I enjoyed this book. It’s funny how it was able to stick with me. I started reading this book Back in May, got away from reading for quite some time yet I still had this book with me when I picked it back up to finish it.

I requested this book knowing that it was about WW2, and therefore would not be humorous and uplifting. It turned out to be much more graphic than I expected, since it was geared toward a Y.A. audience. The storyline was interesting, but page after page of descriptions of exactly how the protagonist’s enemies were killed got to be too much after a while. I just couldn’t bring myself to push and keep on reading.

Germany needs Norway’s fjords to hide and protect its mighty warships so Hitler offers to shield the citizens of Norway with Germany’s mighty warships. They send in the SS and other secret police to round up and dispatch any saboteurs that may be hiding in plain sight.

The Germans attack and even try to sink Norway’s fishing fleet. Kristian and his friend Helena believe that the occupation of their homeland by the Nazis is in fact an act of war against their country. Norway clings to its’ position of neutrality despite the presence of so many soldiers and naval troops.

Kristian decides to assist the Allies by providing troop and naval exercise information to the British. Having access to this information is vital to the ongoing war effort. This is accomplished by rowing a small kayak hundreds of kilometers across the North Sea to Allied forces. The voyages are harrowing and illuminate the tough and heroic conditions encountered by the patriots.

This story is very illuminating and reveals the tenacity of the Norwegians. The read is fast and satisfying. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

I was intrigued by the title of this book and proceeded to request a copy to read, I was pleased that I did. The book starts with Norway’s involvement in the Second World War and how certain fractions were for the Nazis and some took the side of the British. Consequently the two main characters Helene and Kristian became involved with Helene working for the Nazis and obtaining and passing information on to the resistance. Whereas Kristian gets involved with the resistance and eventually gets picked up for training with the SIS organisation and becomes an agent for the British passing on radio transmitters to the resistance. However he has his own agenda at the same time avenging his father’s death by killing the enemy. The main thrust is that Helene has obtained some valuable information that needs to be got back to the British and is entrusted to Kristian to get it back to the newly formed SOE. I enjoyed reading this book as it fitted in with my interests in war and espionage therefore I recommend that you will do well to read this book.

One word - BRILLIANT! This book was absolutely amazing from beginning to end. The story was super fast-paced and kept me reading well into the night. The characters are incredibly well drawn and come across as very believable. Likewise, the historical set rang with authenticity.

I thought this book really did tick all the boxes, and it is one I can see myself reading again and again. I highly recommend this novel.

This book is an engaging narrative about Norwegian courage during World War II, when the country was occupied by German forces. Much of this history isn’t well known to Americans, and McHugh’s tense, event-filled book provides a close-up look at how locals (who knew the terrain) were able to stand up to outside forces with much greater firepower. McHugh is particularly adroit at providing detailed depictions of the natural world, persuasive blow-by-blows of athletic exploits, and knowledgeable treatment of the gun mechanisms – which matters in a gun battle. The story is harrowing, the backdrop beautiful, and the victories bittersweet. If you enjoy tension-filled thrillers set against historical backdrops, this will be a good summer read.

Splinter by Paul McHugh is a historical novel set in Norway during the second World War. Its risk-taking and rebellious protagonist and its tense setting would make it an excellent recommendation for many teens, but its graphic sex scenes make it impossible for me to recommend it to any young adult.

In the story, young Kristian Thorsen watches as Nazi warships chug into the harbor where his father has docked from a fishing voyage. A powerful group of Nazi collaborators had pulled off an alliance with Hitler and the multi-harbor invasion that sought to capture Norway's king and cement Norway's cooperation with the Third Reich. While Kristian and his father hope to make it to England with a group of Norwegian soldiers they rescue, their ship is attacked by German warplanes and sunk. Kristian miraculously survives and is rescued by the British who train him for covert operations and send him back to Norway.

In a series of high-stakes events, Kristian becomes the prime target for the SS in Norway. As their searches closes in on him, his only hope is the help of his uncle's ward, a young woman Kristian had thought a collaborator. As his time runs out, Kristian must choose to trust that people can change, or be captured by the enemy he has enraged.

Paul McHugh has done an excellent job characterizing his novel and plotting a tightly paced, high-action story. A a protagonist, Kristian is a believable hero, and one readers want to survive and win. Helene is prim and disciplined, and readers can both see why Kristian is attracted to her and also how she could be drawn into the Nazi network. Rolf, Cyclops, Hermann...they all have unique, clear personalities that are developed through their language and actions. These personalities feed the plot and draw readers into the story. The action is steady and fast-paced, but McHugh weaves in periods of relief, allowing readers to absorb the stakes and get to know the characters.

Overall, this story is one that I would normally love and quickly recommend to my students. The World War II era is always popular, and the Norwegian setting is unique and little-known. I love the strength and courage the characters show, their resilience and perseverance, and the relationship between Norway and Britain. This is exactly the type of story I would normally use in a study of World War II, perhaps assigning a few students to read this story while others read different stories from the War, allowing for excellent group discussions and a comparative study of the war. All of those recommendations, however, cannot stand up to the graphically described sex scenes between Kristian and Greta, a British spy and pilot. romance is an important element of young adult and new adult books, but the vivid descriptions and explicit anatomical references make this a story I could never use in class nor recommend that my students read. I caution parents, librarians, teachers, and other gatekeepers to read this novel in its entirety before choosing to recommend or use it with students.

This was a gripping read, a real page turner that had me on the edge of my seat right from the start. I couldn't put it down, an incredible read.

Thank you, Bronzeville Books, for the advance reading copy.

I was nervous the entire time I was reading this book!

Who would have thought a young adult historical fiction would make me that nervous?!

I was expecting to take my own sweet time to read this book. However, I just couldn't put down the book when I started reading the first few pages, you know, just to "try it out". Well, I would say the writing impressed me! The characters are intense as the situation demands. The plot is different from all the other WW2 historical fiction I have read before.

The writing, the characters, the central theme and the ending all lived up perfectly to the blurb provided. If the blurb convinces you, the actual content of the book gets more convincing.

I love the book. However, I just couldn't vibe with the chemistry and the romance between the main characters.

Overall, a very convincing plot with realistic characters and a very satisfying ending.