Very belated (I am finding all kinds of stuff I never gave official feedback for, sorry!) thanks for the ARC! I loved the book, and I will probably be including this in a roundup for an upcoming episode of Hey YA! Extra Credit.

Margot, the daughter of German immigrants, and Haruko, the daugher of Japanese immigrants, meet in a WWII internment camp in Texas. Margot's mother is in ill health, and her father is sinking into German Nazi thinking. Haruko, consumed with worry for her brother, a soldier, and is nagged by a constant worry that her father is keeping secrets.

This book utilized short snippets from each of the girls, which read like interviews about past events. This was an interesting format, and helped build the suspense of the story. Geared towards young adults, the book was well written and engaging. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

World War II was a dangerous time to be alive and this sentiment extends globally. America has its own problematic issues during this time, one of those key issues being the "family interment camps," that popped up across the country. Many immigrants or others deemed connected to Japan and Germany were taken from their homes and relocated to these "camps." While the people inside attempted to keep a sense of normalcy, it robbed people of their sense of self and further perpetuated racist sentiments.

Haruko's brother is fighting overseas for America, but because the government has determined her family is Japanese sympathizers, they are relocated to the camp. It is baffling that her patriotic family, with a member in the army, could ever be considered an enemy of the country. Haruko's parents attempt to make the best of the situation, simply because they don't want any violence enacted against them. Haruko is mad and wants answers, especially because she knows that her father is hiding an important secret. At "school" Haruko becomes even more frustrated when she meets Margot, a girl from the German side of the camp. They strike up an unlikely friendship, perhaps something more, but they must keep it secret or they will become targets of both those running the camp and those in the camp with them.

Margot's father was a lovely man, who loved to learn and teach. However, with her mother's current difficult pregnancy and living in the camp, Margot's father feels inadequate, which leads him to make upsetting decisions. Margot connects with Haruko, as they are both trying to find a way to survive.

I never warmed up to Haruko, her character was spoiled and unable to understand the feelings of those around her. It was intentional and what she and the real people she was based on had to go through was not right and not okay, though I just didn't like her. I liked the addition of the queer themes, which something you typically do not see in historical fiction.

This book about two sisters held at an internment camp was just okay. I liked the characters, okay, but in some parts, the story dragged and in other parts in just moved too quickly.

I enjoyed this historical fiction offering, highlighting a time in American history that is very underrepresented, especially in Young Adult literature. The duo perspectives of Haruko and Margot add to its success; however, I do feel that by the end of the story, the impact was not as great as it could have been. It definitely shines with its characters, and the sweet yet volatile relationship that develops between the two girls. Recommended for historical fiction fans, and those looking for the hidden LGBTQ of history.

Haruko, a Japanese American, and Margot, a German American, are both living in Crystal City, Texas. They moved from their homes in Colorado and Iowa to the internment camp there. The girls form an uneasy and semi-secret friendship.. Both girls are there with their families for reasons that are not clear to them and living in a prison changes their families.

This is a good look into a part of WWII we in America do not like to think about. The author's note explains her research and interest in the topic.

THE WAR OUTSIDE by Monica Hesse is a young adult historical novel about life during WWII for two you teenage girls, Haruko and Margot. They are a Japanese American and a German American whose fathers are suspected of being "enemy aliens" and are therefore sent to the Crystal City internment camp, a topic addressed previously on this blog (linkk below). Many of our students already read and discuss Otsuka's When the Emperor was Divine for English classes, but Hesse's story goes in a slightly different direction by probing the experiences of both German and Japanese detainees and their families, by exploring the prejudices and misunderstandings between those two groups, and by layering on the emotional drama of a friendship and attraction gone awry between these two young teens. As the question on the cover asks, "They can't trust their country, can they trust each other?"

Hesse's writing evokes numerous emotions, especially the loneliness, tension, boredom, and lack of control for the internees, and this is not a "feel good" book although it is very powerful. THE WAR OUTSIDE received starred reviews from Booklist, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal. Given ongoing headlines about xenophobia and deportation, this is a timely and ultimately haunting read which will be on our shelves soon.

Link in Live post: https://treviansbookit.blogspot.com/2015/01/train-to-crystal-city-by-jan-jarboe.html

This is an incredibly powerful book about a part of the country's history that is generally glossed over. As most of us know, there were internment camps during World War II for Japanese-American residents. What you may not know (I didn't) is that some citizens of German descent were also there. And "camps" is a nice way of saying "prisons." (They weren't starved and at this particular camp, people were treated fairly well. But it's still not great and it's still not something we should be proud of.

Meanwhile, Margot and Haruko. They shouldn't be friends (each side of the camp distrusts the other) and Margot's dad is especially awful. (He's somewhat anti-America, which is understandable seeing as how his adopted country has imprisoned him and his family, but he's also fairly pro-Nazi.) They also are developing feelings for each other. It'd be dangerous now but is especially bad in the 1940s. And they don't have any words for what they're feeling.

Monica Hesse is proving that she's an author to watch for and I can't wait for her next book. Recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown & Co. for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this 9/25/18 release. World War II books are always popular in my library, and this one is sure to circulate well. Haruko and Margot do not have much in common; Haruko is a Japanese American from Denver, while Margot is a German American from Iowa. Both girls find themselves, along with their families, at an internment camp called Crystal Cove in Texas during WWII. As the war carries on oceans away, the girls find themselves forging an unlikely friendship. Recommended for middle school readers and up, this will expose them to a different aspect of the war than what is usually portrayed in middle school books.