book any stars as a review but as that option isn't allowed it gets just one.

I taught The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas many times when I used to teach and so was really excited the read the adult sequel. This time we follow Gretel, the sister of the main character in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. I'm going to try not to give spoilers away for that novel in case you don't know the story. Anyway, reading it is not required to read this novel as the story of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is revealed through the novel.
Gretel is now a 91 year old widow living in London and in chapters that alternate between past and present, we understand what her life has been like since she and her mother fled Poland at the end of WW2. We follow Gretel to France, Australia and finally England. She has locked away her childhood, her youth, not even able to say her brother's name and we see her shame and her guilt. John Boyne in his afterword says that he is exploring 'how culpable a young person might be, given the historical events unfolding around her, and whether such a person can ever cleanse themselves of the crimes committed by the people she loved', Gretel's father was the Commandant of Auschwitz and this is the shame and guilt that she has spent her life hiding. She has reached 91 without anyone ever discovering her secret, without anyone ever knocking on her door to arrest her. Then a family move into the flat below her and she finds that she must defend/save the 9 year old boy who lives there but a what cost to herself.
There is also a twist towards the end that surprises and might be a little too unbelievable. You can make your own mind up.
This is a book that leaves you conflicted. Do we sympathise with her, for the secret that she has spent her life hiding. Do we hate her for never condemning these who committed these acts? This is a novel that will lead to lots of discussions because I don't believe there is a correct answer. Maybe the answer is somewhere in bewteen.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to review this new book by John Boyne. I had not immediately realised that it was an adult sequel to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which I had read and enjoyed many years ago. This new book tells the story if Gretal the elder sister from the war years through to the present day at the age of 91. Gretal had created a new life and identity for herself over the years living in Paris, Sydney and finally London. Her true story was known only to her deceased husband & an ex boyfriend. The memories and feelings she lived with were a constant presence in her life, although how they affected her changed.
There are many threads woven through this book as different responses and feeling surface. Was she as guilty as her Kommandant father or an innocent girl? Why can't she say her brothers name aloud? Should she be punished? Alongside this hiw can she help the little boy who comes to live in the flat below?
I recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction and those who live to read books that may challenge their own beliefs.

In John Boyne’s latest work of art we turn our attention to Gretel, the much despised and mocked, overshadowed by her younger brother’s innocence and later by his disappearance in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. This novel moves from Paris 1946 to London and Sydney in 1953, and other periods in between. We see Gretel age 16 and 90 or so, making her way after the war, grappling with her conscience and the knowledge of what she and her family were a part of, and her life 70 plus years later still looking back from time to time, with memories that were simply unforgettable. It is an excellent story, and an absolutely wonderful conclusion to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which ended so suddenly leaving so many questions unanswered. It has so many threads, many entirely unexpected. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This was such a good book. I love historical fiction, especially when it is about eras/ situations that I previously knew nothing about and this was definitely one of those books. It was so well researched and so compelling in its narrative that not only did I love reading it but I felt that I learned too. A really enjoyable read and perfect for any fans of historical fiction. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

A very uncomfortable read and for me, this sequel dilutes the impact of ‘A Boy in Striped Pyjamas’. Boyle writes the story of Gretel, daughter of the Kommandant responsible for the running of Auswitsch.
Now 92 and living in a swanky apartment overlooking Hyde Park, Gretel is struggling with deep feelings of guilt and loss; grief for her brother, and complicity in the most heinous ‘Final Solution’.
Although only 12 at the end of the war, when she and her mother fled to Poland, her witness to events and meetings have remained lodged in her heart when she could so easily have played a key part in the round up of Nazi criminals.
She is finally driven to act, symbolically really, as she liberates 9 year old Henry from his fearsome father, who live downstairs in her apartment block.
Henry just happens to be the same age as Gretel’s brother when wearing striped pyjamas, he crawled under the perimeter fence to join his friend and his fate.
The ending was way too rushed and neat for any real sense of closure. Could such closure ever be achieved though?
Many thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK’ for my pre-release copy.

For a while I was captivated by this adult follow up to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Gretel, the sister of the boy who befriends the Jewish boy in the first novel, has survived, changed her identity and now lives in London, Of course her life is a sham and she has to live with intense feelings of guilt and shame. John Boyne asks questions about culpability and retribution - how much did she know at the time when she lived in “the other place”? Is there something she can do to find peace?

