A lovely book. I really enjoyed reading this - especially in light of the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, it's interesting to look back on a pivotal but little-thought-of period in Eastern European history. The characters drew me into the conflict, and I loved all of them. I got a little confused switching between Polish and Ukrainian place and people names, so I wouldn't recommend an audiobook. Also the cover is gorgeous.

Franklin writer Amanda McCrina’s The Silent Unseen grew out of the research for her previous World War II novel, Traitor, and a burning question it inspired. In an author’s note for the new book, she writes, “After ‘liberation,’ what happened to the millions of Eastern Europeans — many of them children, some as young as ten — who were taken by the Germans for use as a massive slave labor force in German factories and on German farms?” McCrina set out to find the answer.

The Silent Unseen takes place in late July 1944. By that time, the war in Europe has been raging for nearly five years. According to the historical note at the front of the book, “German forces are being pushed back on both fronts. Britain and the United States have gained a foothold in France. The Soviet Red Army, with the help of the Polish Resistance, is advancing through Poland.” The Germans retreat west, and the Soviets consolidate power in Poland by disarming and arresting Polish Resistance soldiers while also beginning a brutal campaign on the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, known by the Ukrainian acronym UPA.

The novel centers around two main characters: Maria, who is Polish, and Kostya, who is Ukrainian.

Maria Kaminska spent two and a half years as an Ostarbeiter, a slave worker forced to perform labor for Germany in Rüsselsheim. Now, she is making her way home to Bród, Poland, to find her parents and her brother Tomek. She has no proof that anyone in her family is still alive, nor does she know if Bród still exists as it once did, but she has nowhere else to go and she has to know what happened.

Kostyantyn “Kostya” Lasko is also making his way home to Bród after two and a half years as a courier for the UPA, which serves as the army of the Ukrainian nationalist movement. The UPA fought at various times against the Soviets, the Germans, and the Polish Resistance, but their goal was to “carve out an independent Ukraine from Poland’s disputed southeastern borderlands.” The courier job is highly dangerous, and Kostya wants out. He needs to know what happened to his mother and sisters, whom he believes are still in Bród.

When Maria makes it home to Bród, now in ruins, and witnesses the torture and wounding of Kostya by Soviet NKVD officers, she saves his life only to discover that he is with the UPA, the enemy. But these days everyone is an enemy, and it’s hard to know who to trust. When Maria leaves Kostya to find help, she is reunited with Tomek, who is now a squad leader in the Polish Resistance. Kostya effectively becomes a prisoner of war, and Maria is forced to consider how much a person’s nationality or political allegiance matters. This is war. Everyone’s number one goal is to survive, no matter the cost. Can Maria blame Kostya for his questionable past? Once Maria learns that UPA was responsible for the burning of the city nearest hers, she could only look at Kostya “and see my murdered parents. I would look at him and see what his people had done to mine.”

Tomek, after interrogating Kostya, devises a plan to approach Kostya’s superiors back in Lwów to negotiate an allegiance so that the Polish Resistance and the UPA can team up to fight against the Soviets. After finally being reunited with her brother, Maria is forced to say goodbye to him again. But when Tomek does not return, she and Kostya, unlikely allies, set out to find him.

McCrina expertly navigates the tangled web of ever-shifting allegiances during the chaos of World War II, making the minutia of war accessible to even the most unknowledgeable readers of history. There are many different forces of power fighting — Soviets, the UPA, the Polish Resistance — and even more with stakes in the war from afar, including the United States and Britain. Nearly every force has enemies on all sides, but in The Silent Unseen, these enemies can sometimes also be the unlikeliest of allies, and civilians like Maria become essential in the war against injustice.

Thoughts
I didn't think I was going to like this one. I requested an advance copy purely to diversify my upcoming reviews. There isn't a lot of YA historical fiction that comes out each year. And I was surprised--so pleasantly surprised--to read this voice-y narrative that explores an unknown-to-me piece of history, history that is especially relevant to current global conflicts. It is more relevant at the time of this review's publication, even, than it was when I read the book initially.


Pros
Concurrent History: Though the YA historical fiction market is relatively sparse, the historical fiction market in general is saturated with World War II stories. I mean, we've got to talk about it. Those who forget history are doomed, and all that jazz. But after awhile, there's only so much more than can be said. I'll admit, I was a little disappointed when my eARC got approved and I re-read the description. I thought, More WW2? But this book was a delight, because it was about WW2 but also not about WW2. WW2 is the backdrop, the bigger picture behind this story, but the heart of this novel is a much more localized, much more human-scale conflict, right on the border of Poland and the Ukraine, with a heavy Soviet presence. And I mean, if that isn't relevant... WW2 sets up the conflict, but it's a different piece of (concurrent) history that this book brings to light. I love that.

