*Shortlisted

Review by Roshan, Year 8, Saint Ambrose College
Cobalt is a brilliant book, the first half I really enjoyed as it has a very unique format. Such as the chapters being named after characters and showing what their life was like during the planning and execution of ‘Operation Cobalt’. The main storyline is that countries like Britain have an alliance with other countries to take down the Nazis, what is interesting is that of course, Hitler is mentioned, however, their army leader, Rommel is also mentioned.

The characters in the first half of the book are Monty, the leader of the army against the Nazis, George, John and Eva. These three are siblings and the book shows their past relationship with each other through Eva’s stories she told to Aliz, a poor girl with a very strict father who doesn’t allow her fun, except for going to Eva’s house. We are told that Eva and John had a very nice relationship as John is most likely the youngest child. I say most likely as we aren't told, however based on what we are told in the book, I have come to this conclusion. I think from the information given, that Eva is either slightly younger than George or the same age. Eva keeps the peace between the siblings, helping them both calm down, for example, when the book mentions how George stole John and Eva’s pharaoh mask they made, Eva helped John get his revenge.

In the first half of the story, I really enjoyed the book, mainly due to its incredibly unique format of the chapters, and how the chapters are named after the three siblings. I also enjoyed each character’s point of view and their stories. This made the book interesting to read as I wanted to know what would happen next.

After reading the second part of the book, my opinion remained the same. I loved the unique format and the actual themes and stories told by each character. My favourite character is George, the eldest out of the three siblings. 

He is my favourite because when he was young all the attention went to John, and it looked like George’s future was ruined. However, he was asked to be a part of the army to defeat the Nazis. This allowed George to have his own important role and make a difference to the world even if he had not been very academic at school. This is an important part of George’s story which the two brothers talk about, when they meet in Egypt. I found this a very interesting part of the book especially because John is forgiving and very understanding with his brother. We know this as when George confesses to having burnt John’s prize-winning essay on Prejudice, John is quiet at first and then forgives George.

Operation Cobalt is the name of the special mission in which leader Montgomery led the deception of a fake attack to get an advantage on the Nazis. My least favourite character is John as he is a bit annoying and got a lot of attention as a child. Also, just behind George, I do really like Eva as she is almost the peace creator, keeping balance between John and George.

Finally, this book is very thought provoking, exhilarating and has some very touching moments such as when the two brothers reunited. One of the chapters that stands out is the second to last chapter dedicated to Ilonka and Izidor, the parents of the three siblings. In this chapter, John and George finally reunite with their parents which finishes the story with a nice touch. However, we don’t see Eva in this reunion as she is still in Hungary trying to figure out a way to find freedom. 

This is a touching but sad chapter as there is joy in the family members being together and sadness at Eva’s absence, at the same time.

I have really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone as it is set in war time, so it is historically interesting.

However, there are other small elements of other genres, like the emotions between different characters and difficult themes like prejudice, racism and death. This makes it a worthwhile read.

Review by Olivia – Year 9 – St Peter’s Catholic School, Solihull
Sue Klauber’s “Cobalt” is a phenomenal book bursting with great historical information on WW2 yet still maintains an adventurous element of fiction to keep the narrative rich and the reader engrossed. The book is set during the Second World War and has a large focus on the Antisemitism views and the burdensome challenges the Jews had to face across war-torn Europe, for example, the prison-like ghettos and mass deportations to extermination camps.

We are guided through the story through the eyes of three siblings (George, John and Eva) who are all in different places around the World, each having their own role in WW2 -  George is in Poland encountering thrilling, yet life-threatening scenarios helping in the Secret Army, however he still feels he can’t turn a blind eye to the animal-like treatment of Jews; he is also having to hide his Jewish identity from some people… John is in Cairo strategically working on code-breaking to deceive the Germans, and lastly, Eva is in Hungary having to endure the sheer horrors and persecution of simply being Jewish. Throughout “Cobalt”, we are introduced to various characters who are either very helpful and want to get rid of the Nazis or have extreme hatred towards Jews and even believe Jewish people are no better than the rats.

