The Last Checkmate was a different approach to a historical fiction book about World War II. Although I liked the general idea of this book, it ended up being a little draggy for me. Centered around a non-Jewish woman, sent to a concentration camp with her family (who were quickly murdered there) this is her story of how her knowledge of chess ultimately saved her life.

Again, it was a little repetitive and draggy, and I had a difficult time keeping minor characters apart, since they were so similar and in similar situations. I also thought there were a lot of coincidences in the book (to make the book flow better) that weren't very realistic to happen in real life. Although I mostly enjoyed the book, those kind of literary coincidences to make the plot flow more easily were difficult for me to get beyond. Although I would recommend the book to those who really enjoy this subject and point in history, I would not recommend it to your average light reader of WWII historical fiction.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It was good but not absolutely amazing. Told from the perspective of a 14 year old girl sent to Auschwitz and how she survived there.

Maria Florkowska is held prisoner in a concentration camp during World War II in Germany. She is teenager wise beyond her years enduring and surviving under circumstances that would make most adults give up. You love Maria as she is smart, sweet and adaptable. She survives by playing chess and attracts the attention of the head of the prison. We watch her cope with unbearable situations. The book is inspiring and overwhelming in places.

The Last Checkmate
Written by Gabriella Saab

Maria is a young 14 year old Polish resistance fighter during WW2. She, her mother, mother's best friend and daughter helps to rescue Jewish children by putting them with Catholic families. This ends abruptly when she's caught and her entire family gets sent to Auschwitz as political prisoners. The next 4 years are survival.

The friendship of the 3 young women, Maria, Hania & Irena is endearing and I wanted nothing more that they remained friends forever. Both with their own personality, desire to live and fight in their own way, bravery & fierce protectiveness of each other and their family.

Maria holds onto her mastery of chess as she plays in a game that may cost her life.

I enjoyed this story and learned more about such a dark time in history.

This is a very tough read, because it's such an overwhelmingly sad story. It's well written with very strong female characters who come to life on the page. The chess angle was interesting and a great theme in the book. The book was really well researched. Every time I read a story of the holocaust, I'm just so sad and astonished on how cruel people can be to each other. Books like this are important, because we can never forget.

A heartbreaking novel. I enjoyed the chess aspect. I found this story very interesting and I look forward to seeing what is next for this debut author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover this was a debut novel! This is a sad story of a 14 year old girl who was caught doing resistance work and she and her family were sent to Auschwitz. This book gets up close and personal to the torture and degradation that went on in the concentration camp. I did find the MC's voice a little unrealistic, as I kept forgetting she was supposed to be 14; she kept acting older. All in all, an insightful book about what it took to survive in Auschwitz and the resulting PTSD that occurred afterwards.

4.5 Stars.

I enjoyed this book very much: the primary character had moxie and did what was necessary to survive in Auschwitz and avenge the murders of her family. One must expect atrocities when reading a book set in a death camp, and this had plenty, but the plot was so good, it didn’t bother me as much as I’d feared. I know nothing about chess, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t take any notes or highlight any passages in this book—I was too busy enjoying it. Although the protagonist is fictional, several others are based on real individuals, including Karl Fritzsch, the Nazi officer who served as the deputy commandant of Auschwitz, and Father Maksymilian Kolbe, a priest and political prisoner. Pope John Paul II canonized Kolbe in 1981.

The Last Checkmate would have earned 5 stars, but the debut author made some rookie writing mistakes that bothered my editor brain. Her first novel was picked up by William Morrow, though, so I expect good things in her next novel (which is already in the works). If you like WWII fiction with strong female leads, check this out. 4.5 stars.

As stated in the description, this book takes a young female chess phenom, like the girl from The Queen’s Gambit, and places her in the hostile environment of Auschwitz and Birkenau. Here the stakes are higher than ever. Maria is now known by the number tattooed on her arm and she is forced to play chess by the cruel camp deputy. The results of the contest can be deadly.

Maria luckily finds a few friends who help her survive the brutality and abuse. One is the real Father Kolb, a priest who helped people at the camp. He offers a sense of serenity to the frantic young girl. Others also do what they can to assist her.

As expected, stories of concentration camps are stomach churning. The horrors prisoners faced are difficult to read. But the humanity of one person reaching out to another, saves the plot from the darkness of the setting. Maria and her few friends form a bond that is key to survival.

Maria’s chess skills manifest in a keen ability to strategize. Her brilliance is also integral to her endurance. The heinous deputy who controls her life, who demands she play chess, who taunts and threatens, becomes a target in Maria’s mind. He also fuels her resolve.

Saab doesn’t shy away from the atrocities of the camp and readers will find the small kindnesses in the book stand out in stark contrast. Part of the survival instinct of Maria and others rests in the mindset of determination, of a will to not give up. Many events are totally out of one’s control, but the daily persecution has a huge impact on the character’s psyche. So the desire to fight back, to resist, to get revenge can help some survive the intolerable conditions.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There were times where the amount of chess talk was overwhelming and I wasn’t quite sure what I was reading but I felt that Saab told a unique story that kept the reader enthralled.

I literally don't even know how to write a review for The Last Checkmate by Gabriella Saab, and I don't think I would ever know the words to properly articulate just how important, heartbreaking, and inspiring this book is. I have read my fair share of historical fiction based on WWII and specifically Auschwitz, but none of them were quite like this. There was a little bit of overlap since not every story about this awful time can be fully unique, but for the most part, there were a lot of things here that were new to me. Most of all, I loved that Saab took chess and made it such a large part of Maria's world both prior to her going to Auschwitz and while she was there. I actually went into the book having not read the synopsis and I highly encourage this route if you are okay with not knowing exactly what it is about. I think it hit me that much harder that way and yet it still involved so more than what the synopsis mentions as is wont to happen.

