Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: January 16, 2023

One of my favorite genres is historical fiction however, I think I have had too much with WW2 books. I have read a lot of them from young college student to now. I struggled to get into this book mostly because I think this piece of history has been overdone.

There are a lot of books out there that readers can read after this one. This is the typical plot of a band of people sticking together during a terrible time in our history.

Perfect for fans: new to WW2 books, historical fiction

This is a novel (the first in a series called "The Blood Sisters") of a writer, who started writing "in her late fifties" (self-description Roberta Kagan on her website and in the book), and who has so far written more than 50 books. Usually about WWII and the Holocaust. Novels, that is. Well, this sounds like series production, fiction right off the assembly line. And this is, I am sorry to say, how they read, too. "The Pact" is repetitive, redundant, stylistically banal and in many respects more than improbable (even if it's fiction). 3 girls (Elica, Bernie and Anna) form a pact, one of them (Anna) being Jewish, and one (Dagan) bullies her place into the group by extorsion. The others believe and trust her, nevertheless. Not only as children, but also as young adults. Can you be so naive at age 17 in Hitler's Austria? They live in Vienna, later travel to Berlin, fall in love and out of it, have their quarrels, quite ordinary girls' lives, alas in a time in which nothing was ordinary any more. Anna is rich, the other three are poor. And the class divide seems to be the biggest problem. I can't tell much more, because I don't want to spoil. However, I need to say that I mostly disliked the clichés, Kagan repeats in her story: wealthy Jewish families don't want any "shiksa" or "goyim" disturb their idyllic lives as factory owners and charity ladies, and definitely would not accept non-Jews as sons- or daughters-in-law or even friends of their kids. Well, wasn't it quite the other way round at the time? And was the hate of the others - workers, maids, "the poor" - really only spurred by envy and material jealousy? I doubt that Roberta Kagan, who in her oeuvre focuses on WWII and the Shoa, truly believes this. But there seems to be an antisemitic bias between the lines. I know the argument, I used to hear it from some of the elders, themselves Holocaust survivors, in my own Jewish community: We were rich, they felt envy; we thought, we were better / smarter / more talented, they were jealous; we tried to stick to our traditions and our folks; friendship with non-Jews - okay, marriage - never... The facts were, however, different for the bulk of the Jewish and non-Jewish population of Austria (and Germany) at the time. And being poor must never be an excuse for becoming a Nazi. Apart from the often a bit blabbering style of the book, and the translation of every Jiddish word (thus, people seem to say everything twice, so that the dumb reader can understand), I did not like the implication of social class injustice as the main reason for the treason within the group of blood sisters and for what happens in this novel. In general, it could have done with less pages and less repetitiveness or the "inner monologues" set in italics. And since there is a kind of cliff hanger at the end (one, you would expect, by the way, after having read two thirds of the novel), there will be further sequels. Hopefully written in less of a hurry. We'll see, how it goes. I'd like to thank NetGalley for having made this book available to me in exchange for a fair review. I award it 2 stars, not for the literary value but for offering a theme that should not be forgotten by a younger generation, and for managing at least on some pages of the book to give people a rough idea of what life was like at the time in Vienna and Berlin.

A story of friendship and sisterhood throughout childhood and coming of age. I enjoyed this story and how it tells the coming of age of several young girls in the midst of the beginnings of the German occupation. The story is one of uplifting friendships throughout the storm of life.

I am writing this review for Net Galley.

In this story we follow 4 young women who live in Austria. It starts out telling us how the women became blood sisters at a very early age when people were slowly starting to not like Jews. Anna comes from a wealthy Jewish family. Her father had to work from the ground up when they moved from Russia to build his factory. Elica is a very beautiful girl whom all the boys either admired or wanted. Anna and Elica started off as two close friends until Elica met Bernie.

Anna was jealous at first when Elica became close friends to Bernie but in time started to really like her also. One day they decided to meet at the park to become blood sisters. When whom, should appear but the bully that no one really like Dagna. However, they decide to put up with her and let her join. Little did they know that Elica and Dagna would start hanging out together as time went on causing trouble that could change Anna's life.

I really enjoyed this story. I couldn't put it down. I didn't realize it was book one to a series until I finished it and was left with a cliff hanger. Now I cannot wait to pick up the next book. I really like a good Historical Fiction novel about women who come together to help each other out through difficult times. I highly recommend. There is not much I didn't like about the book except one part in the story that I couldn't wrap my mind around. So therefore, I rated this a 4. For the most part I really enjoyed this story.

I received a early copy of The Pact in exchange for an honest review. While the premise seemed promising, the book still needed a.lot of editing at the point I received it, so I cannot tell if the final copy will be better. There were many grammatical errors, especially using the possessive, which made me have to go back and re-read to understand. I also felt that the author needed to go back and expose the characters without just resorting to "Anna did this, Anna did that, Anna said this" etc.

