An excellent historical fiction graphic novel about a family of half-Jews living in southern France before and through World War II is called Behind the Curtain.

The artwork is excellent. It meshes so well with the plot and the main character.

This is a well-written work of historical fiction that uses the perspective of a young Jewish girl to examine pre- and post-war Europe. We can learn about the historical context and consult a glossary of historical figures, events, and lesser-known terms utilized in the plot at the graphic novel's conclusion.

I thought this story was brilliantly told and really well illustrated. Two young girls with a Jewish mother and a father who isn’t Jewish are confronted with their own identity during WW2. There are a number of other aspects to this story which weave into the main storyline. There is also the historical context which I found really interesting because I have never really considered the plight of Jewish people in France during WW2. The story is slow going initially but gathers pace and suspense towards the end. The only aspect I didn’t like was the end of the story. I thought the ending was too open and rather abrupt. This is partly because I like my stories to have a clear end and if possible I want my endings to be happy. The ending in this story is left to the imagination of the reader.

All in all this is an excellent book

Copy provided Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

As far as what could be better a trigger warning. The book hit you right in the feels. This is one of those books that it's subject matter is really hard and definitely needs to be for an older child. I like the perspective of this time period to the eyes of a child.

5*
what an amazing graphic novel.
I'm very interested in the theme and WWII in general and this did not disappoint at all. I was absolutely stunned by the story, and the drawings were so pretty
sometimes you just feel you're being stabbed in the heart by the beauty and pain of the story.
I will be recommending this to everyone I know, it's one of the best books I've read in 2022.

Loved this graphic novel depicting a girl and her family growing up in the South of France during WWII. Toiled through the eyes of Jewish Pre-Teen, Yael, Behind the Curtain tackles antisemitism, what it “means” to be Jewish, and why adults argue and keep secrets and how she picks up on this desire the adults’ best efforts. The art was gorgeous and really enhanced the story and I cannot wait to add a physical copy of this to my home library.

Thanks NetGalley and Europe Comics for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Behind the curtain is a very profound YA graphic novel.
The illustrations are phenomenal and I loved the soft colors that were used.
The story is very touching and features two Jewish sisters, Yäel and Emilie, who try to face a tragic situation. The story is set between the 30s and 40s in Provence, France, at the time of the Nazism and antisemitism.
Initially, things seem to be normal in the two sisters' family, but the adverse events that follow one another change their lives forever.
I absolutely recommend this graphic novel to a young audience because it makes you understand how, in those days, tranquility and serenity were precarious and it’s a great way to introduce the events of the Second World War.

Behind the Curtain is a very good historical fiction graphic novel about a Half-Jewish family living in southern France before and during WWII. Young Yaël doesn’t understand why grownups behave the way they do. Why are they so anxious and sometimes argue over politics? Why do the grandparents visit them rarely and call their father »goy«? And the other grandparents don’t want to say hello to them? When antisemitism is all over the news, and even antisemitic laws in France emerge, Yaël has some other questions. Who is Jewish, and what does it mean? Is she Jewish?

The art is very good. It blends so nicely with the story and the MC.

This is a well-done historical fiction, a look at the pre-war and war times through the eyes of a pre-teen Jewish girl. At the end of the graphic novel, we can read about the historical background and have a glossary of historical facts, people, and lesser-known words used in the story.

Thanks to Europe Comics for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review, and all opinions are my own.

A good story to introduce younger people to how it was in WWII France. Some things will escape them, the light tone will make the seriousness of the topic more palatable, and the conclusion will need to be unpacked by an adult, the whole thing should be discussed, but overall an interesting story. This is not exactly original, there are many stories on the topic, but the way it is treated is very real, anchored in children's and pre-teen's understanding of the world.

Man, this hit way harder than I expected it to...

I loved how the story is told from the POV of Yaël, whose age, voice and thoughts were captured perfectly by the author. The storytelling is so unique, creative and impactful. I was not prepared for how this book would end. The events portrayed here are all too real and while fictional, Behind The Curtain reads more like a graphic memoir instead.

This is a story following the years leading up to WW2 in France and the first years of war. This is told from the perspective of a young Jewish girl.

