The War Below by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch - ADVISABLE

The War Below by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch.  256 pages. Scholastic, 2018.  $18.  Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Holocaust deaths, fighting)

EL, MS – ADVISABLE.  

Luka may be young, but he has already survived one trip to hell – life in a German work camp, where the main goal seems to be killing off as many people as possible.  Pretending to be a corpse helped him escape, but he is in no less danger.  His goal is to hide in the mountains until the war is over.  While he encounters some help along the way, even meeting Martina, another young survivor who joins him on his journey, the pair just going from the frying pan to the fire.  They’ve been taken in by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, but they are caught between Hitler and Stalin – and both are happy to kill all of the insurgents.

While most of the danger will be familiar to anyone who has read Holocaust books, the information and danger encountered by the UIA will probably be totally new.  Students who enjoyed reading Making Bombs for Hitler will also enjoy this.  

Cindy, Library Teacher