Dual Narrative: A two-sided story deserves to have both sides showcased. This book hops between these two necessary perspectives. The narrative voices for Kostya and Maria are unique and different, and they help to illuminate what might otherwise be difficult for an outsider to understand: ethnic differences that are part of a character, part of a culture and of socialization, that are hard to see from the outside. The fact that we get both Maria and Kostya's perspectives really illuminates the struggle, the prejudice, and ultimately the willingness to overcome and readjust.

Proactive Protagonists: I just really love characters who actually do something, especially female characters in historical novels. Characters with passion and bite are great. Both characters here are willing to do what they need to in order to get what they want, while also not being overly rash or reckless. They understand the danger and the constraints of their current situations, but they are still willing, as necessary, to act.


Cons
Confusing Sides: Especially at the beginning, as I was just getting into the story, it was a little confusing who stood where in this three-sided conflict (the third side being the invading Soviets). Especially from Kostya's perspective--Kostya, who knows so much more than Maria and feels the itching of betrayal and backstabbing right away--I wasn't sure who was betraying who to whom and why this betrayal was happening. Things sorted themselves out as the narrative went on, but the beginning was a little rough, especially because this bit of history isn't as well known as some other aspects of WW2.

Plotless?: See the question mark. Feel the question mark. Because this critique is a question. There is... kind of a plot. But this plot isn't overarching or cohesive. More than anything, this is a character study, an experiment in worldbuilding and bringing new history to light. Those looking for plot-heavy, plot-driven stories might not enjoy this read. I still enjoyed it, even if it was a bit meandering.

Unseen Unseen: This is more a critique of the title than anything else, but I know some readers get hot when the title or the back blurb don't match the story itself. And here, any such heat is at least a little warranted. The titular "Silent Unseen" is hardly in this book. He hardly plays a part in it, even as a motivating background character. I didn't mind. I enjoyed the characters we had at the forefront too much to mind. But the title is still misleading.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
9/10

Those who want a bit of reality cast on the gloom of George Orwell's 1984 should check out this newly-Soviet state. Those who appreciated the ironies of Joseph Heller's Catch-22 will enjoy the heartbreaking circles of this war tale.

Okay, so I want to preface this by saying that I really think the story, the history and the themes of this book are so very important and need to be told. As a piece of historical fiction, you can tell the author does her homework with the research, and it brings to light a side of WW2 history that I never knew about before. And the author is a very talented writer, that is to be sure. The reason this book was rated 3 stars as opposed to 4 stars is that I listened to the audiobook ARC and the narrator just didn't do it for me. The book lost my attention and didn't grip me for this reason, so I wasn't fully immersed in the story in a way that would make me give it a higher rating. I would have done A LOT better reading this in print, I think. And the ending felt really abrupt. Is this supposed to be a series? Because I thought it was a standalone which kind of threw me off.

The Silent Unseen
A Novel of World War II
by Amanda McCrina
Pub Date 05 Apr 2022 |
Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Historical Fiction | Teens & YA | Women's Fiction





I am reviewing a copy of The Silent Unseen through Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Farrah, Straus and Giroux and Netgalley:




The year is 1944, Poland, Sixteen year old Maria is making her way home after years of forced labor in Nazi Germany, only to find her village destroyed and her parents killed in a war between the Polish Resistance and Ukrainian nationalists. It shocks Maria to learn the local Resistance unit is commanded by her older brother, Tomek who she thought was dead. He is now a “Silent Unseen,” a special-operations agent with an audacious plan to resist a new and even more dangerous enemy sweeping in from the East.



After Tomek disappears, Maria is determined to find him, but the only person who might be able to help is a young Ukrainian prisoner and the last person Maria trusts even as she feels a growing connection to him that she can’t resist.


The Silent Unseen is a deeply intense, tightly woven tale of loyalty, lies, and love during wartime.


I give The Silent Unseen five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina is a book from the World War II era. I had no idea when I requested the title to review that it was the second in a series. I found that out about halfway thru the book when I looked at previous reviews and realized others had the same issue. The book tells a good story I am sure but there were characters who were introduced likely in the first book with backgrounds that would have helped me as the readers to fairly evaluate this book. Most will likely enjoy the book if they have read the first in the series. I will give it an average evaluation as I struggled to understand it in places and that was likely the fault of not knowing the back story. Thanks to #NetGalley#TheSilentUnseen for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Anything Poland and WW2 related I will read. No matter what. Not only was the story beautifully told, the pacing was perfect, the characters were solid and the world she created around this historical setting were superb. Excellent read, highly recommend.

What a timely read. The Silent Unseen is based on historical fact about the fight after WWII among the Poles and the Ukrainians. It’s an eye opening read and not for those who can’t bear to read about violence and death.
I did get lost with all the characters and names. My digital copy didn’t include the map, which would have been nice to view to orient myself while reading. I thought the e ding was abrupt and unfinished.
It’s a decent read, but I think it needed a bit more polishing and refining.

