THIS REBEL HEART-Katherine Locke

I received this book to my Kindle free to do a review.

Set in Hungary after WWII, Csilla is set to leave Hungary and be free from all the memories of the war and the Nazis that took her mother and father's lives. She and her Aunt are the only two family members left alive after the Holocaust. The river in Budapest speaks to Csilla and she draws strength from it.

When her family was running from the Nazis, her father had she and her Mom jump into the river. There they stayed until it was safe. Ultimately Mom and Dad were killed. Aunt had survived the Holocaust, even had her tattoed number still visible.

The book is full of mystery and suspense as Csilla changes direction and joins the rebel forces to keep her town from being taken over by the Russians.

I encourage readers of all ages to enjoy this great book.



#NetGalley #Goodreads #This Rebel Heart

Katherine Locke writes about a time in history that some may not be familiar with, though, they give a clear picture of the aftermath of WWII and how Hungary did not gain its full independence from the Soviet Union and its brutal regime during the Cold War.

Thought provoking, This Rebel Heart is infused with magic, Jewish history, and queer representation, Locke’s novel is one that will have readers eager to know this piece of history in its entirety.

Beautifully written, Locke, like author Ruta Sepetys, creates a story readers will absorb one page at a time.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

Haunting is a good word to describe the book. The main character is haunted, her city is haunted. So I enjoyed it and it's worth reading, especially to explore a new-to-me-setting, especially for the themes of religion/belonging/revolution/family, but it wasn't a new favorite.

The novel wasn't really what I expected. It's presented as a historical fiction, yet there are these currents of magic through it. Which is great, except the way the magic was done (won't mention details due to spoilers)/level of it didn't quite sit with me... like I either needed it to be more fantastical, or less. For how impactful the magic ended up being, I didn't *feel* it enough. However the general plot and the setting were lovely, I liked the story of this character grappling with her past and trying to enact change for the city she loved.

A phenomenal story of revolution and survival focusing on the Jewish and queer men effected by the Holocaust. As a queer Jew I felt very seen and instantly fell in love with the characters. Truly this had a little of everything I enjoy. There was a diverse and well written cast of characters, some I relate to and some I don't. It takes place after WWII and explores the character's trauma. There was magical realism based on Jewish folklore which was one of the coolest things to read about. And the writing style was very emotional and powerful. My one complaint would be I felt the beginning was stretched out and it took me some time to truly get into the story. I would have rated it three stars due to a lack of intersectionality that would have been fascinating to see, but then the book delivered. I truly cannot express how happy I am that I got to read this. I absolutely loved it and it is definitely worth reading.

This Rebel Heart
by Katherine Locke
Pub Date: April 5, 02022
Knopf for Young Readers
Thanks to the author, Knopf, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
I was excited to get the book because I love to read Historical fiction. *LGBT *
The author has done an excellent job conveying the more heavy subject matter in a manner fit for a YA novel, making it an engaging read that I would definitely recommend. It was a slow read for me, but other reviews have been much higher so maybe I will give it another try before purchasing it.
3 stars

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of This Rebel Heart. I wanted to like this one so much based on the buzz it's been getting from people in my book community whose opinions I really respect. I had high hopes going in, but for me, it just felt repetitive and very slow-moving. I thought maybe it was just the timing as I was trying to read this in the run-up to our school's spring break, so I set it aside and read something short and very different, but when I returned to This Rebel Heart, I was still struggling to find my groove with the narrative and ended up skimming my way through the remainder of the book. Because of the great reviews from others, I intend to give it another try this summer, and I'll recommend it to some of my more voracious guinea pig readers to see what they think before purchasing. Unfortunately, I think This Rebel Heart will be a difficult sell in my library.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Teen, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Set during the Hungarian revolution of 1956, This Rebel Heart tells the story of Csilla, a young Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust only for her parents to be murdered by the government. She and her aunt, her last surviving family member, plan to flee the country but her escape plans grind to a halt when her parents are unexpectedly cleared of the crimes they were executed for. As stirrings of a revolution begin in Budapest, Csilla must decide if she will stay and fight for what is right, even if it is for a country that she has never felt was truly hers.