I decided to listen to The Last Checkmate on audio, and I don't even know what would have happened if I would have actually read it. For one, the narrator Saskia Maarleveld was absolutely phenomenal, and two her emotion in time with the story was everything I could have wanted and more. There were many times when I wanted to pause the book, and I probably would have set it down if I had been reading it because some parts were just so hard to get through. Despite the horrible Nazis that fill these pages, there were still some wonderful characters as well, and our MC Maria was one of them. The fact that The Last Checkmate is a debut just completely blows me away and it is very clear to me that this was very well-researched. I loved and appreciated Saab's author note at the end, which is also read in the audiobook, and was happy to find out the physical book includes historical figures from the novel which made for some very interesting reading. I can't even begin to imagine what Saab's sophomore novel will be like, but I will tell you I am 100% here for it no matter what it is.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

5 tear filled stars 💫💫💫💫💫 for this author’s debut novel!
It was gut wrenching to read at times but the theme of human connection and loving kindness permeated throughout. These moments offered hope thus helped me better process the trauma the characters suffered.
Maria never stopped playing chess, whether it be with game pieces or with her master plan against the sadistic war criminal who tortured her. Her mind was always engaged and her determination to win/checkmate kept her in survival mode.

The relationship that develops between Marian and Hania and Irena is a testament to love. The loving connection they form was not only life sustaining but offered each of them a purpose. The power of women friendships in the midst of chaos and death was remarkable to witness as a reader.

Take the time to read the authors note at the end. The addition of historical facts reminds the reader that the atrocities committed were real and should never be forgotten.

This book should earn its place cinematically. It is a story that must be told about people who endured much more than humanly possible.

This book touched me personally as I’ve worked with many WW II survivors in my role as a gerontological therapist. I will always remember their courage in coming for counselling and I feel privileged to have witnessed their healing as memories were reprocessed. Their strength and resilience will not soon be forgotten.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Wow - was not expecting this - loved this book.
The chess theme is incorporated throughout the novel. It shows 14 year old Maria, during happier times, playing with her Dad then she plays at Auschwitz and survives just by playing chess. The last checkmate is her final face-off against her nemesis. As expected this accurately portrays the cruelty and suffering experienced by not just the Jewish but other non-Jewish resistance members and it is realistic and hard to read at times. I loved the Father Kolbe that befriended her. To my surprise I realized after finishing that he was a real priest and his story was cleverly incorporated. Many of the characters were based on real people. An extraordinary amount of research went into writing this novel. I highly recommend this story which is hard to read yet still gives you hope.

Maria Florkowska is held prisoner in a concentration camp during World War II in Germany. She is teenager wise beyond her years enduring and surviving under circumstances that would make most adults give up. You love Maria as she is smart, sweet and adaptable. She survives by playing chess and attracts the attention of the head of the prison. We watch her cope with unbearable situations. The book is inspiring and overwhelming in places.

I am thankful that the publishers allowed me to read and review an advanced copy of this book. I'm a sucker for WWII historical fiction, and this book did not disappoint. They relationships between the characters, and they way they depend on one another for survival was really enjoyable to read. This was unlike so many other books I have read in this genre and I'd definitely recommend it to WWII readers.

I thought I was ready for this book but I really wasn’t. This story while fiction, is based off real characters some of whom are truly evil and this story took me on one bumpy emotional roller coaster. It was extremely well written and while some of it was hard for me to read, this story of survival is going to be one of my top reads of the year.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I did not enjoy this book. I didn't feel there was any character growth, and I had trouble with the facts that we know about Auschwitz being adjusted to fit the narrative. This might just be my personal bugaboos, as I see it's largely well received. I also prefer a more literary style of writing and I found this style to be more rudimentary, perhaps in keeping with the young protagonist's voice. While I would not personally recommend this book if you prefer more literary fiction, I'm sure there are those who like this style of literature based in this time and place who will enjoy it, such as those who enjoyed Tattooist of Auschwitz and similar novels.

What an extremely well written, deeply researched, haunting novel! To find out it is also the author's debut is even more impressive. I've read many accounts of the horrors of concentration camps over the years and it never gets easier, but it's such a major part of history that needs to be remembered. Gabriella wrote this novel in such a way that you feel so much, right along with the characters! I'll definitely be recommending this book and will be looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of The Last Checkmate by Gabriella Saab.
This book is heart wrenching and difficult to read, but so important. Gabriella Saab uses the game of chess as a metaphor as well as a theme throughout the book. I was thankful for the author's note at the end, and the explanations of what elements she created. My only wish is that this book was based on a true story rather than a fictional character.

Gabriella Saab has created a tense World War II historical fiction set in Warsaw Poland and Auschwitz, the infamous work and death camp, with the plot revolving around Maria, whose parents are involved in resistance work, and rescue of Jewish children. Fourteen year old Maria begs to become a part of the network, and reluctantly Irina agrees to mentor her. It is dangerous, one can never be too careful, and inevitably, Maria, her parents, and two younger siblings are arrested and sent to Auschwitz. On their arrival, the family is subjected to the notorious selection process under the direction of Karl Fritzsch, the Nazi officer who served as the deputy commandant of Auschwitz. He notices the Maria clutches a chess piece in her hand, and as he sends her family to their deaths, he wickedly decides to entertain himself and the camp staff by having her play chess with him in exchange for her life. Unbeknownst to him, Maria's father was well versed in chess, and he had shared his knowledge and skill with Maria during nightly chess games.This begins Maria's a four year journey through hell. The quality of writing, character development, plot points and twists, and historical accuracy based on research make this debut a “must read.”