Bottom line, the ideas were fantastic and I loved the bit I did get from the characters, so hopefully by the point of actual publication some of these issues will be resolved.

The book also started and ended on a cliffhanger, so it would probably be best to read more than one of this series at a time.

This book seemed to be more for a younger audience than I was expecting. I enjoyed it and the writing flowed very well which always makes reading more enjoyable. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger…I’ll be waiting to read the next one to find out what happens.
This story follows 4 young girls from childhood friends who become blood sisters to young adults. Anna, Elica, Bernie and Dagna live is Austria. Anna is from a wealthy Jewish family…that causes a lot of jealousy from the other girls. Specially Dagna…she was a very frustrating character. This story is just before WW2 begins and things will soon be turning…not just for Anna and her family but all the girls.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book!

I am afraid I couldn't get into this novel. I finished it though to be able to write an honest review. I found the storyline ok, it could have been interesting if the plot as well as the characters were not so predictable. For me the characterisation was poor. Maybe this novel is more aimed at young people rather than adults?
I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

I loved the writing! From the beginning I was immersed into the story. This started off with so much omph and anxiety! 1940 and the Jewish Levinstein's are hiding in an attic and hear footsteps down below. Trying to stay very quiet it looks like the Gestapo has found them! Then the story goes back in time to 1929 as it tells the story to 1940.

The cover is really attractive but it's not quite accurate to the story. It's about four girls really. They live in Austria. Anna, who is a well-to-do Jewish girl, and her two non-Jewish friends Elica and Bernie who are quite poor. They want to make a blood pact to become "blood sisters" for life. There is a fourth girl who is also very poor and her name is Dagna. She sort of weasles and threatens her way into the group but she is quite mean and not very well liked. She also is not nice at all to Anna because she's Jewish. So the story begins in 1929 as the girls are young and form a pact and it follows their lives just before World War II starts. The story focuses mainly on Anna in the beginning and her life and family. Then Elica and Bernie and a little of Dagna.

The story was always interesting but some of the characters were distressing and frustrating but that is to be expected with this Wartime story.

This is the first in a series and it does end with a cliffhanger and I'll be sure to pick up the next book. This is my first Roberta Kagan novel but not my last! I enjoyed her Author's notes at the end and how she explained that although these stories are heavy she always tries to write them from a place of love and kindness. I think that really came through in the character of Anna.

I'd like to Kindly thank NetGalley and The Book Whisperer for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.

Although I love the historical context and thought the plot had promise, I was not able to move past the awkward writing style. The writing was incredibly stilted and at times redundant. Perhaps the fluidity will be resolved by final edit, but it truly got in the way of my enjoyment of the plot. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book! I will not be posting the review on my socials due to it being a low star rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eArc!

The Pact follows 4 girls from a young age in Vienna, Austria until they are older teens during the lead up to and beginning of World War 2, and the struggles between the friends due to one being Jewish.

Historical fiction isn’t a typical genre I tend to read but I did enjoy this book and how it showed the coming of age of the characters. I do feel that the ending was a little rushed and that sometimes it was hard to keep track fully of the multiple changes in POV. But I definitely will pick up book 2 when it becomes available

The Pact begins with a powerful prologue depicting Nazis finding a Jewish family hiding in an attic in the days leading up to World War II. The novel continues with flashbacks and is the story of 3 friends in Vienna who make a blood pact when they are 8 years old to always remain friends and continues through their teenage years. There is a fourth girl who insinuates herself into the group with various threats. For the most part, the girls are best friends despite their differences — one is Jewish with wealthy parents, two are extremely poor and one is a staunch Nazi supporter.

The theme of anti semitism is rampant throughout the novel and one can see how young minds have been indoctrinated by parents and educators. Readers become engrossed in finding out what happens to the girls — especially when they travel to Berlin — and what leads up to the denouement in the attic. This is an exciting and compelling tale and I thank NetGalley, the publisher and, of course, Roberta Kagan for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.

I’m not sure where to start with my review of this book. It is the story of 4 young girls living in Austria with their families at the beginning of WWII. One of the girls was Jewish. The last girl to join the group did not like the Jews and caused a lot of trouble for the group and especially the Jewish girl. The story follows the group into young adulthood. I felt that the story dwelt on the same points too much. The hatred and distrust of the Jewish people during that time is well documented. I am not a writer but, in my opinion, the author might have taken a few different paths to explore all four of the young ladies more. Interesting but not fulfilling. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book for my honest review.

oof.

this one’s a huge pass for me. i love ww2 histfic, particularly when it revolves around women and/or female friendship, but oof. OOF. it’s so packed with clichés and lazy plotlines (sometimes bordering on silly, i’d say?) that i couldn’t take it seriously. and it’s a shame, really, because i truly liked the idea of getting to explore the way the girls’ relationship developed as the years went by . . . but alas.