I would have to say that my favourite character was John because Klauber clearly reveals through him that it’s not only the soldiers on the frontline making a difference, but also everyone else behind closed curtains. However, that is not to say that the other characters were unattractive because I really admire their worries for one another, especially George, who risks his own life to help the Jews. Also, you must sympathise with Eva as she lives in constant fear and the other villagers isolate her and spread rumours about her, simply because she is Jewish. Luckily, she has one nice friend, Aliz that she can turn to.

With Holocaust Memorial Day approaching and reading this book sparking curiosity inside of me, I was inspired to research more about what life was like for a Jew during the Second World War, particularly the ŻOB (Jewish Combat Organisation), which organised the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and resisted the deportations of Jews to death camps. “Cobalt” already provides some key information about the atrocious conditions in the Ghetto, such as people dying of Typhus, malnourished children and overcrowding.

“Cobalt” is set out in alternating chapters with each sibling receiving their own one, and I think this is a great layout as you are always left on a cliffhanger and therefore are engaged to keep reading so we can find out what will happen to them next. Certain phrases are repeated, such as “Why are people prejudiced?” and this allows the reader to ponder, while also displaying a constant theme running throughout the book. Also, the phrase “Cobalt blue sky” is repeated several times, particularly in the context of reminiscing memories with their family, such as going on holiday.  This is where the siblings should be thinking about – spending quality time together instead of living in a state of distress hoping to see their family again…

The plot was definitely thought-provoking because you hope that the siblings find each other and have a great life after the war, especially as you can see the strong connection and memories they have with each other. To add to this, due to the several cliffhangers, you certainly think about what will happen to that character next and referencing back to “Why are people prejudiced?”, this recurring phrase encourages you to think why the Jews face such hardship.

I would recommend this book (especially to teenagers) because you obtain a rich historical insight into the barbarity of the prejudiced treatment targeted at Jewish people. However, it has also inspired me to learn more about the war efforts that aren’t on the frontline, such as, code breaking at Bletchley Park. Even with providing key historic knowledge, Sue Klauber has perfectly balanced this with fiction to not only educate but also entertain. Klauber also succeeds at describing the atmosphere whilst under Nazi control – fearful and having to be cautious about every move you make. In addition, there are certainly some moments when you are fully immersed in the story, and you physically feel the suspense and trepidation as if you were the character.

Overall, this was an excellent read and I will be looking forward to reading more of Sue Klauber’s books – 5 STARS.

Review by Max, Year 9, Attleborough Academy, Norfolk
I have found Eva to be the most interesting character in the book, due to her character being the most inclusive and the stories she tells as this character. It gives the reader an interesting view of the past of our protagonists and the lessons we learn from all three, whilst another child is learning from these stories. I personally enjoyed every character, I would want to believe that every character was carefully chosen to have a unique personality, with ugly traits, whilst having an enjoyable or appealing side to them. The main reason I chose this book to read is primarily for the World War II history, stories or information I could learn.  Before reading this book, I did not know anything about the devil's garden, of over 17 million mines aware placed to fend allied attacks and this encouraged me to do my own research on the topic.

As before, the main reason I chose this book is because of the time it was set, I think it gives you a real insight into the aspects of the war, more than the fighting and bloodshed, although having a huge presence within. I would like to think I know a fair amount about past conflicts, especially World War II, but having a book like “Cobalt” to read, brings back a feeling of inspiration and imagination I wouldn't think I would have experienced without it. Including topics within the book that made me go and research it myself, that's what I enjoy the most about this book. I love the tension this book builds especially with John in the desert, it has a huge sense of scariness and sympathy for him, as he's a young lad, not physically fit for fighting, but an absolute genius in helping the Allies in the desert. I think this made the book a lot more interesting to read and to keep me gripped. I love the emersion Sue Klauber creates in her book. If I had to recommend this to people my age or younger or older, I want to say, it's a rollercoaster of events that make you switch the angle of what you perceive things, and how these events, although being 80 years ago, really sets the stage for an amazing experience, and it is 100% worth reading.

Thank you for letting me read Cobalt!