This book was fantastic, and taught me quite a bit about Hitler's time, and the war that went on between the Polish and Ukrainians as well. I had never heard a word, that I can recall, about the Silent Unseen. They were highly trained Polish men that were trained by the British, and were parachuted into the warzone, and left to collect information. It almost reminds me of our Navy Seals, or the SWAT teams. These men risked their lives for their cause, and their bravery amazes me. I am so happy to have learned about them through this book!
The novel follows several characters, all trying to navigate the war-torn area they are left in. There is Kostya, Tomek, Maria, and so many others. Maria has just escaped a labor camp, and is on a mission to get to her family. She meets Kostya along the way, who is trying to escape his time in the UPA. Tomek ends up being more involved in the war effort then anyone knows at first, especially Maria who is his sister, and who also believes he is dead. All in all it is a great read, that I thoroughly enjoyed!

I adore historical fiction, and this is such an interesting premise. I recommend because of the story itself, writing style, and its ability to transport you into a different world/time period.

This was such a gripping story that details a part of World War II that is frequently overlooked. Following the struggle for power between the Soviets, Ukrainians and Poles, this story takes a deep look at human nature, connection and hope.
Even though this was a work of fiction, I still feel like I learned so much new information about a period of history that has been covered in so many textbooks and other fictional books. It was definitely a different perspective on WWII than I’ve read about before.
I absolutely could not put this book down! I read it all in the course of less than 24 hours. It was really well-written and the pacing was fantastic. I didn’t feel like there were really any slow points in the plot at all.
It was really easy to connect with all of the characters. I really appreciated Kyrylo’s character arc and the romance subplot between Maria and Kostya was done very well. I love books that are told in dual perspectives and it added so much to the story to have both of their points of view.
This is a great book for historical fiction readers who are looking to learn about a different side of WWII.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!

I absolutely loved this book, as I loved McCrina's previous book TRAITOR. McCrina's prose is tight and always to the point. She doesn't waste time with unnecessary descriptions and over-explanations as so many books do. As in Traitor you get to know fully fleshed out characters, all with their own agenda and all with their own flaws, and even though they fight on different sides of a many-sided war, you get where all of them is coming from. I highly recommend this book. It is intricate, and it does pay off to read the historical notes first if you don’t have any prior knowledge to WW2 in Eastern Europe

After escaping from forced labor in Nazi Germany, Maria makes her way back home. Kostya flees for his life from the Ukrainian resistance after turning on his cousin. When resting in a loft, Nazi's bring in Kostya, shooting him in the knee. Maria shoots the Nazi's and the two flee. Maria reunites with her brother Tomek, a Polish resistance leader, and learns that the Ukrainian resistance slaughtered her village. The Polish resistance takes Kostya prisoner. Tomek travels to meet with the Ukrainian resistance in order to broker peace. When he does not return, Maria frees Kostya and forces him to help her.

This book felt like a young adult novel. The romance and plot was predictable. The characters were stereotypical and their interactions were one dimensional. Overall, 2 out of 5 stars.

Prior to reading this, I hadn't realized there was a prior book. If so, I wouldn't have read this until I'd read that one. Instead, I was a bit confused at times with this one. It did seem to be well researched and informative. I did find the characters well developed and realistic.

I did not realize that this was a companion novel to a prior book and maybe that would have helped me get into the story more. This is a part/time of WWII that I do not know as much about and I wish there was a little more background given about what was going on. I felt confused a lot of the time. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's for the ARC.

This is a complicated story about the end of World War II and the resistance fighters in Poland and the Ukraine. It is informative since most of us are not aware of the conflicts between resistance fighters and the problems with the Soviet Union, however since we are so uninformed the story is difficult to follow.

This book is amazing. One of my favorite books about World War II. Highly recommend!

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Maria and Kostya are incredibly fleshed out characters who had me by the neck in their emotional and turbulent journey. The terrifying conditions of Poland during WW2 are realized in an incredibly visceral way throughout this book which makes it an even more heart wrenching story. Amazing work of art!

First off thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy of this terrific historical fiction book in return for my honest review.

I have just gotten into historical fiction books and this era of post WW II in Europe is one of my favorites. The book will have you totally invested in the characters Maria and Kostya and shedding tears. At points it had me so angry, weapy and horrified, but I could not put it down. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This author just doesn't disappoint. This was so well researched for the time period and events--i have never heard of the silent unseen before. I loved every page turning minute of Maria and Kostya story. This was a WWII novel set in Poland in 1944 dealing with the Ukraine, Soviets, Germans and Polish Resistance. Excellent read!!!