Traitor: A Novel of World War II

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More thematically, I hope [people] take empathy away from this reading experience. I hope they realize we don’t always know why people do what they do. We can’t assume that we understand where someone’s coming from. And I hope Traitor helps people [become] able to look at an issue from multiple sides, [to] see different perspectives. Tolya crouched on his heels, holding his rifle across his knees. He moved his finger off the trigger and held up his hand, palm out, to show peace. Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started Close Don’t flatter yourself, Comrade. He was mine. And if you were worried about being safe, maybe you shouldn’t have shot your own officer.”

Traitor - Fierce Reads Traitor - Fierce Reads

And there was Comrade Lieutenant Maksym Rudenko, disgruntled battalion commander, the newest addition. Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.) Traitor tells us the story of Tolya and Solovey, both of whom are fairly reluctant participants in this battle. I found my heart breaking for these young men, and all of those who experienced life in this hellscape, frankly. They were so young, and thrust into a situation so desperate, it was hard to wrap my mind around. I don't want to say too much about the actual story, because it's very twisty (as you'd imagine by the title, who knows who, if anyone is trustworthy!), but it definitely highlights the trials the young men are facing. We also see quite a bit of the war and the effects of it, as it switches POVs, alternating between 1941 and 1944. So not only do we see how the situation developed, but we get to see the ramifications of the fighting, and the toll it took on the people too. At times, it is confusing as the timeline alternates between 1941 and 1944. But despite that, it’s a look at a little known part of World War II history that is well worth reading. Traitor is a novel that takes place in WWII, following half Ukrainian and half Polish seventeen-year-old Tolya Korolenko. After shooting his unit’s political officer, he’s saved by Ukrainian freedom fighters, including squad leader Solovey. However, a betrayal sends them both running, and a traitor can be an enemy or savior, or both.But what really lost me was the structure of the book. I mentioned it’s dual POV, which normally wouldn’t be a problem, except there’s both a time jump between each POV AND the two characters end up interacting. From a writing perspective, I appreciate being able to witness the ways these actions changed the main character, while also witnessing the actions first hand. However, this was incredibly confusing at the beginning and I didn’t really even fully sort it out until around 50% through. The immediate concern was the clomp, clomp, clomp of boots coming toward him down the street—boots and voices, Russian voices. Finally, the book is crying out for a sequel! It doesn't end on an awful cliffhanger, but I really wanted to know what would happen next. Poland, 1944 . After the Soviet liberation of Lwów from Germany, the city remains a battleground between resistance fighters and insurgent armies, its loyalties torn between Poland and Ukraine.

Traitor - Macmillan Traitor - Macmillan

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started Close Also, the fate of the Jewish citizens in Poland is certainly alluded to, and described pretty graphically in one scene, but it is not a major concern of any of the characters, so the book does not center on it. So, although it is a novel about WWII Poland/Ukraine, it is not a Holocaust narrative. Families can talk about the violence in Traitor. Why is it necessary to the story? How does written violence compare to visual violence? Traitor is a historical fiction novel is about towns that change occupation like the season. It’s a book that examines truth and loyalty like the truly subjective concept they are. It always matters who is the one asking, who is the one who was able to (re)write history. To decide who are the traitors, the rebels, and the loyal ones. It’s also a book that examines the grey spaces between obedience and rebellion. In collaboration, survival, and sacrifice.I had no idea. I had no idea of the hostility between Poles and Ukranians, or of the betrayals and massacres. I had no idea what a struggle it was just to stay alive when so many people wanted revenge for so many evils. And to retain compassion and loyalty in these circumstances surely required a special sort of heroism.