Official Review: Refugee by Reece Pocock

[Jacki Mac Iver Hill]

I typically stay away from war stories but this one sounds more personable than most. If you shed a few tears I'll probably end up bawling like a baby; hopefully I'll be as connected to the protagonist as you seemed to be. Thank you for your review.

[Zain A Blade]

What an intriguing story. It's really sad that in times of great wars young men don't really have a choice in whether to join the army or not, and they have to kill or be killed.

[Tfree]

Thank you for an excellent review. I tend away from war stories, and I don’t think I’ll be reading this one soon, but it’s always good to read about a new book that’s written and edited well. I’ll likely recommend that some friends check it out.

[Alwayz_T25]

I always like to read war books. The traumatic and painful experiences are hard to know, but helpful to understand what they go through. I have a brother in the army and I sometimes find it hard to understand his struggle. There are some event in his life that were hard which he may not like to talk about it much, so reading about it somewhere else is appreciated, even if its fiction. I really like that you got to read this and learned about the struggles of a military lifestyle (that may not be the best word to describe it, I apologize). I hate that I learned it from having a brother in the army, but I appreciate him and all others in the armed forces.

Thanks for your review.

[Cheryl12]

During the second world war, Rolf Krieger a German National almost got killed and experienced mental breakdown.
Later he was placed in a Mental Institution in Italy. He then found out that his entire family was wiped out by an air raid.
In 1950 he relocated to Australia along with other Polish migrants to live there as refugees. But Rolf act as Polish came crashing when he had
frequent nightmares, sleep walk yelling in German language. Now the Polish refugees overheard and wanted him out of the camp as their spirit do not connect with Germans. Also, Germans are not so well loved by the Australians who were attacked during the war.
Reece Pocock in his book, "Refugee" give us all in more details of what will happen next since his act of Polish National has now been exposed.

CMcDermott

[Charlaigne]

Thanks for your review - looks like the book resonated with you. I was interested when I saw it was set in Australia (among other places). Looks like it's worth a read.

[ducksphilip]

The Refugee. The nightmares are a normal occurrence for anyone who has been through this kind of traumatic experience. I am feeling his plight already ; the review has set the pace.

[TheTrueNyree]

Thank you for this detailed review. just reading it told me that this book would at times have you on edge as well and emotionally involved with the story. Although war is never a good thing, i do like to know that the author wrote the book in a way that the reader can connect to the story. One does not have to be a soldier to relate to the words describing the soldier. Its sounds as thought he author did well with showing the story and not just telling it. I am interested in reading this one, i want to be able to experience the emotion in this story.

[[Arun Bohra]]

Very good review. I liked it.
I love how author depicts a struggling soldier after world war II.

[Clinton Kennedy]

The protagonist Rolf is forced to go through tough predicaments in Italy such as hiding his identity so as not to return to Germany. He also goes through psychological trauma. He has to hide his identity for his own safety and this makes the predicament very tough. Take for instance the refugee situation in Nigerian IDP camps, these refugees that are already citizens are already deprived much of their rights and freedom, then what more of a refugee that's not a citizen of Nigeria? what can you then say about it. The protagonist Rolf by name having escaped death in battle by hairs breadth finds himself in Italy recuperating.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it as a must read for the world at large to understand the ills of war and advocate peace in due nations. This book showcases through Rolf the protagonist the effect war has on an individual and a nation and it's citizens at large. Let's advocate peace.

[ccrews0408]

Great review!! This story sounds like it depicts a courageous journey. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of war stories nor do I like books that make me cry.

[ashpres12]

Thank you for your review. While historical fiction is touch and go for me, I do not think this book is for me. War stories are very depressing (as they should as the era itself was) but they are just something I can't read unless I am super interested.

[bellaterrabooks]

The aftereffects of war are far reaching for many soldiers, especially those who have experienced direct trauma such as Rolf. In both his recurring nightmare and his waking conflict with the Poles he must come to terms with his experiences during the war. The review articulates the author’s ability to bring the reader into the character’s reality, both past and present. The fact that the reader can empathize with Rolf and his significant life stresses through the conflicts shows the author’s skill at character development in this way. Based upon the sample; as well as this review, I would find this a book of adversity and the human condition. Those are books that can be interesting to read because they can teach us about the experiences of another person, thus I would definitely consider this book to be one I might want to read in the future.

[Samy Lax]

I sure think this book deserves a 4 out of 4 stars. Of course, the sadness that runs through the whole book is heartbreaking, but I guess that is expected in any book about war.

[Allylyly]

This book just proves that not all the German soldiers were willing to partake in Hitler’s insanity. For me, we musn’t blame their nation as a whole for the doing of one man. Well, I’m looking forward to reading this book. Thanks for the review!