This week, Jewish people all over the world observed Tisha B'Av, which is a day of mourning. It is the day we remember the destruction of both Temples that once stood in Jerusalem as well as a number of other tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people over the course of history. (Description courtesy of My Jewish Learning.) So it's fitting that I recently read Liza Wiemer's sophomore novel, The Assignment . Based on the synopsis, you can see why.

About five years ago, I read Liza Wiemer's debut novel and was extremely impressed by it. So waiting this long for her to publish another one took a lot of patience from my end. I just wanted her to mass-produce books right away! I can confidently say for the record that The Assignment was well worth the wait.

The assignment itself was horrifying and the fact that two non-Jewish students were appalled by it gives me hope for their generation, as well as future ones. This was based on a real situation, which is written about in the author's note. Seeing what Logan and Cade had to put up with in hopes of getting the assignment cancelled was equally horrifying. It's similar to stuff that happens in real life, as well. The fact that a lot of comments people made were antisemitic was even more disheartening. Liza puts a lot of emotional impact into her story without making it sappy. She even presents the teacher's side at times. I also liked that there was focus on Logan and Cade's friendship and other characters got to share their perspectives, as well.

The story is educational for anyone who isn't familiar with what happened during the Holocaust by now. I think it should be included in school curriculum, whether it is for an English class or a history class. There is so much material to discuss and Liza leaves some things open ended, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. It's perfect for book clubs, as well. And if you have a teenager in the house, be sure to get this into their hands as soon as it publishes. If you think a preteen could handle it, let them read it too!

I definitely recommend this novel as it is insightful and thought-provoking. It will make you feel things and you might even want to have some tissues handy.

Movie casting suggestions:
Logan: Alexis G. Zall
Cade: Noah Lomax
Mr. Bartley: Tom Hiddleston
Mason: Jake Brennan
Heather: Harley Graham
Daniel: Jamie Kaye
Kerrianne: Jade Pettyjohn
Reggie: Christian Martyn

A great story about two teens, Cade and Logan, who refuse to do an assignment given to them by their history teacher. The assignment is to participate in a debate, but taking the role of Nazi sympathizers and giving reasons why Jews should die in the Final Solution. They are outraged by this insensitive assignment, but can't figure out why the whole class isn't upset as well.

This story had many different points of view and kept me interested throughout. As a kid who grew up watching the After School Specials (yes, I know this dates me) it reminded me a lot of The Wave. I think teens will absolutely love this book.

In the advertising for this book, it was compared to The Wave, and it is certainly reminiscent of that novel. It is about a high school assignment involving the rise of nazism. Where The Wave was about creating hate, however, The Assignment brought to light hate that was already there. And it reflects our current moment of hate reappearing when many thought we had progressed past our prejudices. It features what would be some of the very last remaining survivors of the Holocaust, reminding everyone that this is our last chance to get the stories they never told before it’s too late. That it’s based on a true story is both frightening and inspiring.

While it was told from many perspectives (my favorite!), the characters were still well fleshed-out. There’s a great best friend romance thing going on between the two main characters. We learned how the students’ decisions affected not only them but their families as well, both emotionally and financially. It was all quite relatable, for better or worse.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my rating**

WOW! This book was so important, so uncomfortable, so well-written, and had me devouring it in a 24 hour period. I enjoyed this book tremendously.

TW: Anti-Semitism, Homophobia, Bullying, Discussions about the Holocaust

Logan March and Cade Crawford are given an assignment by their History teacher which asks them to put themselves in the shoes of Nazis and debate a "Final Solution to the Jewish problem" in class. This being an abhorrent assignment, Logan and Cade refuse to complete it and try to get this debate cancelled. The book is based on a real experience of two teenagers in Oswego, NY in 2017.

First off, I live not too far from Oswego. That was unsettling to hear that this happened about an hour and a half from me and so recently. I'm a substitute teacher and I can't imagine a teacher assigning something like this and also having the full support of the administration, as well as support from some of their colleagues. It was a reminder to me. So I appreciate that.

I also feel certain some people will be surprised that the setting is in NY. There are plenty of racists and anti-semites up here, as well. I don't have neighbors flying a Confederate flag, but I have had my fair share of encounters with racist people over the years as a biracial person. It is accurate.

I appreciated that Logan and Cade were both levelheaded throughout the novel. There were times emotions ran high and they might be upset, but they always thought about the solution to their assignment in a rational and logical way. I respect that tremendously. They work hard to fight for what's right.

I also liked that Wiemer included multiple POVs throughout the novel so you get a more complete sense of how this assignment is affecting the school. For example, there's a classmate who is gay and therefore doesn't want to do the assignment, either, but uses another form of protest. There are two or three classmates who actually are anti-semites and are using this assignment to spew their vitriolic hate. There are chapters from the POVs of the teacher or the principal. We get a look into how Logan and Cade's family are dealing with this. It is very well rounded and a great way to write this book.

The book is very well-written. I was glued to my iPad while I was reading. I can't remember the last time I flew through a book like this. While the subject matter was uncomfortable at times, this book is so important, especially in our current social climate. The book brings awareness to Anti-Semitic behavior and how it still affects society today, not just in the past. I can see Humanities teachers and librarians enthusiastically using this book as a resource in the future. Very well executed and a book I highly recommend. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

I have mixed opinions about this book. I have the unique perspective of being a 4th grade teacher and having a father of Jewish descent. I found myself going back and forth siding with the students as well as feeling sympathetic towards the teacher in question. My first thought was that the teacher probably gave the assignment with good intentions in that it is important to explore different viewpoints in history, however, its execution was obviously problematic. Living in a community that has a high population of Jewish people I find my neighborhood much more tolerant of others with different religious affiliations, cultures, and beliefs even though I know my experience is not everyone's experience. It is clear that in the past people felt the need to hide their identity (my last name was shortened by my grandfather to make it sound less Jewish) but I currently feel that Jewish heritage is now openly celebrated. It is a shame how much effort it took for the students to be able to express themselves and the consequences faced by the teacher and school. I often try to give my students challenging assignments that cause them to think and question historical events in a creative way. For example, I don't personally feel having students conducting research and writing from the perspective of a slave makes one racist. Now more than ever, teachers need to be so hyperaware of their delivery of assignments, learning goals, and expectations as to not offend or to be taken in the wrong way. There is also a lot of pressure from educators not to have students simply reading from a textbook and answering questions and to provide more authentic, hands-on learning experiences. I liked when the teacher brought in a real life survivor to speak with the class - this should probably have been done from the beginning. My students read Number the Stars by Lois Lowry to study this time period, but perhaps I will suggest The Assignment for some of my more advanced readers.

We meet high school seniors Cade and Logan in a New York state public high school. Their history class is given an assignment that forces them to debate in favor of killing Jewish people during WWII. Neither Cade or Logan feel comfortable with the assignment. When they voice their concerns with their teacher they are basically brushed off, forcing them to go elsewhere for support of their cause. The duo face antisemitism, bigotry, and poor treatment for standing up for what they believe, but with support and guidance they never waiver on what is the right thing to do.
I was appalled at reading the afterward that these kinds of assignments (and worse) are given to kids in today's school rooms. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book, but it turned out to be an interesting read. It was thoughtful, had good pacing, and I liked how the author showed how normalizing racist sentiment, even if through an assignment, leads to greater harm. This book can serve as a great lesson for educators to make sure they are being thoughtful and mindful about what they assign for their students.

A thought-provoking book that leads readers to ask questions about what they're willing to fight for even in the face of immense opposition. Logan and Cade fought against their teacher, the school and even their own community when they took a stance against an assignment asking them to argue in favor of the Nazis' Final Solution options. The author uses this story and these characters to demonstrate the difficulties that we may face when doing the right thing, but also the courage and conviction that it takes to continue to do so. This is an especially important message in today's political and social climate.

My main issue with the story was the shift between first and third person, and that there was no real distinction between characters - no quirks or styles that made each character read differently. The romance between the two characters also seemed unnecessary - why do "best friends" always have to fall in love?

Overall, this is a worthwhile read, and I'm thankful to NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh. My. Gosh.
1) The fact that racist and antisemitic assignments are given by educators today disgusts me and always will. Kids learn too much hate from home. They should be safe at school.
2) This novel is amazing. Not only is it written by a Jewish woman, but it addresses antisemitism beautifully, showing strength in the students who speak out against injustice and an assignment that condones it.
3) I loved that some chapters were written outside of Logan's and Cade's point of view. I love that Logan and Cade stepped up and did the right thing.
4) I loved this book.

