I read this book along with my grandaughter reading it. I found the most interesting aspect the details of life in East Berlin behind the Berlin Wall. I also appreciated the quote that began each chapter, although I disagreed with some of them. However, the situation in Berlin at this time was very similar to many incidents we are now experiencing in the United States. I also was not pleased that nothing was said regarding the plight of the Jews in the Holocaust. There were too many repetitive details concerning the digging of the escape tunnel. ( )

Oh man, this is such a great book! Very very exciting, full of danger and suspense and keeps you hooked till the last chapter. I think out of all Jennifer Nielsen's historical fiction, this is probubly my favorite, Lines of Courage coming up pretty close. I think anyone and everyone should read this! I love it so so much!!😍 ( )

Free audio from SYNC Summer Reading and a wonderful book about a time in history most young adults have heard too little about. Highly recommended.

A stunning thriller about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west. With the rise of the Berlin Wall, 12-year-old Gerta finds her family divided overnight. She, her mother, and her brother, Fritz, live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can't help herself.

She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens; she, her family, her neighbors, and her friends are prisoners in their own city. But one day, while on her way to school, Gerta spots her father on a viewing platform on the western side, pantomiming a peculiar dance.

Then, when she receives a mysterious drawing, Gerta puts two and two together and concludes that her father wants Gerta and Fritz to tunnel beneath the wall, out of East Berlin. However, if they are caught, the consequences will be deadly. No one can be trusted. Will Gerta and her family find their way to freedom? ( )

Set in an interesting time and perspective (East Berlin, just as the wall goes up in 1961 and 1965 as present day). The plot also takes a while to get going, but then really sweeps along at the end.

To be honest, I disliked the narrator throughout. I thought she was a whiny, entitled, brat who had very little empathy for her remaining family members. Maybe that's what being 12 in an oppressive regime is like? Everyone in the book is so busy worrying about being reported for their actions that they come across as incredibly self-centered -- not selfish, just in a very focused on self kind of way. Are my actions being observed? Am I being judged? How do I observe and judge everyone around me?She learned/evolved/ got better at the end, but as an adult reading this book I found the first half of the book to be a slog.

I think there's a lot to learn from this book. I've heard good reception from kids. It's an good way to learn about this time period. ( )

Gerta is stuck in East Germany when the wall goes up, and her father and brother Dominic are in West Germany. Gerta, her brother Fritz, and her mother live for years stuck behind the wall. One day Gerta sees Dominic standing on a platform above the wall and discovers she can no longer accept staying in East Germany. Will she be able to find a way to escape with her family? Will she be able to keep her friendship with Anna? Who can she trust in a city full of people paid to be spies?

This story will pull you in and keep you engrossed with each page. I also loved learning more about the life of a citizen of Berlin during the time of the great wall, especially from the perspective of a young girl with such courage and strength! Gerta is a character who's story deserved to be told and I'm so glad I had the chance to read this book! ( )