Amsterdam, 1943. La joven Hanneke se dedica a comprar y vender todo lo que encuentra en el mercado negro, a escondidas de sus padres. Es su manera de rebelarse ante la ocupación alemana y sobrellevar la pérdida de su novio en el frente. Pero su vida da un giro cuando una de sus clientas le hace un encargo inusitado: que localice a una chica judía que mantenía oculta y que ha desaparecido sin dejar rastro.

Tiene que dar con ella antes de que la encuentren los nazis.

I think I would really give his book a 3.5 rating - I had hyped it up a lot in my mind and it didn't end up blowing me away, but the images and characters from it will stick with me. It felt like the idea of the story was a gem, but the fleshing out of the novel could have used more time to really do it justice. ( )

This book pulled me in from the very beginning. I loved the historical aspect and the mystery in the book. I kind of forgot it was a mystery book, but that wasn't an issue. I connected to the characters and felt their pain. My favorite part was the historical aspect because I loved learning about what living in occupied Holland was like. That time period is one that I always like learning about. The only thing that disappointed me about the book is the romance that I thought was going to happen, but it didn't happen. Overall, it was good, and I will be reading more of the author's books as soon as I can. ( )

Coming of age story set in Amsterdam in 1943. Protagonist Hanneke Bakker is grieving the loss of her boyfriend during the Nazi takeover of the Netherlands. She has become involved in the black market, and one of her clients asks for Hanneke’s help in finding a runaway Jewish girl who has been hiding from the roundups. She discovers a youth-led underground resistance effort and they also ask for her help. Hanneke has misgivings about helping in an effort that would threaten her own safety. She struggles with questions of conscience and how to make the “right” decisions in a world gone horribly wrong.

“None of us knows what a normal afternoon even looks like anymore, one in which we’re not ferrying children from the Hollandsche Schouwburg, or trying to find places for onderduikers, or trading on the black market. If there were no war, and if we were normal young adults, what would we be doing today?”

I think the Hesse largely succeeds in her stated goal: “I wanted to tell a story of small betrayals in the middle of a big war. I wanted to illustrate the split-second decisions we make of moral courage and cowardice, and how we are all heroes and villains.” While some of the plot elements feel a little contrived, the tone and questions addressed seem appropriate for a teenage audience. The author does a credible job of making it feel authentic to the region, though some of the characters seem to have more modern sensibilities than would have existed in the 1940’s. Apparently it is mandatory for any book with “Girl” in the title to provide twists and surprises, which unfortunately require characters to engage in lengthy explanations that detract from the heart of the story. The author appears to have done her research, as there were no glaring inaccuracies, and she explains in the author’s notes what parts are factual. Recommended for a young adult audience.
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Hanneke is a 16-year-old girl living in Amsterdam during World War II. As she mourns her boyfriend who was killed on the Dutch front lines, she takes on the enormously dangerous task of finding a missing Jewish teenager during the Nazi invasion. Note on Historical Accuracy.