The boy in the striped Pyjamas

I had heard of the film and story and put off starting the book as I wondered if it might be rather sad.

However, once started the story hooked you in with the character of Bruno and his innocence to the events that started to unfold around his family and country. This made me want to read on to see if he was going to find out the 'dark truth' and events that I knew of from the history of the holocaust.
The story told through Bruno and his friendship with the 'boy in striped pyjamas' certainly made me think of the events from the World war from a different angle: the innocence of those involved and drawn into war through no choice of their own, seen via Bruno himself and his mother (when she learns the deeper darker truth!). 

The simple friendship between the boys showed how barriers could be broken down in the innocence of youth, even as Bruno's knowledge of 'Jews being the enemy' started to unfold via his stern propaganda filled tutor!   As the final events developed I felt myself torn between wanting Bruno to get out of the camp and escape (along with his young innocent friend)  and wanting his father to have to pay his own price for the events that he was supporting!!  At the end, it was certainly the mother and her loss that I felt for with greater depth and related to as a fellow mother.

I would have liked to know what was going to 'happen next' but I then put this together and predicted for myself!  The book certainly finished at a thought provoking point and has left an impression on me and I'm sure will do for many other readers.

Joanne |Sewell
Duke of Bedford school