The Pact tells the story of Anna, Bernie, Elica and Dagna; four girls that are growing up in pre-war Vienna, Austria. The girls make a “blood pact” at a young age to be “blood-sisters”. The story follows them as they grow from young girls, to teenagers to young women while trying to navigate life during increasingly dangerous as times at Hitler rises to power in Germany and eventually Austria.

I liked the plot and the story line, however the author did tend to jump around from each characters perspective to meshed together in my opinion. The ending was also too abrupt and left way too many unanswered questions and left the fate of all characters extremely hazy.

All in all, I rate this book a three. Had there been an ending that didn’t seem rushed and actually gave closure on the characters, I would have easily given this a four or a five. The book had so much potential with great characters, but closure is important in a book and I feel there was zero closure for any of the four characters here.

Overall this book was very good! Keep me interested and I loved all the girls stories. I do wish there was a little more history woven in & was I losing it or were things repeated a lot? Definitely a great book to recommend to any historical fiction lover! Looking forward to more books in the series to come. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Pact is about the complex friendships of four girls from very different backgrounds who become friends during the thirties in Vienna, Austria on the eve of WWII. One of the girls is from a Jewish family that is well to do. The other girls are not Jewish, and are from poor homes. The Jewish girl , Anna, has a housekeeper and her daughter Elica becomes her best friend despite her parents thinking the relationship is not a good one as they have too many differences. Their relationship blossoms as young girls and the others join as young teens. Dagna, one of the other girls, joins by forcing herself on the others. Bernie is the balanced one, even though she doesn't like boys.

Roberta Kagan takes us on a journey of the ups and downs of their relationship with the backdrop of the increasing hostility towards Jews before the war explodes and then during the war. There is some good writing, but for me the story seems very unbelievable. Can I truly believe that parents of a Jewish girl would not think twice about sending their child to Berlin as even before the war life was so challenging for Jews? Could Anna easily get forged papers? I know she was not religious, but working for a German family as a nanny as hatred of Jews was so open didn't seem to send her packing. Did she only get taunted by Dagna? Some of the actions of the book seems so silly, and detracted from reality. This book may have some true elements, but it is hard to believe as Austria was annexed in 1938 by Germany which was already holding sway.

If this book is someone's introduction to the horror of the war then this is a light version and should be taken with.a grain of salt.

Great book! Action packed tale of four girls growing into womanhood during the 1930s in Vienna and Berlin. Anna is from a wealthy Jewish family. Elica,, Bernie and Dagna are all from working class families and struugle to get by. They make a blood pact to always have each others' backs no matter what. As war looms, the pact is tested and tested.
This is part 1, and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

I couldn’t finish this book. The writing was so simple and underdeveloped, and the characters seemed very generic. I felt as though I was reading something an elementary school kid wrote. The dialogue was boring, and there was almost no descriptive writing at all. I couldn’t focus on the story because I was very distracted by the bad writing.

A great book even though it was not what I expected. I did not realize the book ends in 1940. Once I got started reading, I never wanted to put the book down, I wanted to know what choices the girls were going to make next.
The book is about 4 different girls growing up in Vienna from 1929 to 1940. The girls are in 3rd grade when the books starts and should have finished high school when the book ends. I expected WWII to separate the girls and cause them to go different directions. But the story is like real life - the girls come together and grow apart over and over in the book as they mature. The girls are growing up and not concerned with what is going on in the world around them. Only when it impacts their immediate families or friends do they deal with life outside of their schools, homes, books, friends and boyfriends.
The history of what was going on in Austria and Germany during this time was interesting. The fact that Jews felt safe during this time in history in Austria is hard to understand. Hitler was slowly moving his plan along and teaching the German people to hate the Jews without really giving them a good reason.
The book has a cliff hanger ending, so I wish the next book was available to start reading now! I will definitely read it.

The Pact by Roberta Kagan

This is book one in Roberta Kagans new serious The Blood Sisters.

Anna, Elica and Bernie are best friends growing up in Austria in 1929 and want to form an even deeper bond then just friendship, decide to form a pack by becoming blood sisters, Dagna bullies them to become part of the pact as she wants to do whatever Elica does but not with Anna as she hates Anna from the beginning as Anna is Jewish. Anna is not only from a Jewish family but is also rich from an upper-class to the other girls but that does not bother Elica or Bernie.

The book goes on over the next eleven years as the four girls grow into young women and we learn more about them and the effect life has on each one of them based on their class status and whether they are Jewish of not.

I enjoyed this book very much but there was one thing I did not like, in the prologue we read that Anna is seventeen years of age in 1940 but later in in the book as we look back on Anna’s life, she has a birthday party for her eleventh birthday in 1932.

I like how even though the book is mostly written from Anna’s point of view some chapters are written from the point of view of the other Characters like Elica, Bernie and Dagna. I cannot wait for the second book in this serious

I would like to thank Net Galley and The Book Whisperer for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review