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lratkinson's review against another edition
5.0
Once by Morris Gleitzman has been said to be similar in theme and style to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Personally, I found Once to be a much better book and Felix a much more believable character.
amyhampton's review against another edition
5.0
Once I read a book that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Once I read a book so moving that it made me sob.
Once I read a book that I think everyone should read.
Once is the heartbreaking story of Felix, a young Jewish boy living in Poland during WW2. The juxtaposition of his pure innocence set against the backdrop of atrocities committed by those in power really wrenches the heart. On his journey to be reunited with his bookseller parents, Felix displays such unwavering love and compassion for those around him. As he begins to understand the truth of the Holocaust, his world is changed forever.
Morris Gleitzman will forever have a place on my bookshelf. In writing ‘Once’, Gleitzman wove a tapestry of raw human emotion, combining hope, humour and hurt throughout. I will never stop recommending this story. After all, everybody deserves to have something good in their life at least once.
Once I read a book so moving that it made me sob.
Once I read a book that I think everyone should read.
Once is the heartbreaking story of Felix, a young Jewish boy living in Poland during WW2. The juxtaposition of his pure innocence set against the backdrop of atrocities committed by those in power really wrenches the heart. On his journey to be reunited with his bookseller parents, Felix displays such unwavering love and compassion for those around him. As he begins to understand the truth of the Holocaust, his world is changed forever.
Morris Gleitzman will forever have a place on my bookshelf. In writing ‘Once’, Gleitzman wove a tapestry of raw human emotion, combining hope, humour and hurt throughout. I will never stop recommending this story. After all, everybody deserves to have something good in their life at least once.
awriterslament's review against another edition
5.0
I read this as a class with my LA teacher, and let me just say: brilliant.
I absolutely adored this. It had very good humor in the first section of the book, probably to just let the readers "get into the mood", but as the book progresses, it takes a dark turn. A very dark turn, and as you get closer to the end, a tragedy happens.
Gosh, I can't quite grasp the words to describe this book, because it just is ... indescribable. It starts out with a very naïve young orphan, who goes on a journey to find his dead parents, and finds Zelda, a young girl, who was the only survivor in the fire.
All I can say is, I envy this man's writing, because he managed to shape a beautiful book, with light-hearted humor and then he adds more angst, tragedy, and very dark themes.
Read it. But you'll get that aching in your heart, when you want to read a sequel, and you want to find out what happens next, even though there is no 'next'.
[all my classmates enjoyed this; and that's saying A LOT]
I absolutely adored this. It had very good humor in the first section of the book, probably to just let the readers "get into the mood", but as the book progresses, it takes a dark turn. A very dark turn, and as you get closer to the end, a tragedy happens.
Gosh, I can't quite grasp the words to describe this book, because it just is ... indescribable. It starts out with a very naïve young orphan, who goes on a journey to find his dead parents, and finds Zelda, a young girl, who was the only survivor in the fire.
All I can say is, I envy this man's writing, because he managed to shape a beautiful book, with light-hearted humor and then he adds more angst, tragedy, and very dark themes.
Read it. But you'll get that aching in your heart, when you want to read a sequel, and you want to find out what happens next, even though there is no 'next'.
[all my classmates enjoyed this; and that's saying A LOT]
floatingbanana's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
nayelidsm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
alanaheade's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
what_katie_read_in_ca's review against another edition
4.0
This reminded me a bit of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. A slim volume that reflects an intense and important narrative focused on one part of the Holocaust. It illuminates the plight of children who were forced to navigate this difficult period with parental support. I'm already on to reading the next installment in the series!
angevba's review against another edition
4.0
Este libro tiene muy pocas páginas y sin embargo es una historia tan grande que es indescriptible. Definitivamente me hubiera gustado que fuera mucho mas largo de lo que fue, y que no hubiera habido necesidad de dividirlo en varios libros, pero igual me alegro de haberlo leído.
El mensaje es importante, y creo que no importa cuantas veces lea libros sobre la segunda guerra mundial, sigue siendo igual de impactante y me deja sin palabras. Aunque ya lo sepa absolutamente todo, nunca deja de sorprenderme.
El mensaje es importante, y creo que no importa cuantas veces lea libros sobre la segunda guerra mundial, sigue siendo igual de impactante y me deja sin palabras. Aunque ya lo sepa absolutamente todo, nunca deja de sorprenderme.
meginsanity's review against another edition
4.0
It's really rare, the book that can make you feel like you're growing up alongside the kid you're reading about.
I read this in an hour on my lunch break, but it will stay with me for longer than that. There are a lot of books about the Holocaust, but this book really excels at combining humor, tragedy, and innocence into something realistic.
I read this in an hour on my lunch break, but it will stay with me for longer than that. There are a lot of books about the Holocaust, but this book really excels at combining humor, tragedy, and innocence into something realistic.
ladyaylesworth's review against another edition
4.0
This was listed on Goodreads and shelved at the library as YA, but I feel it is more juvenile than that. Yes, the subject matter is deep and there are a lot of disturbing images brought up, but this is historical fiction covering a very disturbing aspect of war, specifically the Holocaust. I kept wanting to put it down because it was written in a style I find more for children's books, but I was compelled by the story itself to keep reading. I highly recommend this book to parents and teachers who want to really open the eyes of 5th to 9th grade students.