Trigger warnings for graphic violence, cannibalism, starvation, detailed depictions of war, violent murder during war.
Synopsis
This book follows a few point of views of interlinked characters during the Second World War. Karen the cellist begins in Leningrad, Russia, and is planning to escape the area and the starvation that thrives there. Her American fiance, Bobby, joins the war as a pilot, in hopes to rescue Karen and all of Russia. Petr and his dog Duck have both been conscripted into the Russian army. There are a few chapters which follow some of the German characters as well. That said, this is listed as a romantic novel.
Characters
Written in third person, the novel does jump around the world and into the minds of the different characters; this is easy to follow, thanks to the chapter titles. I'm not ashamed to say my favourite character was Duck the dog, and (no spoilers on this) I may or may not have cried at his story ending. He was just so wonderful, and I'm a little disappointed that there was no chapter from his point of view.
Who am I kidding? I cried a lot when his story ended.
I thought that Bobby was misguided. He had good intentions - saving the girl, and also an entire country - but to me he seemed too naive, too unprepared for the horrors of war. Of course, this is probably accurate for a lot of people who signed up to fight during this time, but it isn't addressed, just more of an impression that I got. His relationship with Karen when in America seemed romantic and charming, but I wasn't overly rooting for them. The same can be said of Karen and Petr; I saw them as saving each other from a terrible situation, doing their best just to survive, but not in a romantic way. Their kisses felt forced, more saviour worship than romance.
Plots
If you want to read a novel set in (mostly) Russia during the early 1940s, and don't mind a little romance glued on, I think you'll enjoy this novel. I thought it was thoroughly researched, and it was a brutal book to read. I guessed that the three main characters would survive to the end, just because that's how literature tends to work, but I didn't know at any point if the side characters like Jack and Duck would survive. I found myself rooting for Duck however than for the romance subplot... but that might say more about me than the novel...
Time it took to read: one afternoon, a few days break (thanks to a migraine, mostly), and one late night
Would recommend to: anyone who wants to read a war novel set in the early 1940s, but isn't expecting too much love and romance
Enjoyed with: blankets, Lift Instant peach tea, and Twinings Green Tea
You can find my initial reaction to The Undesirables here on Goodreads.
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