The latter half of the twentieth century has never been a time period I’ve focused on too much for my historical fiction reads, but ever since I read I Must Betray You earlier this year, I’ve been curious to know more, which made this book a perfect addition to my reading list. This Rebel Heart was a beautifully written narrative with some excellent world building. It didn’t take long to grasp the background of the story and the descriptions were so vivid that it made it easy to visualize the events.

Csilla was a great main character, and her arc throughout this book was certainly an interesting one. It presents an astonishing story of a girl who used to do everything she could to fly under the radar and go unnoticed, struggling through some extremely bleak situations, but persevering and eventually growing stronger and surer of herself to the point that she steps up to do what is right, joining the revolutionary cause.

Magical realism is a trope I’ve always struggled with, and though in this case it did add a certain unique touch to the story, all in all, it felt a little too bizarre and did not work for me at all. For some reason, I assumed that the river whispering to Csilla and Budapest drained of color was a metaphor, so it was a bit of a shock when it turned out to be an actual fantasy element. The pacing wasn’t the best either, but it did pick up eventually, albeit well over 60% into the book when the action finally started.

Overall, this was a pretty good read even if some elements of it weren’t to my liking. I did however like the ending and how it was left open to interpretation in a way – though I suppose if you’re familiar with the history, you can probably take a logical guess at it. The author has done an excellent job conveying the more heavy subject matter in a manner fit for a YA novel, making it an engaging read that I would definitely recommend.

*DNF @ 25%*
Man I feel like a serial DNF reader but sadly this didn't work for me for a couple of reasons. First, the writing style wasn't balanced. Some sentences were great at describing how Csilla is "surviving" in 1956 Hungary or the Danube river. Other sentences were overlong or jarring or had weird word choices. So it was trying too hard or it was more jagged. The way the author kept using "he didn't disappear me" or "he would disappear them" drove me nuts! There was even a line where the protagonist had "forgotten" that her parents funeral was just the other day. She was so busy after waking up, being followed and then talking to stranger before going to work...that's too busy to remember how you felt at your parents funeral that was like the day before? That threw me off and this unbalanced writing drove me crazy. Plus, the writing just painted the protagonist as a one note character whose only paranoid and broken. I understand that she went through a lot as a child, but sometimes the unbalanced writing didn't focus on those minute details of her past to emphasize her various feelings of being betrayed by her country, suspicious of her after but also wanting her family back. It just didn't work...I love the idea of this book and events like this are important but writers like Ruta Sepetys pull this type of story off better. I possibly might try this author again, but man this didn't work for me but if you love historical fiction and the writing style doesn't bother you as much, it's worth a try.

This Rebel Heart is about how there can be success in what we might think of as failure. Value in inspiration and hope, in knowing the power of showing up, in making a mark. Mixing fantasy and history, Locke delivers a powerful book about sacrifice and safety. About standing our ground and reconciling a person we love with another side of them. The historical fiction setting is phenomenal. You feel the current of fear, the ways it doesn't even matter what you do, just what they say.

The air of secrecy and double meanings we have to immerse ourselves in. This setting, combined with the fantasy, creates a rich and detailed world of trauma and history. Of seeing a world leeched of its color and the power of promise. Csilla's experiences while reading her father's journals - and these snippets in the story - are fantastic. It's about reconciling the person we thought our loved ones were, with who we discover.

This Rebel Heart was set in Post-WWII Hungary and mainly follows Csilla, a Jewish girl who has survived the Holocaust, and even after the war still gets tailed to and from work. She is constantly reminded by her aunt - and her only surviving family member - to keep her head down so they could flee. The tension and feelings of uneasiness was palpable all throughout the book. With the city of Budapest described as devoid of color, this imagery only complimented the atmosphere. The premonition may be the angel of death that was called to the city.

I was immersed with this book from the very beginning. The first line and vivid writing captured me. After each chapter, there would be an excerpt of letters, journals, newspapers, etc, that provided more insight to a character's past (these were usually very sad), and depicted these times of unrest in another light. It's also through these that I appreciated the author's attention to detail. Everything that may seem insignificant at first was there for a reason, things were described in a certain way for a reason. I really had no qualms with the writing in this book, the prose was great. It surprised me in good ways.

