Adult Fiction

While I primarily read YA fiction these days I do enjoy some adult fiction every once in a while. This feature looks at some of the adult fiction I am reading and examines its appeal for those who prefer Young Adult literature.

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay
Julia writes for an American magazine in Paris and her editor assigns her to cover the 60th anniversary of the Vél' d'Hiv' roundups. Julia soon learns that the apartment she and her husband plan to move into was acquired by her husband’s family when its Jewish occupants were dispossessed and deported 60 years before. She resolves to find out what happened to the former occupants: Wladyslaw and Rywka Starzynski, parents of 10-year-old Sarah and four-year-old Michel. The more Julia discovers—especially about Sarah, the only member of the Starzynski family to survive—the more she uncovers about her husband’s family, about France and, finally, herself.

Sarah’s Key is a great fit for teens who enjoy reading historical fiction where the focus is on the story and the characters, rather than romance. Sarah’s Story is poignant, one that is not easily forgettable and which will draw readers who enjoy books such as The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas, The Book Thief and Night. Told in alternating chapters between Julia and Sarah, readers will experience an element of suspense as their stories unfold and intertwine. Overall, it’s a heartbreaking yet beautiful story best suited for older teens wanting to read something with a little more depth.

YA Connection: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak