Stolen Secrets

Stolen Secrets is an ambitious book, and an important one.Have no fear... it's certainly entertaining, full of humor and wit. Schulman's characters are human, flawed and seeking. She has brought together a number of persons with real motivations, real concerns, real fears and real hopes. I was delighted by the liveliness and freshness of Livvy's first encounters with San Francisco's people, sights, fog. Reminded me of my own arrival here many years ago.I say ambitious because this book deals with (for many readers, I suppose, introduces) subjects of the greatest importance and weight.I'm in awe of Schulman's masterful handling of this challenge. The story winds toward an unexpected surprise ending, and (like great books do) leaves a reader wondering what if.... Schulman's human characters are substantial enough that you can imagine them reacting differently at various stages of the story, particularly at the end. The novel ends with resolution, but one wonders how Livvy would contemplate her youthful experiences twenty years down the road.Indeed, in our current world, where the common recollections of Nazi atrocities seem to be gauzing over with time, Schulman has done something necessary by reminding a new generation of what happened not all that long ago, a set of incomprehensible crimes committed against people a lot like themselves, by -- yes -- people also a lot like themselves.

I love a surprise. The brilliant pacing of Stolen Secrets and the well planned weave of familiar history throughout a pretty contemporary story made for a page-turning novel. L.B. Schulman is masterful at characterization. Long after closing the book, I found myself thinking of Livvy, Franklin D, and mostly Adelle. For me, when a book plays in my head like a movie on a screen and I think about it long after I've closed it's spine, I know I've found magic. But the best part is the plot twist! No spoilers here...you'll have to read it for yourself. It's a delicious surprise.

I love this book. It's the best kind of book that has you turning pages, loving the characters, and feeling somehow different at the end. I haven't stopped thinking about it and the questions the story raises. This would be a great one to read with a friend, son, or daughter and then talk about it afterward. I don't want to spoil anything, but the complicated issues this book raises are very relevant today. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a book with both pacing and substance.

Stop now and read this book. Real people. Likeable and believable characters. Sense of place and sense of history. What can I say? Chapter 26 was perfection. I fell in love with them all, even the Oma.

I enjoyed the book but felt the author could have gone into more depth regarding her grandmothers role during holocaust.

This book is awesome. I loved the character development and found myself unable to put it down towards the end. I loved the twist at the end and the power of forgiveness and the freedom that comes with it.

I thought this book was outstanding. Smooth read. There is mystery, young love, drama, & suspense. Great read for young readers.

Livvy’s life is hard enough with an alcoholic single mother and a move across the country to San Francisco in the middle of high school. But now her mother is keeping secrets from her about what they are really doing there. Is her mother actually caring for the grandmother that Livvy thought was dead? And who exactly is this salty, Alzheimer’s-stricken grandmother anyway? Then Livvy and her new friend Franklin find some entries from her grandmother’s Holocaust-era journal and things get really complicated.This is a jam-packed book with family dysfunction, budding romance, coming-of-age and a historically connected mystery. The plot can seem crowded at times with twists that include neo-Nazis, elder abuse, religious awakening, nerdy new friends and even a police chase. But Livvy’s genuine struggle to figure out who she is amidst the chaos grounds the story. She is funny and smart and confused and the supporting characters around her are equally well-drawn. The setting in the neighborhoods of San Francisco adds interest without being overly romanticized. All of which surrounds the book’s core: a contemporary exploration of the Holocaust. With a possible family link to Anne Frank and Nazi soldiers, Livvy is forced to consider the big questions about survivors, the nature of evil, guilt and ultimately acceptance.It is understandable that there is so much historical fiction about the Holocaust, but not all teens want to read history. This book is a reminder that the Holocaust is not only recent but relevant, and teens today live with its legacy. Schulman has written a contemporary story whose protagonist has modern problems, but it is still grounded in that history. This is a quick read that moves at a good pace without sacrificing any of the hard questions. Recommended to teens interested in the Holocaust, and also those who enjoy contemporary fiction that present difficult situations and allows them to consider the big ideas of identity and society.