This was also told in multiple POVs and my favorite was Csilla's. I loved her characterization and her growth. I could say the same of the triad here, Tamas and Azriel were also good characters but it was Csilla's that shone for me. These three are in a polyamorous relationship, their tenderness towards each other was nice to read about. I found this to be another highlight and though their relationship began quickly, it didn't annoy me the way instalove usually does. It didn't read like instalove, neither did it feel like it since their connections with each other was established earlier on. I also thoroughly appreciated how this relationship did not take the reader's attention away from the plot and the revolution ongoing. There was no character that was flat, I found them all to be written well including the side characters.

The ending was uncertain as the rest of the book. When I was 99% through, I always hoped that there was another page after each one I turned but since I doubt the events would be resolved by the last remaining percent, I had to come to terms with the fact that whatever would happen next would be up to me as the reader.

There were many things in this book that simply shone and surprised me, but on the other hand, the pacing was a bit off. The build up was slow and when things did pick up I found myself wanting more. This was probably the only reason I deducted a star; it didn't make the impact I thought it would. Nevertheless, I still really liked this, many things to appreciate.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
This Rebel Heart’s premise caught my attention immediately; while World War II is covered extensively (if from a somewhat insular perspective) in fiction, I never got a sense of the true global impact of it postwar, except from a purely British/American perspective. It’s incredibly poignant to read about characters who, having lived through and/or been impacted by the Holocaust, are now fighting again, against the odds, against another oppressive regime in Soviet-Communist controlled Hungary.
I really enjoy how the story is structured to capture the impact on the central characters in various different ways. Csilla experiences and participated in the events leading up to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution narratively, but there are also newspaper clippings that elaborate on the events. Interspersed throughout are her father’s journal entries from the 1930s-50s, capturing his own experiences with the oppressive regimes in power.
Csilla is a wonderful heroine. She‘s not without her own inner complexities, and a good portion of the book is her finding her way in this bleak situation. But she has a fire in her that pushes her to persevere, and I love that about her.
The story also features the perspective of an angel of death, Azriel, who is a mysterious figure at first, but over time, I loved getting to know him and getting a sense of his investment in the events that were unfolding. There’s also a third major, non-POV character, Támas, who has a polyamorous relationship with both Csilla and Azriel. In spite of the generally bleak nature of the book, I loved the abundance of great, varied queer rep.
I really liked the Jewish influences in the magic. It’s subtle, but it’s present and works within the historical context without it feeling otherworldly.
This book is wonderful, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a light infusion of fantasy.

This Rebel Heart is everything I want in a young adult novel. Set in 1956 Hungary, the book is steeped in historical and locational detail that provides incredible insight into the time period and culture. Of course, Locke's Hungary isn't exactly like the one in our world. It's literally been drained of color, and this is a universe in which you can meet an angel of death, be saved by a river, and create a golem. However, the story is so grounded in the realities of post-Holocaust trauma, anti-Jewish prejudice, life under Russian occupation, and the fears and hopes that go into starting a revolution that it's easy to forget that this is a fantasy novel at all. Locke's prose is beautiful, the characters are all richly drawn, and the story are world are absolutely enthralling. It's also refreshing to see a story that's deeply Jewish and features a queer, polyamorous romance. This Rebel Heart is a unique and exciting addition to the genre, and sure to be one of the best fantasy novels of the year.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this. 4.5/5 stars.

Holy heck. I don't think I've read a book with as much beautiful prose in it since The Book Thief, because those are the feels this book gave me. Not only was I drawn in by it being a place in Historical Fiction rarely covered -- Hungary, revolution post WW2 -- but the prose and the lyricism and the intensity of the plot and the symbolism and the folklore...I could just go on and on. This truly was simply stunning.

I did deduct it .5 a star though because I think some of the symbolism could have been fleshed out more -- why did they lose the ability to "see" in color? What was the river? But for the most part, I am lost for words on how simply stunning this novel is. Also, there's a lowkey poly relationship toward the end + LGBTQ rep and whatnot. It also deals with being complicit in situations of injustice and how sometimes the right decision does not always seem like the right, correct decision.

Just, ugh, simply amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adore Katherine Locke’s writing. Ever since The Balloonmakers Series, I’ve wanted to their books. They are amazing when it comes to YA historical fantasy and one of the few (if only) authors I enjoy and trust with the genre. I know meticulous research has been done and weaved in beautifully with the fantasy,

I will say that reading this book while the Russian invasion of Ukraine is still happening is… odd? There are elements and dialogue in this book that I think are applicable to what’s happening right now.

To the text, I was getting “The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina” vibes for some reason. I definitely wasn’t upset by that because I’m a fan of that book as well.

There was a heavy use of journal entires and letters, which I adore! At one point, we got less journal entries and I totally get why, but I missed them popping up.

I really liked the main relationship (and all of its participants) and I don’t know why, but I didn’t want to know more about them. Usually, I want to learn more about everybody after the fact. Perhaps it’s the book’s setting, but I felt okay with leaving them where we left them because the alternative is knowing what happens in the future. Hopefully that wasn’t confusing by I’m trying to avoid spoilers.

The writing is rather beautiful with this book, but there were a few places where I felt it in my heart and it was 😭. Those scenes were Csilla’s speech in Chapter 11; Chapter 39 is gorgeous and it’s an important plot point but DAMN; and the ending which how can you end a story so beautifully?

I loved this book. Anything written WW2 count me in. So many books don't speak about Hungary and their history so I really appreciated that! The writing was beautiful and lyrical and was so easy to read and enjoy. Highly recommend this book.

This is a beautiful story contains an amazing metaphor that the Danube river that divides Buda from Pest is the live blood of the city and it’s people and if you are willing to believe it can give you the strength to run over your banks.

It is set in 1956 Budapest, Hungary and follows Csilla a young Jewish woman born in Budapest before WWII raised in the Jewish Ghetto’s, lived through the war, and in now trying to figure out life in a Hungary that was “freed” by Russia and living under the boot of communism. Every thing she sees are in shades of gray because theye have lost so much that their world is drained of color. Csilla looks into her past for advice to lead her and Hungary into the future. Her ideas of her parents change as she learns more and so does her opinion of herself and her country.

My favorite quote from the book is “We know that tyranny can thrive anywhere. We forget that hope can too, and hope feeds rebellion.”

I am old enough to remember the unsuccessful Hungarian revolution, and it is another one of those times we should not forget. Csilla's story highlights that period in our shared history. The writing was sensitive and beautiful. I am aware of the current focus on being politically correct, and personally do not care what happens in anyone else's bedroom,, but I think the impact of this very sad story was a little smudged by the manner of the inclusion of the LBGT element in the story.

CONTENT WARNING: murder, trauma, grief, torture, antisemitism, violence, blood

This book came to my attention through some bookstagrammers highlighting upcoming Jewish releases, and I knew right away that I had to read this book. I had some high hopes for this book, and whoooooooo boy, the actual book left my expectations far behind. Yeah, it was that good.

I’ve really been digging historical fiction lately. This book manages to combine the most amazing historical fiction about a period that I know absolutely nothing about, amazing aspects of fantasy and Jewish folklore, as well as LGBTQ representation and no shortage of Jewish representation.

Csilla is a young Jewish woman who has survived the Holocaust, lives under Soviet rule in Hungary, and experienced enormous suffering for someone so young. Four years after her parents were executed by the Soviet police, they are publicly exonerated, which throws her carefully constructed secret plans to leave Hungary into chaos. And the way the author manages to put Csilla’s pain into words is absolutely amazing, yet hauntingly beautiful. She confronts the long history of antisemitism that Jews in Hungary (and other areas of the world), as well as how it continues to linger and impact so many areas of daily life.

“She didn’t know how to walk on the same places where people she’d loved had suffered and died, where people she’d never known and never would know had suffered and died. She didn’t know how to stay in the present and love the feeling of the sun on her face and at the same time hold the knowledge that someone else had suffered here with the sun on their face. She did not know how to remember and move on at the same time.”

