Annexed

High school fiction

G/A. Dogar, Sharon. Annexed: a novel. Houghton Mifflin, 2010. 352p. ISBN: 978-0-547-50195-6. 17.99

Teens grow up learning the story of Anne Frank, but what about those who were in hiding with her? Peter van Pels, 16, provides a new perspective of life in the annex, and of Anne. Peter’s story begins from the sick bay of Mauthausen concentration camp, where he cannot help but remember all that came before. These memories are told in diary format, with Peter’s present-day comments following some entries. He arrives at the annex, angry and resentful. Of all the annoyances in this new, cramped existence, nothing is worse than Anne Frank and her curiosity, self-assurance, and optimism. As time passes, Anne evolves from pest to the girl Peter loves. Dealing sensitively with pent-up teenage energy as well as the horrors of the concentration camps, this will appeal to fans of realistic as well as historical fiction.

Anjelique Granados, CoLAPL-Angelo M. Iacoboni Library