Orphan Monster Spy

Orphan Monster Spy is not like any previous World War II novel I have ever read. This fact, though, is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we get a heroine who funnels all of her anger and fear into actively opposing her enemy; the passivity that so often is a part of any story involving the Jews versus the Nazis is gone largely due to our heroine’s appearance. This is a breath of fresh air if only because there are so few stories about people resisting and way too many stories about people capitulating. On the other hand, we know that few people did resist and those who did faced certain death, an effective deterrent on its own. Therefore, there is an element of the unrealistic to our heroine’s story which makes it more wishful show more thinking than a realistic possibility. This is not to say that there was not a secret resistance at work within the Third Reich. Nor does it mean that there were no blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jewish persons of any age that hid out in the open. It just means the story, for me at least, is just that – a story that would be nice if it were somewhat based in fact but is so clearly not.

This dual reaction to the story does not mean that it is not worth reading. In fact, I would say it is just the opposite. I believe Orphan Monster Spy is worth reading because it reminds us that we need to fight for the things for which we believe are worth fighting. If our heroine can tamp down her hatred for her oppressors to live among them and as one of them, we can continue to fight our own fights, whether that is a battle for health, for our children, or for our way of life. Sarah is inspirational in her drive and determination, and we should always seek out and utilize such inspiration.

As with any novel set during World War II set in Germany, Orphan Monster Spy is not for the squeamish or the sensitive reader. Sarah’s experiences in the boarding school are brutal, and the girl-on-girl violence in the guise of hazing and establishing the hierarchy is more than a little disturbing. These are Mean Girls for a violent era, and it can make for pretty rough reading. What’s more, Mr. Killeen does not hold back on any scenes of violence, either in the school or outside of it. While not easy to read, these scenes are essential to understanding the acceptance of such everyday displays of brutality, which in turn is important for establishing the mindset of all of the characters. Cruelty begets cruelty, hatred begets hatred. We see this fact in action throughout the story as every character’s actions have a precursor which set them down the path of violence or surrender.

This pattern of cause and effect is one of the major themes and also one of the reasons why Orphan Monster Spy is such a compelling story. It is not just that Sarah tends to kick ass as often as she finds herself in terrifying situations. It is not only that we get to see the supposedly weak get one over on the supposedly strong. It is that we get to understand the steps Sarah took in order to get to the point where she is willing to face death in order to be able to enact her form of revenge. We see how one act of violence leads to another, and how those acts impact the victims. We see how Nazism was able to spread and remain dominant when it flies in the face of human nature to accept such hateful rhetoric. Most importantly, we can understand the slippery slope on which the United States is currently perched with the increase in hate-filled rhetoric and increasingly polarization of its people.

Orphan Monster Spy is more than just an inspiration and a cautionary tale for the modern era though. It is at heart an action-adventure novel for young adults in which our fifteen-year-old heroine pits herself against her oppressors. Sarah is running from the moment we first meet her, and in many ways she does not stop running even after the novel ends. There are a few reprieves from the flood of emotions and adrenaline that her story instills in readers, but the story is such that even those reprieves are intense. This makes it a novel that is difficult to set aside for real life as well as one that is difficult to forget when not reading. Sarah is not a character to want pity but pity is what you feel for her nonetheless, and her plight is one that constantly keeps you on edge, which is never a bad thing when it comes to thrillers. show less

I'm not a reader of historical fiction or thrillers, but this book was a total genre-buster for me. I have to hand it to Killeen, his world-building is brilliant, and the writing is unapologetically challenging for a YA novel. This chilling and dark story is a respectfully accurate portrayal of WW2 that feels 'new' as it teases out untold narratives from the genre, painting shades of grey over the monochrome background we've come to expect.

At the heart is a fierce, talented protagonist whose flaws push the narrative in an interesting direction. It was refreshing to read a YA novel with a female lead that didn't feel 'girly' (for want of a better descriptor) and didn't feel like it was trying to shoehorn an agenda. This girl is show more unrelentingly kick-ass and, while I wouldn't exactly put her in a role model category, she is admirable and complex.

I was fortunate enough to meet the author of this book, and THANKED him for writing this story; I cannot recommend it highly enough, and I'm excited now I've finally gotten my hands on the sequel.

PS The art deco cover design is gorgeous. show less

Review of Advance Readers’ Edition

Blonde, blue-eyed Sarah has survived much in 1939 Germany: Kristallnacht, the police, the murder of her mother. Small for her age, quick, smart, and resourceful, she finds refuge with Captain Jeremy Floyd, an enigmatic Englishman who is in actuality a spy seeking to gather information on a German scientist and the bomb he is developing.

Sarah joins forces with Floyd in a plan to gain access to the fortressed home of the Hans Schafer, the scientist building the bomb, through Sarah’s soon-to-be-developed friendship with his daughter, Elsa, who attends Rothenstadt academy. But what Sarah, now calling herself Ursula Haller, finds at the school gives new meaning to the term “mean girls” and leaves show more her wondering if she will be able to help Floyd, after all. What will happen to this young Jewish girl as she seeks to help stop the unrelenting Nazi advance?

