Highly enjoyed this one! It kept me engaged throughout and was a joy to read, would certainly recommend!

I had received this as an advanced reader copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was curious to read this book because it was a firsthand account told as events were occurring rather than after the fact. In all honesty, I did not finish the book. Renia was a young girl and her writing is very much like a diary. I think it really bothered me to read this in a child's tone and to be able to associate some of the events with what she was writing. I didn't think I'd be able to read along as things got worse for her.

A compelling poignant read that wasn't what I expected, Thoughtful and thought provoking. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This compelling journal entry was a flashback to a teenagers turn of events during the Holocaust. I fell in love with the journalist, Renia. This girl was so full of life and her love for Zygmund was a classic. I was a bit resistant as I kept reading to discover more turn of events that happened during the course of this diary, but it was more about the life of Renia and her teenage years living through this terrible time.

Review coming soon. Fell behind due to illness, amd working on all of the old ones now.

This one will not be forgotten.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.


Pub Date was September 24, 2019
#ReniasDiary #ReniaSpiegal #NetGalley

When I got this book I really thought it would have been more like Diary of Anne Frank where it talked about the war and what she was going through but it was more of a diary of a young girl and her life before the war and then her sister really talking about what it was like after Renia was killed and the war. It was a good book but not what I was expecting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions expressed are my own. This was a slow start and it really didn't keep my interest. I think it was the way the book was written. I love the idea of the story though.

Honestly, there's something slightly creepy about reading a teenager's diary. But this is a bit different. Renia was clearly destined to become a writer. The poetry in the diary is beautiful. Unfortunately, the reason we're reading this is because her destiny did not come true. Her sister provides context and fills in the blanks.

What a poignant story. I grew up reading and loving Anne Frank's story and her diary, so when I saw that this was available for request, I requested it immediately. This is such a loving tribute as well as authentic look into this young lady's life, and I'm so happy to see the praise it's been getting! A must read for historians, particularly Jewish history or Holocaust history.

Renia Spiegel was born in 1924 to an Jewish family living in southeastern Poland, near the border with Romania. Her unremarkable early life gave way to uncertainty and struggle, especially with the rise of Hitler's power throughout Europe. As Renia moves through her days, readers are given an inside look into life in Poland during a time of great upheaval.

Although there is a preface, afterword, and notes by her sister, Elizabeth Bellak, the bulk of this memoir is written by the young teenager. It is hard to review a book such as this one, especially given the fact that the thoughts and feelings are written by someone taken so young. My biggest critique of the book is in the editing, as it would not have been disrespectful to the writer to cull some of the pages of the diary. Renia's story is so important and just does not have the impact it should have.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of Renia's Diary by NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press. The choice to review this nonfiction publication was entirely my own.

Books such as Renia's DIary are vital works which need to be published so that future generations will know of the terrible wicked horrors that occurred during the last century. These memoirs are literary memorial stones raised not only for readers but also for the world to bear witness of their lives and memory of which should not be forgotten.

I feel strange about rating a diary. This broke my heart so many times. The things Renia had to go through were terrible. I will forever remember this book.

Thank you to Renia’s sister, you are taken into the life of Renia Spiegel and her life during the Nazi and Soviet occupations of Poland. This is truly a diary of a teenage girl with all of her infatuations, girlfriend relationships, etc. But her angst over being separated from her mother and her fears as the Nazis began the intense persecution of the Jews in her town.

Renia’s poetry was beautiful, sad, and touching. Though I think some of the wording was lost in translation. I know some people do not bother reading an epilogue. But in this book, it is extremely important to read this. In fact, I think it would help the reader to read it BEFORE reading the actual book. It will allow you to understand what was happening in Ariana, Renia’s sister, and Renia’s lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I am a sucker for anything Holocaust /World War 2 in terms of literature, but this book left me a bit disappointed. Like “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Renia’s Dairy” was the diary of Renia, a teenager who wrote about life in southeast Poland just before the invasion. This journal is filled with poetry and descriptions of day to day life, but read in a bit of a clunky way. The poetry featured in the diary was exhausting to read, not because of its subject matter, but because of the frequency at which it appeared and how long some of them were. The poetry went on for pages and pages and it quickly lost my interest.

Renia’s Diary by Renia Spiegel

Brief Summary: Renia is a teenage Jewish girl living in Poland before the start of WWII. Her diary starts in 1939 and she writes until her death at the hands of the Gestapo in 1942.

Highlights: This is more mundane teenage musings than anything else. It was hard to get through her drama with her friends and crush on Zygmund. I thought it would get more interesting when the Nazis invaded Poland but it did not. I didn’t fully appreciate her poems either. The most interesting parts were the foreword by the historian and the afterward by her sister. It’s hard to rate someone’s private thoughts; especially when they were never written to be published.

Explanation of Rating: 3/5; I tried to appreciate her personal thoughts but had a really hard time getting into it. Renia’s no Anne Frank.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

I've read many a holocaust story but not in a journal format which I quite enjoyed. Just makes it more personal. I'm always torn to say I enjoyed reading tragedy but let's just say it's a book that should be read. Recommend.

I could not finish this book. It was an interesting concept, but the journal entries were difficult to read. Ultimately it was not the book for me.

Another book about the tragedy of the holocaust. And it was done perfectly. Very well written and truly heartbreaking.

Hard to read and get into, as this is a diary format. Not nearly as strongly written as Anne Frank's diary, for example.

I absolutely embrace anything Holocaust related. When I saw this available, I had to request it. It was so good. I love how it is such a moving, emotional true story. Another diary coming out of the Holocaust, just as powerful as Anne Frank's. This is raw, emotional, and ultimately completely sadly true. It breaks my heart to know that these are true stories that Renia and her family had to suffer and go through. If you have time, please take a minute and read this one. Told through the eyes of a 15 year old girl up until July of 1942, where she is then murdered by the Nazis. With an opening and conclusion from her sister, and some notes from her boyfriend, this story will truly break your heart.