Annexed by Sharon Dogar

Annexed by Sharon Dogar

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; 1 edition (October 4, 2010)

Everyone knows about Anne Frank and her life hidden in the secret annex – but what about the boy who was also trapped there with her?

In this powerful and gripping novel, Sharon Dogar explores what this might have been like from Peter’s point of view.  What was it like to be forced into hiding with Anne Frank, first to hate her and then to find yourself falling in love with her?   Especially with your parents and her parents all watching almost everything you do together.   To know you’re being written about in Anne’s diary, day after day?   What’s it like to start questioning your religion, wondering why simply being Jewish inspires such hatred and persecution?  Or to just sit and wait and watch while others die, and wish you were fighting.

As Peter and Anne become closer and closer in their confined quarters, how can they make sense of what they see happening around them?

Anne’s diary ends on August 4, 1944, but Peter’s story takes us on, beyond their betrayal and into the Nazi death camps.  He details with accuracy, clarity and compassion the reality of day to day survival in Auschwitz – and ultimately the horrific fates of the Annex’s occupants.

What I Can Tell You:
Wow! To say I loved this book almost seems wrong considering the facts. This was a horrible time and the death of Anne Frank and thousands of others will never be forgotten. With that said, I felt this was an amazing book. Author Dogar takes creative liberties with a story that has and will be read for many years to come. I loved hearing her spin on Peter and the kind of person he may of possibly been also how Anne may have been perceived by the people around her. This is a brave undertaking on the part of Sharon. To take such a beloved character and make her annoying, flirtacious, spoiled, obnoxious could have really doomed this book. The fact that it doesn't and that loads of people who have read and reviewed Annexed feel the same way is a testament to the writing of Sharon. 


Interesting read! 


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