Fabulous! Difficult to read. Made me cringe at parts and self-examine what I would say or do in certain situations. Should be a must read for schools. I honestly didn’t understand the “problem” with the assignment as the teacher explained (one needs to fully relate to what they are opposing in order to effectively debate it in real life) until I understood my own naivety insofar as I truly couldn’t fathom that hatred like that of the Nazi’s once existed or still persists. I didn’t know hatred on a visceral level. The teacher was too much of an idealist and assumed all of his students “knew” genocide was abhorrent. To know this book is based on the courage of two teenagers who stood up to not only their teacher and principal, but their classmates and town is both inspiring and compelling.

This book follows two teens at a small upstate New York high school who are against an assignment their history teacher assigns them to defend the Nazi Solution (killing all Jews and other "undesirables").There were a lot of point of views (beyond the two main characters of Cade and Logan), which some readers may enjoy...or not! I wished the point of view changes kept the same -- we were flipped from first person to third person a lot. I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to school librarians and classrooms.

This was a very good read. However, because I had read Todd Strasser's classic, The Wave, ( spoiler alert, I know Todd personally), I was a bit confused at the beginning. I kept thinking, this is a total rip off of Todd's book. But I kept going and I am glad I did. The author fleshed out the story with a romance and more contemporary issues. The characterizations were authentic and compelling, both the heroes and the antagonists. The writing was fluid and kept me turning the pages. All in all, I would recommend both Todd Strasser's The Wave and Liza Wiemer's The Assignment

When I was in grammar school there was an ABC Afterschool Special, The Wave. If you saw it, you remember that last scene, the shock on everyone's face (and if you haven't seen it, I'm sure it's available somewhere). So when I read about this book, I thought that this would be a great read because of the similarities. I also remember the real life incident on which it's based, so... there were no surprises. Not even the twists were surprises.

Why four stars? Because even today, understanding why the Germans so easily gave in to the Nazi ideology. Because despite "never again" statements, it has happened again and again and again. And there are teachers to do similar assignments (one teacher I worked with asked students to write a brief paper from the perspective of a slave). Should students protest? Yes. And perhaps having this book bring the issues around these types of assignments alive may prompt some changes.

eARC provided by publisher.

The basic story is that you shouldn’t make fascism or racism something that can be debated, and yet the current occupant of the White House does just that.

So this novel, based on a true story, is both timely and sad. Timely, because this sort of racism is happening all around us, and sad that it is still happening. That really, nothing has changed.

The novel itself is well written. It is a little slow in the beginning, and has a bit of romance thrown in to the mix, which I felt was unnecessary at the beginning of the book, but saw how it was important to keep the main characters together, and stand as one.

Some of the plot is telegraphed, but the not all, and the whole novel picks up speed about half way through, as we see more and more the underlying racism of the community. It is not just anti-Semitic, but anti-gay as well, and misogynistic to boot.

Recommended in these times of strife, and hate.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I had mixed feelings about this. As someone who adores <i>The Wave</i>, this had big shoes to fill (to consider itself similar), and in some ways, I felt it measured up, but in others, it definitely didn't make it.

I think my biggest disappointment here was the missed opportunity to look at the bigger picture of *right* versus *wrong*. What I mean by that is that in the first quarter of the book, when Logan and Cade are forming their thoughts about the assignment, Logan is adamant that it's simply morally wrong. There's no grey area in her opinion, and not a single person (adults even) step up to point out that her insistence that it has to simply be cancelled altogether rather than altered in any way was pretty dogmatic and arrogant. That can be true to youth (and all of us), without a doubt, but it bothered me a bit that there wasn't at least one character who tried to explain that this type of perspective is often part of the problem. To me, one of the reasons that <i>The Wave</i> is such a powerful book is because it clearly illustrates many of those nuances and complexities.

I also found it a little frustrating that Logan could do no wrong. Her character essentially had no moral flaws (other than the dogma -- which wasn't shown to be a flaw), and that's never the case in reality. In fact, that's why most situations like this are so incredibly complex -- because there is no easy answer.

Although this didn't live up to its potential for me, I did appreciate some of the ideas given here (such as with the outcome for Mr. Bartley) and the multi-POV throughout. I liked that Cade and Logan faced detractors, even though, again, the complexity was missing. I was definitely engaged throughout. Still, though I think this is a great book for teens to read to show them how to stand up for their beliefs no matter what, as far as actually giving the reader insight into how the Nazis were able to get the Germans to turn a 'blind eye' to what was happening, this book definitely misses the mark for me.

(Also, a lot of what's going on right now could be addressed through books like this, but because this book is so black-and-white, ignoring deeper issues and ideas, it instead sadly reflects the lack of critical thought and understanding going on in our society today.)

