Girl in the Blue Coat

 

Title: Girl in the Blue Coat 

Author: Monica Hesse 

Review: I started this book once and put it down, as the opening felt a bit slow for me. Maybe I was just tired, because when I somewhat reluctantly picked it up a few weeks later, I found that it was too difficult to put down. I had not really read any WWII fiction like it and the mystery was very appealing. I found myself guessing what was going to happen next, and oftentimes being correct, however that did not take away from the story as it might with other mysteries. It was an interesting premise, the characters felt real, and some of the scenes had me on the edge of my seat with intensity. It is obvious that the author did a wonderful job with research (especially after reading the author's note on historical accuracies at the back of the book) and some of the descriptions really made me feel as if I could have been there right alongside Hanneke. For some reason, the ending felt right and anticlimactic at the same time, and I still cannot place my finger upon why. I also found myself wondering why exactly it was that Amalia ran away from Hanneke when she was so close to being rescued. I suppose it was from fear and guilt, and perhaps it was best that the author left the reasoning rather open-ended. A recommended historical fiction mystery.