On April 19th I introduced my savvy 16-year-old sidekick, Katrina Van Amsterdam. What follows is Katrina's review of a new favorite, Tamar by Mal Peet.
Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal
by Mal Peet (Candlewick Press, 2007)
Reviewed by Katrina Van Amsterdam
The novel Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal is essentially about espionage, passion, and betrayal. Two plot lines intertwine in Mal Peet’s story, each incredibly captivating. One centers around a member of the Dutch Resistance during World War II. He goes by the code-name of Tamar as he and a friend are sent from England back to their native country to help fight the Nazis, who have control over Holland. The other plot line deals with the granddaughter of Tamar, who tries to piece together things about her grandfather’s life after his suicide. Written with gripping, eloquent language, Peet grabs the reader in the first chapter and keeps him or her in suspense for the entirety of the book. As Tamar gets into more and more danger in Nazi-occupied country, his granddaughter continues to find out more and more about his life… until the one climactic moment when everything you thought you knew about Tamar is changed. This is truly a book that you cannot and will not want put down.
This book was an exciting read and there was never a dull moment. The climax of the book was incredible. I wish it could have kept going and going.