I found the boy in the striped pajamas was ok. But i found the plot was really slow and never seemed to speed up or get to the climax till the ending. It's the kind of book that you think will pick up the pace but never does. I also thought that the characters were good but could have been described better. I thought the ending was really powerful though. It really made me think about things and really feel something.

The Boy in The Striped Pajamas is an amazing read for all ages. John Boyne is an author that brings power and truth to everything he writes. This is a touching book, with an ending that brought tears to my eyes. Since The Boy In The Striped Pajamas is about an 8-year-old boy, the writing and thoughts that the author talks about is what a little boy would think and talk about, which is something that you don't find to much of these days. A times, this book can drag on, and John did add extra details that werent nessesary. But, other then that, this book is a book that kept me interested throughout the whole thing. This is a new fresh way of looking at what people did during the time this book takes place in. It really and truly makes you think about the events of that time.

I loved the writing style of this novel; the perspective of the rich German child was very realistic. Bruno was obedient and respectful, completely innocent and unaware of what was happening in Nazi Germany. He probably didn't even know that his father was the Commandant of the camp. I really liked how the German words were misinterpreted by Bruno, such as Out-With (for Auschwitz) and Fury (for Furor). Bruno had eventually learned that everyone had a story, even the servants. It was interesting reading how Bruno progressively discovered what was going on in the new place he was living. Excellent read. This was truly moving.

You'll be touched by the story of a young boy who sees Nazi Germany through innocent eyes. Tough to read at times but very moving.

Great read. I recommend this for teachers who are discussing the Holocaust in class. I love that it is told from the perspecitve of a young boy, yet it relates to the many troubles and concerns of adult life.

Story Description: Random House Children's Books | October 23, 2007 | Trade Paperback Berlin 1942. When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance. But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences. My Review: Bruno is nine-years-old when he arrives home from school one day to find the maid, Maria packing up the belongings in his room. He becomes very upset and demands to know what is going on when his mother comes into the room and asks him to meet her downstairs in the dining room. Bruno is so anxious that he speeds past his mother and his waiting for her downstairs before she even has a chance to step off the first stair. She tells Bruno that his father has received an important promotion and they must leave Berlin and move to another city and live in another house. Bruno, of course, is quite upset as he doesn’t want to leave his beloved home nor his three best friends. His mother assures him that things will be alright and that the whole family including: Bruno; his twelve-year-old sister, Gretel; their father; the maid, Maria; the butler, Lars; and Cook will all be moving together. When they arrive at the new house Bruno is very disappointed as it sat almost in the middle of nowhere with no other homes nearby nor markets or stores. All Bruno can see from the window of his new bedroom is a fence with barbed wire on top, some huts in the distance, and older men, younger men, and boys all wearing the same grey striped pajamas and grey striped cap with soldiers watching them. He doesn’t even know what his father’s job is. What is this place and what could possibly be his father’s job working with all these dirty, filthy people all dressed the same? He wants to be an explorer so decides to go for a walk. He follows the fence along for quite a distance until he comes to a piece of fencing where he sees a small boy. The boy approaches the fence and he and Bruno and make introductions and begin talking. The boy’s name is Shmuel, he is the same age as Bruno and even shares the same birthday. During an entire year, naïve Bruno brings his new friend bread, cheese and cake most days as the boy doesn’t have enough to eat. One day Bruno is told by his father that his mother, Gretel and Bruno will be returning to Berlin while he stays and continues working at the same job. He tells Bruno that it is no place to raise children and he’d be much happier back in Berlin. Bruno is devastated, he doesn’t want to go back to Berlin now because he doesn’t want to leave Shmuel but they plan to have a last day together like no other bringing the story to a crashing end! I was totally taken aback at the ending and didn’t expect it at all. John Boyne has written a book about nine-year-olds that isn’t for nine-year-olds as it says on the back cover of the novel. Don’t miss this one people, it’ll surprise you and break your heart so have some kleenex standing by. Beautifully and hauntingly written.

I really loved this book, this book was really well thought out, and showed how a small boy (Bruno) can be socially outcasted, whith out evening knowing what is going on in the world around him.. Spectacular

An amazing story about Nazi atrocities from a nine year olds point of view. A quick read, but it is a book that will make you think.

Let me start off this review by stating a simple fact about me. Whenever possible, I generally watch the movie before I read the book. This is because I feel that it's the best way to get the best of both worlds. In the past, when reading the book first, the movie has almost always been a huge disappointment because so much was left out, or the ending was changed, etc. When watching the movie first you get the great visuals and enjoy the story, and usually the book adds more depth later, and even if it ends differently it can usually be forgiven. For The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne, the movie far surpassed the book...and that's not saying much... Let's start with the main character Bruno. He is a 9 year old boy who is so naive he come across of being closer to the age of 6. He is also incredibly selfish and I found him to be quite unlikable. What kind of writer creates a main character that people can't like? In fact I don't think I liked a single character! Oh wait...there was a Jewish slave named Pavel that was the only realistic character of the bunch. And at one point after an altercation he never is mentioned again. And even though we can ASSUME what MAY have happened to him...the reader is given no closure on the issue. The movie does a much better job of showing this. The circumstances surrounding this story are completely unrealistic as well. I'm sorry but I have a hard time wrapping my head around how a nine year boy who is the son of a major member of the German military has no idea what a Jew is, what "Heil Hitler" means or what is going in the camp behind his new house. It's ridiculous. I mean I don't profess to know a whole lot about what occurred during those years, but I do remember that German children had to be part of a youth group. Also the fact that there happened to be an unpatrolled stretch of the camp's fence, that was also not attached firmly to the ground allowing it to be lifted up enough for items as large as a small child to be passed under is completely unbelievable. It's too bad though...because the writing itself was quite good and I did like the point the author was trying to make about Bruno and Shmuel being the same even though one was German and the other Jewish. I just think he weighed to heavily on the hopes of his readers being stupid and naive to drive the point home with a very dramatic, but very improbable ending. At first I thought I was being extremely harsh on the book, but glancing around through reviews of fellow readers I was relieved to find I wasn't the only one who felt this way. I won't give it a one because the writing was there...it just couldn't save this story.

This book sets place in Nazi Germany, through the perspective of young Bruno, the son of a Nazi Soldier. Bruno and his family move to the country for his father's job, however, he is forbidden to explore the area. This only motivates Bruno more to go exploring, so he does. He eventually reaches a tall electric fence with a boy wearing striped pajamas on the other side. They quickly become friends, and his explorations become daily. Bruno is jealous of the boy, because the other side of the fence is filled with other children, while all Bruno has is his silly older sister. This book is touching and it particularly made my heart wrench, since I have a young brother around his age. The novel is very short, and it is all through the eyes of a child. However, I do not recommend reading this book to any child. Mature teens and adults is who I would recommend this too. The only reason that I do not give this book 5 'stars' is because I've heard from different sources that the book wasn't entirely historically accurate. This was historical fiction, but a lot of the facts were incorrect. However, the message remains the same.