The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is a new novel from the author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. “Pierrot knows nothing about the Nazis when he is sent to live with his aunt in a mysterious house at the top of the mountain. But this is no ordinary house. This is the Berghof. Taken under Hitler’s wing, Pierrot is swept up into a dangerous new world – and ultimately, he must choose where his loyalties lie.”
I’m liking
I find that a story about how the big events of history affected the details of everyday life for a single person or family gives me a new understanding of events I thought I knew about already. So it goes with the Nazis in second world war Germany – despite knowing lots about this period, I loved this story of young Pierrot and I laughed and cried. It was easy to read and left me wanting to track down his earlier book/s.
Things that made me go hmmmm
No obvious bad points, aside from some sudden and stark violence to watch out for if you have a younger child with an older reading age. Which is to be expected with this subject material.
The conclusion
A really interesting contribution to books about WWII for older children and adults wanting an easy and absorbing read. I suggest parents read it first before deciding if your child will be okay with the realities of war and divided loyalties.
