Having always had an interest in World War II and the Holocaust I was excited when my friend Adam found this graphic novel sitting on a table in Barnes and Noble. During my graphic novel kick I asked Adam if I could borrow it, to which he responded of course!Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Novel tells the story of Anne Frank, a name that has become synonymous with the Holocaust. The book is a mesh of information about Anne’s life and also about what was going on in Europe with Hitler and the Nazis.
I feel absolutely terrible for saying this, but I was not a fan of this graphic novel. The idea of it was there, but it just wasn’t executed well. The novel intertwines the lives of the Frank’s and the history of the Holocaust together, side by side. Unfortunately the book becomes very choppy because of this storytelling technique. There are parts of the dialogue that are written over multiple boxes, making it difficult to figure out which order to read in.
The illustrations of the novel are fantastic. Ernie Colon did a wonderful job with the drawing the difficult subject matter of the concentration camps. His depictions of the camps give a clear picture of their horrendous nature, but are toned down slightly to give younger readers an opportunity to read and view this.
I would recommend this graphic novel for those looking for a new way to experience the story of Anne Frank. While the book is a bit disjointed and confusing, Anne Frank’s story is one worth pursuing.
2 out of 5 Stars
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I actually read this book back in the day, I found the story to be interesting but the writing wasn’t great. However I did visit the house in Amsterdamn, and that a gut check.
Sounds like this one had a lot of potential. I still might check it out if my library has a copy. Thanks for the honest assessment. I hope it’s okay to link to your review on War Through the Generations.
I always tell people to make their own assement of things regardless of how others feel. I’m glad that my review hasn’t scared you away from it! Of course it’s ok to link; I’m interested to know what you think of it!
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