I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a copy fo this book in exchange for an honest review. Through this poignant and heartbreaking novel, we get varied glimpses of WW2 from the perspectives of three children who have vastly different experiences. Kessler’s vivid writing transports us back to the dark horrors of war whilst reminding us of the fragments of hope that can be found through new friendships and inner strength. The message I took away from this book was that of humanity and to learn acceptance of those around us, regardless of varied ethnicity and religious beliefs.

When the World Was Ours
Author: Liz Kessler
Genre: Middle Grade Historical
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ • ⭐️ / 5
Reviewed: Maya

[Trigger Warning: Holocaust, racism, death, internment camps, violence, torture, emotional abuse, death of a loved one, murder]

This should have been a much more emotional, difficult read than it was. I struggled connecting with the writing style especially as there were three perspectives, two in first person and one in third person which I found very annoying and confusing. There were quite a few chapters which felt very patronising to me because the language was extremely childish and didn’t add anything to the storyline. The beginning and the end of the book felt like they were written by different people - the beginning was childish and difficult to read whereas the ending would definitely be for more mature readers which makes it hard to recommend this book to a certain age. The later half of the book was much more interesting and gave me that drive to ignore life and continue reading, which was why this rating is higher than the beginning of this review would insinuate. There was definitely research put into this book which was able to give me a further insight into Nazi Germany and what this meant for the Jewish people and for the Nazis. I would recommend reading this to learn more about Nazi Germany, especially from a child’s point of view.

Huge thanks to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster (Australia) and of course Liz Kessler for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is set for the 1st of February, 2021.

When The World Was Ours by Liz Kessler is an exceptionally written book following the lives and experiences of three children growing up during World War 2, children who have vastly different experiences as they navigate the challenges, trauma, new friendships and explorations of WW2.

Kessler uses the different perspectives of all three children to provide multiple perspectives of WW2, allowing new audiences to develop empathy for those who encountered and struggled through the horrible event that World War 2 was. Kessler's imagery and writing allows readers to travel back in time and develop a clearer and stronger understanding of their experiences. Furthermore, the way Kessler links their experiences to the importance of ensuring an event like WW2 doesn't happen again through the last chapter, encourages readers to make a difference, support and accept others for who they are, no matter their race, religion, gender or other beliefs.

For lovers of Goodnight Mr Tom, I definitely recommend this book!

When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler tells the moving, powerful story of three children from Vienna as their lives descend from the dizzying heights of a birthday Ferris wheel ride to the lows of Second World War anti-Semitism. Moving quickly through time, this extraordinary novel rotates through the very different perspectives of Leo, Elsa, and Max as they respectively navigate escaping to England, surviving concentration camps, and joining Hitler Youth.

Inspired by a true story, When the World Was Ours is set across spaces and time, moving through moments and places in the midst of Nazism and the Second World War. Liz Kessler does a fantastic job of painting a realisitic and evocative picture of the world in which her insight into the lost magic of childhood in Vienna, the sense of loss that comes with a move to a new place, and the brutality of the concentration camps dotted throughout 1940s Europe.

The three main characters in When the World Was Ours, Leo, Elsa, and Max, are equally central to the narrative, each brining their own unique insights and experiences to the story. By using three linked characters with such greatly differing experiences of the war, Liz Kessler is able to offer something very powerful and unique to the catalogue of Second World War stories. Through Leo, Elsa, and Max, readers learn about love, friendship, right, wrong, hope, loss, fear, and more in clever, powerful ways.

When the World Was Ours focuses on themes of friendship, hope, love, and survival. It is the kind of story that sticks with its readers long after they have finished reading. I’d recommend When the World Was Ours to readers of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

When The World Was Ours is a poignant and moving read. Written simply, from the point of view of children. That element gives it a powerful kick.

I am always drawn to titles that are set in the Holocause time in history. When The World Was Ours is no exception. It is gritty, confronting and moving. But it is also heart-warming. A great read.

Leo, Elsa and Max, three best friends living in Vienna. They experience one of those rare ‘perfect days’ celebrating Leo’s 9th birthday…and then the world as they know it changes, and friends become enemies. Leo and Elsa are Jews and Max is not.
The book follows these three characters on their separate, very different journeys through the years from 1936 to 1945.
I won’t give too much away, but the idea from this story came from the authors own grandfather. He is the Leo in this story, and the chance encounter he had with a visiting English couple in Vienna turned out to change the course of his life.
This book is heartbreaking, so be prepared. It is a story of the holocaust, and all of the horrors that surround that time in our history. Not everything is explicitly explained, such as what happens to the Jews told to go to the left at Auschwitz, or what exactly Elsa’s friend Greta has to do, to get the extra food from the Nazi officers, but it’s all there.
We get to see both sides in this book. What is was to be Jewish, but also what it was to be a young German boy who grew up with one wish; to be part of the Hitler Youth. Impossible to understand in hindsight, but how much did these young men really know about what being a Nazi soldier meant, in practice.
All of the darkness and sadness aside, this is also a story about family, hope and the memories of perfect days that keep us going, when the world is falling apart.