The Devil in Vienna

                                                                Title: The Devil in Vienna 

                                                                Author: Doris Orgel 

                                                               Review: After picking this book up, it was impossible for me to put it down. It is a somewhat quick read, mostly because every page made me anxious to turn to the next. The book is written in a journal entry format, which I found creative, and while it was a bit different and took me a chapter to get used to it, it ultimately was a great choice for the book's structure, because I found that I knew Inge's voice a lot better because of what she chose to "write" in her journal. The plotline is intense and gripping, while still allowing the main characters to seem realistic and relatable and remain as children - talking about growing up and girlish topics, despite all that is going on around them. This book is packed with historical information and anyone who reads this - child or adult - will gain a better understanding of every day life for children and adults in the situations that Inge and Liselotte and their families faced. The message of an enduring friendship that was strong enough to withstand so much, is so important. I had not read the author's note at the beginning or the end of the book prior to reading, so I was surprised when I read that it was loosely based on her and her sister's own lives as young girls in Vienna during that time. Finding that out gave the book a whole new meaning, and suddenly it became more than just a work of fiction with an important message. I do wish that there had been some sort of epilogue or that it would have ended a bit less open-ended, but nevertheless, the ending was wonderfully done. I highly recommend this book.