The historical context woven into the fictional story of a young Jewish girl becoming a spy gives the narrative a sharp edge and the intriguing plot has just enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing.
Sarah is a well-defined character, honest, gutsy, fierce, easily relatable for Young Adult readers. The intense narrative is interspersed with flashbacks of Sarah’s earlier life with her mother, giving a realistic depth to the character. Although the circumstances in which she finds herself often make her angry, Sarah’s determination keeps her going as she tries to find a way to complete the job she’s been given. The compelling plot takes unexpected turns; the suspense builds with each page.

The descriptions of Nazi occupation and Nazi atrocities are chilling, as is the brutality Sarah faces at the hands of the older girls in the school. As the story unfolds, it draws readers into Sarah’s world where they are certain to find themselves rooting for her success. A powerful narrative certain to remain with readers long after turning the final page, readers should add this book to their must-read lists.

Recommended, but definitely not a good choice for younger teen readers. show less

This was such an exhilarating read and a book that really is so different from anything else in the YA genre right now; I read this in its entirety during one day of the '24in48' Readathon this weekend, I absolutely couldn't put it down.
Set at the dawn of World War 2, Sarah has just witnessed her mother's murder, after fleeing their home because of Jewish round-ups, and somehow lands in the care of a British spy, Captain Floyd. He takes her under his wing, who realizes that her long blond hair, pale skin, and blue eyes, make her look less like the Jew that she is, and more like the Aryan Elite that makes her a perfect infiltrate at the Rothenstadt boarding school, an academy for Nazi general's daughters. Now under a new identity as show more Ursula Haller, Sarah is suddenly on a mission to gather secrets from within, and she is thrown among the wolves where some of the nastiest discipline happens in the name of the Fuhrer.
Every day, it feels like there's a danger of her identity being discovered, and even her recurrent nightmares threaten to give her away; throughout the book she has them, and she also continuously 'speaks' to her 'Mutti' for strength, although she has passed away. You constantly get the feeling it's very difficult knowing how hard it is to get through each day without a person to confide in, with no one to trust.
The entire book is built around the character Sarah/Ursula, and author Matt Killeen depicts a young teen who has to be very strong, makes hard decisions, has to be very brave, and at times, wishes she could just break down, and in many ways, is still so so immature. I would imagine this to be the way it was for many children forced to grow up in war time (regardless of circumstance).
While I don't know how many readers will go into this with extreme detail of World War 2 (being from Britain, having a WW2-obsessed dad I know plenty, believe me), I had SO much anxiety for Sarah throughout the book. I couldn't trust a single, sodding character! I fully realize that this is YA, and Killeen wasn't about to turn this any scarier, but it did get me wondering how much worse things could have turned... There's a lot more war left, after the point the book ended too! More adventures for this spy?
I'm going to say immediately that it will be definitely be in contention for a top ten spot for me this year. Any book that sucks me back into a time period where you think about how your very existence could be always in questionable danger, makes such a mark on me, and I hope others reading really felt that too. It made such a change to read a novel about this era for this age group. Put it on your TBR, everyone!!! show less

After her mother is shot at a checkpoint, fifteen-year-old Sarah meets a mysterious man with an ambiguous accent, a suspiciously bare apartment, and a lockbox full of weapons. He's part of the secret resistance against the Third Reich, and he needs Sarah to hide in plain sight at a school for the daughters of top Nazi brass, posing as one of them. If she can befriend the daughter of a key scientist and get invited to her house, she might be able to steal the blueprints to a bomb that could destroy the cities of Western Europe. Nothing could prepare Sarah for her cutthroat schoolmates, and soon she finds herself in a battle for survival unlike any she'd ever imagined. But anyone who underestimates this innocent-seeming girl does so at show more their peril. She may look sweet, but she's the Nazis' worst nightmare. show less

I read this book in two days; it was very hard to put down because there's always something happening that's dangerous.

Sarah, a Jew, tries to escape with her mother, but a roadblock causes a car crash and only Sarah survives. On her own, Sarah needs to escape the Nazis. Thankfully, she doesn't look Jewish. Also, her mother taught her how to be an actress; she knows how to fully commit to the role she must play. She's also a survivor, having taken care of her mother as their rights were one by one removed.

In her flight, she sees a man whom she later rescues from a probably arrest, and her whole life changes. This man is a spy and Sarah is perfect. He needs to see what a corrupt scientist is up to, but our spy can't gain access. He asks show more Sarah to attend school with the scientist's daughter to get in. Sarah agrees. This time in the Nazi school is super dangerous.

That's all I'm saying--it's a page-turner, I promise! The girls are terrible! I mean, they are Nazis. Yes, you will have to suspend your disbelief because I'm not sure a 13-year old is this adept at surviving. I recommend this fun, cruel, and fast-paced novel. show less

I've been keen to read his for a while and I am so glad I took the plunge! I absolutely loved Orphan Monster Spy from page one right through to the fabulous ending. Matt Killeen has a wonderful way with words and I loved the heroine of the story: Sarah. She's so feisty and rises above all her terrible experiences, (including the brutal death of her mother,) to be a truly awesome, fierce, brave and engaging character.

You'd enjoy Orphan Monster Spy if you like stories set in Nazi Germany. This is a different take, focusing on a young Jewish girl infiltrating a Nazi school for the 'elite.' It doesn't shy away from telling it as it is. At times it is brutal.

It is obviously well researched and the author Matt Killeen's compassion and show more humanity is evident in his writing.

It's an easy one to rate. A five stars without a doubt. Definitely a favourite. Highly recommended. Matt Killeen has a new fan. I shall be reading more from this author. show less