Annexed

Annexed is a powerful and gripping novel written by Sharon Dogar. Sharon has also written Waves and Falling. The most common topic in all three of these books is romance. Both Annexed and Waves is told in 1st person (what Falling is, is unknown).  The theme of this story is love and loss. Peter, the main character, struggles through the book, trying to have a relationship with Anne Frank and battle against the fear of the holocaust.

Sent to the annex at 15 years old, Peter van Pels is filled with frustration and resentment towards his family members and Anne Frank. Soon Peter finds himself falling in love with the very girl he hated. As Peter and Anne become closer in their confined quarters how can they make sense of what they see happening around them. Peter struggles to understand why being Jewish inspires such hatred and starts to question his own religion. Feeling helpless and scared peter feels that all he can do is sit and wait while others die, and wishing he was fighting. Anne’s diary ends on August 4, 1944, but this story brings us on to the Nazi death camps and the horrors of day to day survival in Auschwitz.

Annexed is a very sentimental and touching book to read. I would recommend this book to everyone, except if you don’t like sad endings! I have also found out that this book had a lot of controversy between vast amounts of people. I just would like to say that I feel that Sharon did a very good job making it realistic and not sexual at all. The reader cannot help but bite their nails when reading this book. You also can’t help but want everything to turn out in the end. 

Book Review by Sophie B.