Review: Catherine's War

Catherine's War by Julia Billet
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had really high hopes for this book because I love reading about World War II, the Holocaust, and the French Resistance. I just knew that a graphic novel about a French Jewish girl taking on a fake identity during WWII would be right up my alley. Catherine's War was originally a novel written in French. It has since been translated and adapted into a graphic novel. While the illustrations were beautiful, I think the story probably suffered in the adaptation. It felt like the plot jumped around too quickly, which meant there wasn't enough time to develop the characters and their relationships. I was honestly disappointed in the story, but I'm hopeful that I wouldn't feel that way after reading the original novel. If you teach WWII, this book would be a fine addition to your literature circles or book clubs, especially for struggling readers. However, I wouldn't recommend this book for upper elementary students. While there is no outright sexual content, there is a scene where French women are getting their heads shaved because they slept with German soldiers. Thes women are referred to as sluts and whores. I think that scene alone makes this book more appropriate for middle schoolers and up.

View all my reviews