Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 03/01/2019 Gr 7 Up—Sophie Scholl was a teen living in Germany as Hitler rose to power; this historical novel in verse is based on her life. As is expected of many young Germans at the time, Sophie joins Nazi youth groups. Over time, as she pays more attention to what is happening around her and learns of the slaughter of the Jewish population, she grows to despise the regime. She realizes being angry isn't enough and being silent makes her complicit. Fully understanding the risks, Sophie turns her outrage into activism. She joins the White Rose resistance, helping to create and distribute leaflets calling out the horrors of the regime. She and other members of the White Rose are caught, interrogated, tried, and, eventually, executed. This difficult, inspiring story is told effectively in verse; the language is spare but powerful. Many pieces of this narrative—demonizing a population, standing silently as people are mistreated, fighting against harmful policies—are timely and relevant. The back matter includes information about key players, a glossary, a list of primary and secondary sources in both English and German, and a helpful author's note giving more context to Sophie's story. VERDICT This tale based on the real life of a young activist, supported by extensive back matter, belongs in all collections serving young teens.—Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, Oakland, CA - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2019 *Starred Review* German university student Sophie Scholl of the White Rose resistance movement was murdered by the Nazis on February 22, 1943. She and her brother Hans were guillotined for the crime of creating and distributing leaflets that encouraged people to consider what the Third Reich was doing to European Jews and to oppose Hitler. Wilson’s highly effective novel in verse travels back and forth between the time of Sophie’s youth (“Before”) and her final days, from her arrest to her death (“The End”). Clearly labeled and well-structured, the two chronologies are interwoven and paced out so that Sophie’s growth into a freethinker, encouraged by her brave and loving family, is shown over time. Even as her execution approaches, we see how her strong character and beliefs led Sophie to sacrifice herself. Wilson also addresses Sophie’s complicated relationship with her boyfriend, Fritz, noting her ambivalence towards being in a relationship at all. Very few of the passages feel overwritten—the phrase “boom-boom,” used to indicate Sophie’s understandable fear, is perhaps repeated to excess—but overall, this moving and inspiring novel will provide readers with a great introduction to some of the Righteous Gentiles who resisted the Nazis. Including a glossary and extensive bibliography, this is a model of well-researched and riveting historical fiction. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.