Growing up as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I’ve seen that firsthand — the way people want to be able to move on, but also feel immense pressure to remember and bear witness, yet without allowing those memories and emotions to bog them down. Unlike many who chose to leave, Csilla’s parents chose to stay in their city, even though it didn’t always love them the way they loved it. But now that her parents were dead, Csilla and her aunt make the difficult choice to escape. Until everything changes.

“It stung to consider leaving Budapest, where her family had lived for hundreds of years. It burned to consider staying in Budapest, where her family had died for hundreds of years.”

Csilla’s opposing thoughts and feelings are clear throughout the story. Her parents had opposing views on things as well — her father was a revolutionary who worked to create change in Hungary, even if he didn’t always do the right thing, while her mother was a devout woman who only wanted to escape and lead a different life. Csilla is torn between both of these ideals, and it’s hard not to empathize with her character. She’s broken and hurt and scared, and living under an oppressive rule that crushes any opposition swiftly and brutally. But she also has so much loyalty to her city and wants to do whatever is best for everyone. Her own experiences have taught her that the government doesn’t always act in the best interests of the people they rule.

“A great number of things that were terrible were legal, and a great number of things that were fine were illegal. She knew, being a Jew, that governments were not always the wisest of voices as to who was worthy of her respect and who was not, who deserved humanity and who did not.”

There’s so much tension throughout the book. I loved how Csilla’s trauma is explored in her thoughts and actions, and the way that she relates to the people in her life. This story takes us through the steps towards revolution, and for a lot of the story, it felt like there was a pot getting ready to boil over. I was absolutely transfixed by this story, and the characters in it.

A lot of the fantasy elements come from Jewish folklore, and there are Jewish themes running boldly throughout the story. I loved how Jewish practices were portrayed as important to maintain, despite government pressure against practicing. Csilla and her aunt are forced to practice in secret, but cling to their heritage with both hands. This book offered me a new perspective to understand, with the Jewish characters being portrayed as wise, resilient, and strong fighters, even though they have been through so much trauma. But the non-Jewish characters show a willingness to accept Csilla for who she is, although antisemitism is ingrained in society.

“Antisemitism formed everything around her. She was used to knowing that the people around her would rather that she was dead, and if they didn’t do it themselves, they wouldn’t stop someone else from doing it. It was part of being a Jew in Europe, her mother said. It was like that before the war, and it’d be like that for all of time. She was not used to someone recognizing her Jewishness and not hating her for it.”

This book is an absolute standout in a crop of recent experiences. I fell in love with the story, the characters, and the beautiful writing. It’s rare that a book gives me actual chills, but this one managed it. So it’s definitely going to be at the very top of my list of books to recommend to everyone and anyone. Because I literally just want to shout from the rooftops about this magnificent piece of literature.

I was approved for this ARC a while ago, and I'd been putting it off a little bit because I knew it was going to make me cry. I was absolutely correct, and it was so, so worth it. I sobbed non-stop through the last ~10%, and for a good 10 minutes after finishing. But it was so beautiful. I can already tell that I'm going to get so much more out of this when I reread it, though I need to give myself some time to emotionally recover first.

I didn't know going into this book that it had fantasy elements, though now that I look back at the synopsis I see that I completely missed the literal mention of magic. These aspects are as integral to this world as the obviously thoroughly-researched historical context. I loved seeing them unfold.

Truly unforgettable. I don't know how else to talk about this book without getting into spoilers, but it's incredible.

CW: deaths (including past parental and other family member deaths), Holocaust (discussion and in flashbacks), police brutality, alleged suicide, antisemitism, homophobia, missing persons, violence (including gun violence), injuries

Thank you, Knopf Books for Young Readers, for allowing me to read This Rebel Heart early!

Katherine Locke's books have been on my radar for years, but this is actually the first time I have the chance to read their work. This Rebel Heart is a spell-binding historical novel with a captivating protagonist and a nice pace. I loved it very much. Kudos to Katherine Locke's and their fantastical mind!