The story unfolds as two alternating time lines: post war we see Gretel making herself a new life and in the present 2022 as an elderly woman befriending a small boy who is living with an abusive father.

All well and good, but the novel relies too much on melodrama rather than real drama. It’s baggy and too long… it needs to be cut and tidied up before publication. And I know, as a professional, that social services in 2022 would do more if a child was coming to school with unusual cuts and bruises. This part really didn’t ring true.

With more editing All the Broken Places will be a powerful, moving novel.

All the Broken Places by John Boyne

This book is a sequel for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, it was a fabulous read , and happy to report so is this one.
It is the story of Gretel now an old woman having escaped Poland .
A new family move into the apartment block with a young son called Henry and despite the big age gap they see something in each other and become friends .
A lovely story. Brilliant characters. Emotional .

An excellent read. This book is a sequel to John Boyne’s “Boy in the Striped Pyjamas “. However this book can be read as a stand alone. It is the story of Gretel the sister of the “Boy in the Striped Pyjamas”. It is a tale of guilt and survival. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in three days. I would recommend it to all John Boyne fans and those who have yet to discover his work.

I debated with myself before requesting this book as I am not a huge fan of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. I am so glad that curiosity won as this is a truly exceptional book.

Gretel has fled her home with her mother. Her father and brother are both dead and Gretel and her mother have changed their names, trying to hide from their past. The story begins in Paris in 1946 and runs on a dual timeline with present day London. We see past Gretel trying to move on with her life, despite overwhelming guilt, while present Gretel is perturbed by the domestic violence she is witnessing between her new neighbours. The times lines grow closer as they should until we reach our climax. This time, will good prevail over evil?

Gretel is an extraordinary character. She is reserved and strong with a quiet capacity for great love. She is a woman in turmoil, constantly looking over her shoulder. Should she feel so guilty? Probably. And Gretel knows this. I was entranced by her story.

The writing is clear and Gretel’s story is told often dispassionately, which makes sense in the context of the character. I liked the twist very much! I really only have good things to say about this book. Read it, you won’t regret it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

This is an amazing book, probably my favourite of the year! I found the story line very moving. I heartily recommend it!

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley, Random House publisher,And the wonderful author John Boyne.

This book continues from the book The boy in the striped pyjamas, which I enjoyed reading.when I started reading this book I was confused going back and forth but it soon comes together. This is the story of Gretel who escaped from Poland with her mother they must never tell anyone who they are, they escape to Paris and things turn for the worse.now to the present shes in her nineties living in a posh apartment with a new neighbour an actor and his wife and child named Henry she becomes friends with the boy who loves to read.this book is about secrets the burden on hiding her identity this was a very emotional story this book is a long read, but worth reading.this book bought a tear to my eye at the ending of this read...highly recommend...

This will be reviewed on goodreads and Amazon uk.

What a book! Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down (and I couldn’t stop talking about it). Words like fantastic and engaging as well as entertaining and educational come to mind.

It begins in Paris 1946. Fittingly the opening words in chapter 1 contain the quote from Voltaire, “Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.” (I believe comes from ‘The Age of Louis XIV’ (1751) which questions the government of France in his day). Apart from being a historical work is also a philosophical work and is really asking the question throughout the book – how much can an evil/monster father pass on to his children?
It isn’t gruesome, far from it, it is an engaging story of the events of Gretel’s life after leaving her life and childhood behind in Poland and Germany and taking a new identity. Through John Boyne’s gifted storytelling, we are given us access to the way Gretel and her mother have rebuilt their lives after loosing their father/husband and brother/son. How they have had to flee for their lives and change their identities. Can a person truly leave the past behind by changing their public persona?
Gretel is a teenager processing all that has happened and reliving the terrible years the family spent in Poland while her father was the Commandant in charge of the concentration camp where her brother died. (See the Boy in the striped Pyjamas). He Mother spends her time seeking a new husband who will take them, as they are, and although them to live in the manner they have become accustomed to while Gretel seeks comfort in the arms of a good-looking boy, who her mother describes as being unsuitable. When their past becomes known their lives fall into the hands of the French resistance movement. The consequences of this, is too much for Gretel’s mother. And in Gretel is full of remorse and guilt.
To get over this, she sails off to Australia where she tries to begin her life again. However, her past catches up with her again and she must return to Europe. Back in Europe she tries again for a new life in London where she meets another boy, well actually 2 boys. And it all begins again, and she must face up to her past a second time again with consequences.

By the end of the book, she has two children, she has had a successful marriage and she lives alone in a Mayfair apartment. While her son tries to get her to sell up her Mayfair apartment there are reasons she must stay. But John Boyne has one more twist up his sleeve. In the end Gretel has piece of mind and she has helped others along the way.

This is an amazing blend of philosophy, fiction, and plausible historic facts. It is certainly a novel of the year, and one I will continue to talk about for a long time to come.

Thank you very much to net galley for allowing me to read it and to John Boyne for bringing to life Gretel’s story.

This is truly an incredible book. Telling the story of one woman who lives daily with the guilt and pain of Nazi Germany and her family’s involvement. The story goes from war time through different decades of her life and there’s a really smooth transition between the story’s timelines. That can be quite difficult but the author achieves it beautifully.
As we approach the end, I loved the unexpected revelation and wondered why I hadn’t seen it coming - but I didn’t. Sign of an excellent author suddenly throwing the audience a curved ball .
Yes, it’s a story set around the worst atrocity of our time but it was riveting and I enjoyed it immensely.

Such a profound, extraordinary book.

I have a confession to make, I have not read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas nor have I watched the movie. I made the decision not to, based on my horror of all things associated with WW2 and concentration camps in particular. I’m a coward at heart and having visited some of these horrendous sites I still live with the horror of what happened in them.

However, when I saw that John Boyne had written this book, based on the girl, Gretel and how she and her mother fled Germany at the end of the war, I knew that I had to put my horrors to one side and read this latest offering from John Boyne, an author who manages to bring his character is and their situations to life. It is a profound, deeply moving story of Gretal, as she tries to make her life away from the camp where her father orchestrated despicable deeds. We follow her story from a young girl trying to hide her story to the lady now living in a prime spot in London and righting wrongs that show up as she travels through life.

When I came to the end of the book had spent a long time reflecting on what might have happened if mobile phones with cameras had been around at the time, not only in Germany but also in South Africa during the apartheid years. Would the world have become more aware of events? Tried to stop them sooner? Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how long I mulled over this, I couldn’t come up with an answer.

John Boyne, I want to thank you for writing this truly outstanding book “from the otherside”. I’ve never given any thought to the families of the officers involved in these crimes against humanity. Thank you for the ending as well. It was so perfect and so deeply touching.

Rony

Elite Reviews received a copy of the book to review.

Wow, wow and wow again!

Sequels often disappoint - specially when the original has been so magnificent, but this novel matches it's predecessor in every way that counts.

All The Broken Pieces is the wonderful follow up to The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas. We meet Gretel, now a 91 year old recently widowed woman living in London and worrying about the empty flat below her and who will be occupying it when the new people move in. Through alternating flash back chapters we learn that at the end of the war, Gretel and her mother fled Poland and Germany, taking on new identities to try and flee the horrors in their past. Settling variously in Paris, Australia and finally landing in London we trace Gretel's life as she desperately tries to escape her history, but no matter where she runs she keeps being confronted by the past.

It is incredibly difficult to review this book because there is so much story to cover but to reveal too much would ruin the beautiful unveiling that reading it brings - it's like walking down a dark tunnel with a torch! Many different things are touched on including domestic violence, lies, secrets, fear, guilt and love.

I literally can't recommend this book highly enough!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of Gretel following the events of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. She flees Poland with her mother and initially ends up in Paris with a new name and identity. Here they realise how hard it is to escape your past. Her story is told through a dual narrative - her current life in London and her journey to get there.

New neighbours in the flat below and particularly the appearance of Henry - the 9 year old son - force her to examine her past and face the dilemma of her safety against his. This time her choice may be different.

A haunting, moving sequel - heartbreaking. It deals with the issues of guilt, forgiveness and love and makes you think about how you might have reacted in the same circumstances.

A book I am already recommending!

Thankyou NetGalley for giving me the chance to read This in advance. The boy in the striped Pyjamas was such a moving read and this didn’t disappoint. Couldn’t put it down. Exquisite