Reviewed by Kairui
With World War Two raging in Europe, 11-year-old Ada has a war of her own to fight in Kent, England. She lives a very unique life, full of ups and downs--her abusive mother who she has run away from has just been killed by the Nazis, her clubfoot that she has hated so much has been surgically removed, and a German girl has just moved into her home.
In The War I Finally Won, Ada is facing not only physical conflicts, but also emotional conflicts. She always remembers the malicious words and the actions done by her mother. Even when her “Mam” is deceased and her clubfoot fixed and everything is seemingly fine, she still remembers how Mam called her “nobbut a monster, with that ugly foot.” And when Ruth, a German girl who escaped from Hitler’s wrath, comes, Ada is forced to make a choice between friendship or cold enmity. Why this book would make the top 10 list of reads? For one, it is very exciting. For example, when Ada goes on a ride on a horse bred for speed with her friends Maggie, Ruth, and Jonathan, her horse happens to be spooked by a grouse exploding from a bush. Ada is so used to riding her docile pony, Butter, but at this moment, Ada has a flashback of the time when she was on a train, and she sees a girl just like her was racing the train. She lets loose, and instead of falling or panicking, flies. Her dream of being capable to follow her passion with horses has at last been fulfilled.
In The War I Finally Won, Ada is facing not only physical conflicts, but also emotional conflicts. She always remembers the malicious words and the actions done by her mother. Even when her “Mam” is deceased and her clubfoot fixed and everything is seemingly fine, she still remembers how Mam called her “nobbut a monster, with that ugly foot.” And when Ruth, a German girl who escaped from Hitler’s wrath, comes, Ada is forced to make a choice between friendship or cold enmity. Why this book would make the top 10 list of reads? For one, it is very exciting. For example, when Ada goes on a ride on a horse bred for speed with her friends Maggie, Ruth, and Jonathan, her horse happens to be spooked by a grouse exploding from a bush. Ada is so used to riding her docile pony, Butter, but at this moment, Ada has a flashback of the time when she was on a train, and she sees a girl just like her was racing the train. She lets loose, and instead of falling or panicking, flies. Her dream of being capable to follow her passion with horses has at last been fulfilled.
Another reason why I liked The War I Finally Won is because the character development is amazing. Ada goes from a person who thinks that “you can know things all you like, but that doesn’t mean that you believe them” to a person who is willing to accept the truth and actually change it. She didn’t just complain about a German girl being in her house, she tries to make friends with her, for she notices that Ruth is lonely and rarely comes downstairs from her room except for meals and math. Ada tries to find common ground -- after a small talk, she notices that Ruth needed horses to live as well. So, Ada takes her riding every day. One night, when one of Ada’s favorite horses, Oban, is sick with colic, Ada calls Ruth. Everybody else was just panicking, but Ada and Ruth made Oban walk laps and cure the colic. This also shows that Ada changed from a biased, skeptical person to a friendly, helpful, girl.
I would give this book as high a rating as it would allow, but sadly I can only give it a 10/10 this time. This story kept me on my toes wishing for more, and I really hope there is a sequel filled with more of this vivid, thoughtful, action-packed style of historical fiction writing. This is actually the second book in the duology, so you might want to read The War That Saved My Life first. I’m sure all sorts of readers will enjoy both books, albeit for different reasons. There! You finished reading this book review. Why not put a hold on the book or check it out now?
Penguin Random House LLC, 385 pages
Penguin Random House LLC, 385 pages
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