Firstly I really enjoyed the art I think it conveyed the seriousness of the tale as well as being aesthetic and illustrative of its narrative.

The main characters narration was tricky she was speaking from the end of the story throughout and the maturity of her telling seemed to shift. This brought me out of the immersion in the story.

Although a child the MC was also very unlikeable at times I thought although at the very end she seemed to have undergone a shift in her thinking.

Overall it was worth a read and gave an interesting perspective from I’d never been exposed to before.

3.25 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley providing me with the DRC of this book.

It was the title of this book and its cover that intrigued me. So I requested for its DRC without even reading the blurb. Had I known it's going to be about a little Jewish girl's life during WWII, I may not have read it. The story and the characters were well organized and the depictions were especially sweet. But, as this is a sensitive topic, and I being a new mother, the end left me completely traumatized.

The graphics were fine. I'm only giving one star less as I felt the text could have been a bit clearer.

A lot of themes can be found in his book, the most important one being "war".
This book shows us how a child sees war and what effect that brings into their lives. This is a beautifully written graphic novel. It's set at the beginning of the Second World War. It also shows how the death of a parent affects the lives of children. It is a heartbreaking story.

A gorgeously crafted, poignant and haunting graphic novel about family and the experience of being a Jewish person.

trigger warning
<spoiler> death of a parent, grief, antisemitism, war themes, bullying, mention of genocide </spoiler>

A young girl's story, how she started to pay attention to politics because they were starting to impact her. First the war, then anti-semitic laws, and the question if she and her sister will be let alone or be taken.

Sad. Muted colours inforce that atmosphere.
You're afraid you know exactly where the story is going, but it's told so beautifully that you keep on.

I am not sure how to recommend this. It's an important story that needs to be shared, but I can't really go and say that this is a fun reading experience. Or that you'll learn anything new as an European reader.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

This is a beautiful graphic novel. I loved the illustrations and how well the characters were portrayed.
This book is a first person pov of a little girl who is slowly getting to understand how the world works. Along with caring for her younger sister, she also has to cope with her mother’s rather sudden demise.
I liked the concept of the book.
The plot however was a little bland and non-engaging to me. I felt like DNFing the book a lot many times.

Thank you for my review copy.

I liked the story and how it was told from the perspective of a child. I gave it 3 and half stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It is always heartbreaking to see war through the eyes of a child. I think this book captured the fear but also innocence of the young main character as she grapples with a war she does not understand and how her identity is being weaponised against her. The art was suited the vibe / time period and the ending mixed with the historical background afterword really packed a punch.

Thank you Net Galley and the author for this copy in exchange for an honest review!

This YA graphic novel tells the story of Yaël and her sister Emilie. The story begins with the two girls living with their parents in the south of France between the 1930s and 1940s, at the beginning of the Second World War. Yaël knows something is wrong and begins to understand that their lives are not as they seem.

Beautifully written and illustrated by the author. This would be a great graphic novel for younger audience, but nonetheless I enjoyed it too. Of course it is sad given the subject matter, but I will recommend it to young people because of the message: In the darkest times, we are united by love and family.

Behind the Curtain is a graphic novel set in France in WWII. It follows Yael, a young girl who's mother is a Jew and her father is Catholic. And what it actually means to be a Jew in these awful times. With her sister Emilie she tries to understand from what it actually means to be a Jew, why her paternal grandparents doesn't want to meet her and her sister Emilie, her first period.
I think that this book had potential but I didn't really liked it. Or I liked parts of it. I liked that we get to see how a child perceives the war but it kept jumping on different matters, without really explaining them further. I didn't like the ending. Even though you guess what happened after all, it didn't had a closure. And it felt unfinished. And that bothered me. Now if it was a part of the story, it wouldn't bother me. But as I understand it, it's a finished copy so that bothered me a lot. I did love the illustrations though. Overall as I said, it had potential but it lacked in a lot of areas.

I enjoyed this innocent yet still informative POV of young Jewish children in WW2 times. I liked the use of getting across information, or making a point without being too direct. It allowed for a lot of thought while reading. The graphics were great, I loved the muted palette of colours and enjoyed the unique illustrations.

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy!