"Behind the Curtain" by Sara del Giudice is a visually stunning graphic novel that invites readers into a mesmerizing world of mystery and intrigue. Giudice's artistry is a standout feature, capturing the essence of the story with exquisite detail and a captivating aesthetic. The narrative, intricately woven and accompanied by evocative illustrations, leads readers through a compelling exploration of secrets and hidden truths. "Behind the Curtain" is not just a graphic novel; it's a visual feast that immerses readers in a spellbinding tale, making it a must-read for those seeking a unique and visually compelling storytelling experience.

Delightfully illustrated. It may be aimed at younger readers, but certainly packs a punch for adult ones too. Really, really liked the style. I could have read twice as many pages.

This graphic novel was hilarious and well-drawn, definitely worth the money and the hype, and I hope will be successful!

This is a really good story set in the past, where we get to see what life was like before and during a war through the perspective of a young Jewish girl. I think this story was very well written and had really great pictures. I like the way the art looks and how it is shown. The story feels really good in some way. But, I had difficulty reading the lines, some of them did not sounded that good in my head.

Beautifully drawn and written. An amazing historical fiction graphic novel that hits hard. I was absolutely taken by this book and it is exceptionally well done.

I love this book. This is such a fun hostorical fiction read. And i love the art as well. Look. The illustration seemed like brought my imagination blended within the story

Loved the perspective given to this story - there are many retellings of the events leading to the Holocaust, but haven't read many in a graphic novel format. The tension build-up was impressive, and hit me quite hard by the end.

A look at a girl who ends up coming of age in all the anti-Jewish hoo-hah of Vichy France – the initial anti-Semitic laws put up by the Nazis and all that that entailed. Not bad, but the book suffers in mentioning splits between the family that are never really defined – it seems some of the family may have disliked others for marrying into Jewish blood, but in keeping with the girl's naivety we never really get confirmation. I'm sure a way was there for this to be a lot more impactful.

I did not expect this to hit me the way it did, and if I could give more than the full 5 stars I absolutely would.

Set just before the start of WW2 in France, this graphic novel tells us the story of two (half-Jewish) sisters from one of the children's perspective. We see conversations taking place around them which they are too young to understand, but know all-too-well where it is heading. We see imperfect family members doing all that they can to live in circumstances that are truly absurd, without the gift of retrospect to help them make the 'right' decisions. We see hatred bubbling and anger directed in all the wrong places and families ripped apart by bigotry and hatred - a hatred which children do not understand or have conception of.

I have never felt more like my mouth was dry than reading the last few pages of this graphic novel, knowing where it is likely to end and still hoping for a different result. Truly a reminder that people in this time period went through some awful and uncertain times, and hearing it through a child's perspective made it all the more difficult but worthy read.

<i>Thank you so much to Europe Comics via NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily</i>.

This graphic novel explores the simple, everyday experiences of two half-Jewish girls in France, and the fear and uncertainty that come into their lives during World War II. The story is fictional, but it is historically accurate enough to feel authentic, and the characters and their interactions are all believable. I liked the simple color palette and illustrations, and the ending is haunting.

This is suitable for a broad age range. It has enough depth to appeal to adults while also being short and straightforward enough for older elementary readers. I'm not sure what age group the author intended this for, but this will be a good fit for tweens, teens, and adults who are interested in WWII fiction.

Great for World War II historical context. Would definitely use for my history class. Really enjoyable

4 Stars ( I received an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

As someone who is Jewish and has read quite a bit of World War Two fiction (Adult, YA and Middle-grade) I can tend to be a bit critical. But this book tackled difficult topics well and had a sweet family going through life in France, with the Nazi’s slowly closing in on the country. Dealing with grandparents who didn’t approve of the parents marriage, death of a parent and war time restrictions. The author does still put a strong emphasis on family especially with the sisters and their cousins. Would be a great book to put into a middle school library/ classroom.

An emotional exploration of a young girl's experience in the lead-up to the Holocaust. The art is muted and serious, and the story is so artfully and delicately done. The foreshadowing is so subtle at first, and the last page packs a punch. The characters are easy to grow connected to and you want them to make it even though you are aware of the stakes of the story. One of the best depictions of the Holocaust I have ever read.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

I am beginning to think that graphic novels may be the best way to convey horrific events from history in a way that brings home the horror of what happened but in a way that has maximum impact but is not sensationalist.

Although there are many books about the Holocaust, some with happier endings than others, this one did give an account of a slightly different story than most and was most affecting.

I'm sure most adult readers have been exposed to many stories of young Jewish girls in the time leading up to WWII, but there are so many unique perspectives that can be brought to light within this framework, and Behind the Curtain is no exception. The simple, nostalgic illustrations really lend themselves to the overall theme of the story, as we see Yaël's experiences of a more normal girlhood interact with the increasing unrest and antisemitism of the period. My only issue with the book was that some of the text was difficult to read, although that may not be a problem with a physical copy.

I chose this book because of the cover illustrations, but the story is also beautifully written. Although many books discuss the same topic, I like to read them from a lot of perspectives and this one is from a teenage girl who grew up as a half-Jewish.

We follow the story of Yaël, a girl living in the south of France from 1937-1942 when Germany invaded many countries in Europe. Throughout the story, we see how her life takes a turn as Germany occupied the northern part of France and the Vichy government collaborated with the Nazis to pass anti-Semitic laws. We see Yaël and her family faces a lot during this time. She started to wonder about her identity and learn how people view her and her family.

I think the artwork matches the dark story this graphic novel brought. It brings the nuance of nostalgia to me, especially the color pallet and the character design. The glossary at the end of the book helps me to understand the context used in the story. Overall, I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to those who love historical fiction, especially WWII.

‘Behind The Curtain’ is a beautifully illustrated, historical fiction graphic novel that centres Yaël, a young French Jew, from 1937 (pre-WW2) to 1942 (mid-WW2), set in Vichy France. During this time, Yaël goes through a lot. We see her suffer loss, learn about Judaism, experience antisemitism & war, start her period, and it ends with her being taken to a camp.

This book gives us a first person perspective of what it was like to live as a Jew in Vichy France leading up to and during the Second World War. This is such a beautifully told, incredibly important story about Jewish experiences during the Holocaust. There will never be too many of these stories as it helps the current world remember the horrors of the Holocaust so we can ensure this never happens again.

Every experience is unique and so so important. It is such a privilege to read this and I thank the author wholeheartedly. Even though this is a heavy subject, I think this book will be great for middle grade and upwards. It’s important that children learn about what happened and how it affected people.

After the story ends, the author provides us with a historical background and a glossary which gives explanations of many different things relating to Judaism and WWII. The author created this work using their grandparents’ stories with added fictional elements and I’m sure it was very traumatic and stressful to recount these experiences so I thank them so much for putting this together.

TWs/CWs - Animal excrement; Antisemitism; Blood; Bombing; Camps; Child death; Cussing; Death; Death of a parent; Deportation; Genocide; Guns; Hate crimes; Hitler; Illness; Nazi sympathiser; Swastikas; War

I thought this was a very moving and an extremely well illustrated book. The lead up to the ending was very tense and I really commend the author for that!

What a beautiful and memorable graphic novel. Behind the Curtain tells the story of two Jewish girls growing into their identities. It is a punch to the heart at times and the ending really got me. Really beautiful art and a great story.

The ending was rough. There are so many WWII/Holocaust stories that one more seems unnecessary, but I appreciate the ending. So many of the stories, esp for young readers, have happy endings that this seems an important title because it doesn't have that.