Pas onlangs ontdekte ik het boek ’t Hooge Nest van Roxane van Iperen. Eerlijk gezegd doordat ik de e-bookacties van Libris aan het checken was. Een waargebeurd verhaal over twee Joodse zussen die in het verzet zaten en een villa als onderduikadres gebruikten voor zichzelf en anderen. Het klonk als echt een boek voor mij!  Klopte dat? Lees het hieronder!

De flaptekst

Mijn eerste indruk van ’t Hooge Nest

Jaaa, interessant! De auteur combineert het verhaal van de vooroorlogse levens van de twee zussen met accurate feiten over de jodenvervolging in Nederland. Ze heeft dit erg slim met elkaar verweven. Daarnaast is het ook erg prettig dat Roxane van Iperen bij de feiten blijft. Dat gebeurt namelijk niet altijd bij boeken over de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Toch kleurt de auteur over de levens van de zussen veel in, maar dat is niet storend.

Het verhaal

Het boek gaat over twee zussen, Janny en Lien uit Amsterdam, en hun gezinnen net voor en tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Ze zijn beiden Joods en moeten onderduiken. Ook zijn ze actief in het verzet. Hun mannen moeten ook onderduiken, maar wegens andere redenen. Als ze de villa ’t Hooge Nest in Naarden mogen huren twijfelen ze geen seconde. Ze weigeren geen enkele onderduiker, en soms leven er wel 25 mensen in het huis. Totdat ze worden verraden. Ze kunnen hun kinderen van het transport redden omdat hun vaders niet Joods zijn. De zussen zelf worden naar Auschwitz en later Bergen-Belsen gebracht.

Wat ik ervan vond

Het is écht een heel goed boek. De opbouw is goed, de schrijfstijl is goed, de informatie is goed. Wat mij betreft zou elke Nederlander dit boek moeten lezen! Het enige wat een beetje geforceerd aanvoelde is de ontmoetingen met de zussen Anne en Margot Frank in de concentratiekampen. Het las een beetje alsof het er in werd geperst omdat het de meest bekende zusjes uit die tijd zijn.

Dat nagelaten, is het een spannend en compleet boek. Als je nog niet veel weet over specifiek de jodenvervolging in Nederland, steek je ook nog eens wat op. Daarnaast is het boek over bijzondere mensen, de zusjes en hun mannen die uitzonderlijke moed toonden in verschrikkelijke tijden.

Conclusie ’t Hooge Nest

Een must-read voor iedereen! Zoals ik in het begin schreef leek dit een boek voor mij en dat klopt dus helemaal. Ik was eerlijk gezegd ook wel verrast, want ik wist niet dat het zo’n goed boek zou zijn. Ondanks dat het literaire non-fictie is en dialogen dus ook zijn bedacht, voelt het boek waarheidsgetrouw. Ik vond het zelf ook erg leuk dat het over de omgeving gaat waarin ik woon (momenteel woon ik in Hilversum). Als je ook maar een beetje interesse hebt in de Tweede Wereldoorlog dan zou ik dit boek zeker lezen!

Beoordeling

During the ‘intelligent lockdown’, I really wanted to read something uncomplicated. Therefore Most likely seemed like a good choice! Of course, teenagers are like the most complicated creatures on earth, but then again they are not. I stumbled upon this book via Instagram and I decided to try it so I bought the e-book. I am not sure if I ever read Young Adult before… at least not in the last decade. Did I like it though? Read it below!

Book cover

Ava, CJ, Jordan, and Martha (listed in alphabetical order out of fairness) have been friends since kindergarten. Now they’re in their senior year, facing their biggest fears about growing up and growing apart. But there’s more than just college on the horizon. One of these girls is destined to become the president of the United States. The mystery, of course, is which girl gets the gig.

Is it Ava, the picture-perfect artist who’s secretly struggling to figure out where she belongs? Or could it be CJ, the one who’s got everything figured out…except how to fix her terrible SAT scores? Maybe it’s Jordan, the group’s resident journalist, who knows she’s ready for more than their small Ohio suburb can offer. And don’t overlook Martha, who will have to overcome all the obstacles that stand in the way of her dreams.

This is the story of four best friends who have one another’s backs through every new love, breakup, stumble, and success–proving that great friendships can help young women achieve anything…even a seat in the Oval Office.

My first impression of Most Likely

It opens with someone being inaugurated as president. Maybe the husband’s last name is a give-away? That would be strange though, because this story is about a female president. Why so conservative? Apart from that, the story seems to be easy breezy from the start, so I will definitely continue reading.

The story

The story is about a group of 4 girlfriends that are in their last year of high school. They all have their own characters, strengths and personal troubles. They seem like a normal group, but one of them will become the president of the United States!

There is a park in their town that has a playground and trees that are illegally signed by all high school graduates. However, the municipal is planning to replace it because of the nuisance. The four girls plan to stop the removal, all in their own way. This shows a lot of their characters. However, during the book you also read about their personal strives, so Ava, CJ, Jordan, and Martha become more in-depth.

My opinion

I really liked this book. The girls are all pretty likeable. It also touches on a variety of subjects, such as depression, being poor, being under a lot of pressure, volunteering with challenged kids, courage, adoption, ethnicity and more. However, the red thread throughout the book is their friendship and how they would do anything for each other. I love it when girls are good to each other. 🙂

Conclusion of Most likely

It’s a nice read! I did not expect that the characters would have that much depth, that is a big plus. The ending felt a bit off to me, a bit paternalistic, while it is a book about strong girls. Pity.

I would give it 3,5 stars, so rounded up that’s 4 stars.

Verdict

Isn’t buying books just one of those lovely things? I went on a little spree and I included this book Where the crawdads sing as well. The story of the book was not completely revealed to me yet, but I heard a lot of people talking positively about it. It’s nice not knowing too much about the story, it makes it more of a surprise. Am I glad I chose to buy Where the crawdads sing? Find out below!

Book cover of Where the crawdad sings

For years, rumors of the “”Marsh Girl”” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

My first impression

This is an interesting read! It’s also kind of sad because the “Marsh Girl” Kya can’t seem to get a break. The book immediately hits you in the feels because of her mother whom abandoned her. I wonder if the future holds a better life for her!

The story

The book is about Kya, growing up in North Carolina. In the marsh, the place where the crawdads sing. Her mother abandoned her and her father is a good for nothing drunk. Her brothers and sisters all leave the house and don’t return to check up on her. When she has to go to school, the kids make fun of her so she never returns. She is clever though, and knows how to hide from the inspection. Growing up, she did make a friend though. He taught her how to read and all about the swamp.  Will he return to her when he leaves for college? And is the other young man she meets a good match? Will her life get better?

My opinion

This is a really well written book. You really get sucked into the story. I was definitely rooting for Kya! However, at times I did want her to experience a little more happiness and stability. Sometimes books push that limit, but fortunately it does not push it too far. The plot will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page! I do understand the hype, because it is a book about a special girl. Raising herself and making due with nearly nothing.

Conclusion of Where the crawdads sing

This book will have you rooting for a resourceful but fictional character. I enjoyed the read and expanded my English vocabulary in the meantime. To start, I didn’t know the word ‘crawdads’ before. This book is definitely recommended!

Verdict