Seniors Logan and Cade are best friends on very different trajectories. Logan’s in the running for valedictorian and headed for a big name college, while Cade sees his future taking over the rustic inn now run by his parents and his grandma. When their well respected history teacher assigns students to reenact the Council of Wannsee which will require some of them to argue for Hitler’s plan to exterminate the Jews and other deemed expendable, Logan and Cade are uncomfortable. Seeing some of their classmates begin to immitate Nazi salutes slides Logan and Cade into firm opposition which puts them at odds with the teacher and the administration while unlocking some startling family secrets for Cade. A light romance, told from multiple viewpoints, based on an actual high school assignment, will promote thoughtful conversation - would make an excellent title for a book club,

I did not think that I could get through the book (in the beginning). Readers received the introduction of the assignment (hence the title), and I was completely outraged. The indifference of some the characters (and how they reminded me of former classmates/coworkers), built a rage inside of me. I questioned wanting to continue reading this book. I AM SO GLAD THAT I DID!!!

This book is a must-read!!! I have studied the Holocaust and World War II since reading Number the Stars in 5th grade. I have had the honor of meeting multiple Holocaust survivors in person. As a person of color, I am able to truly empathize. This book, in my opinion, brings so many relevant ideas to the forefront and does a wonderful job of making them comprehensible for young adults. I will make sure to buy a copy (or three) for my classroom. This is a must read!

The story focuses on Cade Crawford, Logan March, and other students have been given an assignment that was highly contentious. As the story unfolds, readers get the fallout and how the assignment impacted so many people (inside and outside of the classroom). I would rate this book 10 stars if I could.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this fabulous book. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Is it uncomfortable to read at times? Yes. Is it sad in parts? Most definitely. However, this book is a necessary story to hear. I had not previously heard the true story that this novel is based on, about two teens who stood up to a teacher and school over an assignment regarding the Holocaust that they felt was morally wrong. The author's afterword that details some of the original story, as well as stories of assignments given by other teachers were enlightening to say the least. The novel itself is a fictionalized version of this, detailing what happens when Logan and Cade are given an assignment to prepare for a debate on the pros and cons of the Final Solution for the Jews. It is a wholly abhorrent idea, debating pros and cons for trying to end the Jewish people. And the two teens recognize right away that their teacher is wrong in thinking that his assignment will do anything other than help perpetuate anti-semitism and racism in their school and local community. This book details the fallout, switching chapter by chapter from the perspectives of various students and adults as it all plays out. It includes heartbreaking facts regarding the Holocaust and concentration camps the likes of which I learned in school, but which continue to be horrifying and heartbreaking every time I learn more about them. This book has a very powerful message of standing up for what is right against people in authority, friends, etc- and extending a sense of community and humankind.

This book is hard to read. It's a book most Jews can probably relate to, unfortunately. But it's such an important book about an important topic, and it's gripping. I think I read it in a few hours, I couldn't put it down. I would recommend this book wholeheartedly. It's one of my top recommendations for YA Jewish book lists.

I don't want to spoil the book because I think it's really important to read it to get all the nuances, but essentially it's about two teens who have an assignment that goes against their moral code. Unfortunately, no one else in their class seems willing to speak out about it. This story is about what happens when they challenge the system.

Logan and Cade are given a morally abhorrent assignment, one that forces them to think as a Nazi would. When their favorite teacher Mr. Bartley assigns his History of World Governments class to reenact the debate at the Wannsee Conference, the two friends know they must act. In this fast-paced novel, Logan and Cade work together to craft an alternative project on the nearby Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter, but they are met with resistance from their teacher and school principal. The rejection forces them to seek out the help of Humanity for Peace and Justice. The resulting news coverage forces Mr. Bartley to allow students to participate in the alternative assignment, but he does not initially cancel the debate. Told in rotating viewpoints, Wiemer’s novel weaves together the narratives of those involved and traces how Logan and Cade work to stop the assignment. Based on a real classroom assignment, the novel features discussions of hate, bigotry, racism, and anti-Semitism. The alternating points of view enables readers to gain a deeper understanding of the issues depicted throughout the novel. Although the plot twist at the end seems unrealistic, the book’s central themes and focus on modern day anti-Semitism remains poignant.

3.75 stars. What I enjoyed most from this story was Cade, his Nana & their inn, and his connection to Logan. I never was able to fully buy into the intensity of The Assignment and the stories/lessons on Jewish history seemed forced into the structure at times. I was never “all in” or lost in the story. I can’t pinpoint why yet....maybe the writing style and format?