This semi non-fiction inspired by real life explores a teenager's visit to the trial of a Nazi war criminal and all the sides of that issue. It lacks a little in form, as it tends to be repetitive and also has logic holes, but it more than makes up for that in heart. It is emotional, heart-felt and morally very complicated. I liked that the actual testimony of the Nazi in question was given in the book, because that shifts the moral question from the characters to the reader. Through reading the accounts of victims and perpetrator, as well as of the observer of the trial, the struggle about the punishment becomes clear: can you really put a 94-year-old to prison for crimes committed 50 years ago? How much punishment is enough? Was he guilty to begin with?

It is complicated and will make you think, as well as possibly cry. Despite its sometimes iffy style, this is a book to be recommended.

This book is a great accessible introductory book for someone who wants to learn about the Holocaust and the lasting effects on the generations after. I did wish that the writing was a bit more complex and that the book itself was a bit longer, but again, it was a good introductory book.

To Look a Nazi in the Eye
A Teen's Account of a War Criminal Trial

by Kathy Kacer, Jordana Lebowitz

Second Story Press

Teens & YA

Pub Date 12 Sep 2017

I am reviewing a copy of To Look A Nazi in the Eye through Second Story Press and Netgalley:

In April 2015 Oskar Groening the man accused of aiding and abetting in the murder of only 30,000 Jews in Aushwitz/Birkneau. Nineteen year old Jordana Lebotowitz a Granddaughter of Holocaust survivors decides to attend the trial.

In 2012 Jordana had took of a tour of Aushwitz/Birkenau where she learned that the workers had intentionally hung an upside down B, so those who entered new it was not what it seemed to be.

At ninety four Oskar Groening will likely be one of the last Nazi War Criminals brought to Justice.

Groening was born in 1921 in Lower Saxony, in 1933 he joined the Hitler Youth!

On April.21.2015 Jordana arrived at the trial on the bus with Holocaust Survivors and those called to testify against the Nazi's. While at the trial she meets Rudolph Hoess and who is trying to spend his life undoing the damage his Grandfather and other Nazi's have done. Sadly she also meets those who try to deny the Holocaust!

Can you imagine being the Granddaughter of Holocaust Survivors brave enough to attend the trial of Nazi War Criminal Oskar Groening?

This is Jordana Lebowitz story, a brave young woman who would not let fear stop her.

On April.21.2015 the trial of Oskar Lebowitz began by then he was a frail old man of ninety four and would likely be one of the last Nazi's to stand trial.

Could you hear the story of those who survived the Holocaust, the absolute crushing pain?Would you find that kind of courage to look one of the one responsible in the eye?

I give To Look A Nazi in the eye five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Excellent research, well written and easy to follow! For sure is a book that I will recommend teachers to read and to use in their classrooms. The stories of the survivors were horrific, however put side by side with Groening's story, it was clear that their stories had a more simple message, that of perseverance and love. Although there were times that Jordana's story came off as childish, (talking to parents, friends) her blogging shows a more mature person, and one that was more likable.

To me, this book is divided into two parts: the good and the bad, so I will divide my review into two parts.

The Good…

To Look a Nazi in the Eye is a very important book for young people to read. The horror of the Holocaust cannot be adequately described in a book review, but it stands as the most atrocious act of genocide in the history of the human race. Our younger generations need to understand the level of cruelty, hate, and inhumanity that fed into the Holocaust. They need to know about the Nazi extermination campaign and the amount of planning that went into trying to wipe out entire populations for not fitting Hitler’s “preferred profile” of an acceptable human being.

The chapters that contain testimony and personal statements from both the perpetrator and the victims of the Holocaust are very important. I found myself examining Oskar Groening’s testimony, dissecting every sentence and trying to find an ounce of remorse or shame. I saw no evidence of either, but readers will have to reach their own conclusions on that just as the survivors who listened made theirs.

Testimonies from the victims are the most important part of the book. It is essential that younger generations understand the brutality and suffering endured by Holocaust survivors. They were beaten, starved, experimented on. Some lost every living relative. The suffering did not end when the war did, and trials such as Groening’s are their only chance for even the tiniest slice of justice. The book could have been much improved with the inclusion of more survivor testimonies and input.

The Bad…

Jordana. Everything having to do with that self-serving narcissist was intolerable.

I found her to be overdramatic, overly emotional, and selfish. Instead of coming off as an intelligent young woman in college, she came across as a bratty teen getting something she didn’t deserve. I see no purpose in her attending the trial. All I could think as I read was that she had taken a seat at the trial that should have gone to someone who had survived a concentration camp or lost a loved one to the Holocaust. Someone who had a true purpose and right to be there.

She was terribly naïve and her reactions to the people around her were childish and ridiculous. She admits to being bored at the trial, as if the entire affair is for her entertainment purposes. With her inflated sense of self-importance, she somehow managed to make the trial all about herself instead of the real focus: a Nazi who helped murder hundreds of thousands of people and the survivors who came in the hope of seeing justice done. Her personality was a distraction to the important court case and overshadowed the bigger message of this book.

So, my advice is read the book for the survivors. Read the book for the trial and its outcome, but skip as much of Jordana as possible.

This book wasn't bad, it was just too...easy. The level of writing comes off as way under the targeted age range. I found it too shallow for the important subject matter. That being said, I do think that this book will serve as an accessible introduction to the Holocaust and its lasting effects for a generation who will grow up without knowing its survivors.

To Look a Nazi in the Eye: A Teen’s Account of a War Criminal Trial (A NetGalley review)
4.5/5
Would recommend: YES!
Synopsis:
The true story of nineteen-year-old Jordana Lebowitz's time at the trial of Oskar Groening, known as the bookkeeper of Auschwitz, a man charged with being complicit in the death of more than 300,000 Jews. A granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Jordana attended the trial. She realized that by witnessing history she gained the knowledge and legitimacy to be able to stand in the footsteps of the survivors

My thoughts:
While the trial of Oskar Groening is about the Holocaust, the lessons taught in this book are timeless. The survivor’s stories are enough to persuade anyone to never repeat the past. Jordana, as an ambitious young woman, made it her life to spread the lessons of this trial alone. Not knowing a lot about the trials of Nazis in the past, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. This book is beyond important and the stories that Jordana was able to retell are stories that will stay with any true reader.
“If you’re not moved by this experience, you won’t be influenced by it.”
And trust me, this book will move you. I felt Hady’s strength through the pages. I felt Bill’s pain. But I could’ve connected more to the characters if Jordana had written the words herself. I feel like she could’ve really brought the trials and the survivors to life. Her blog posts throughout the book gave a good insight into Johana’s writing, but her actual writing would’ve been much better in the long run.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Second Story Press for kindly provide an advanced reader copy of ‘To Look a Nazi in the Eye: A Teen’s Account of a War Criminal Trial’ for an honest review.

It’s probably my least favourite thing in the world to write a negative review…..However, I really struggled with this one. In fact I could only make it to the half way point. When it got to the point where Jordana just gets up and walks over to Groening (who is on trial for war crimes) I’d had it with her to be honest.

Jordana is quite possibly the most self-centred and decidedly unlikeable protagonist I’ve encountered in quite some time. I tried and tried, and wanted, to like her as I believe this book has something so important to say.
Principally that we should never forget. That humanity is capable of great and wondrous things but also unimaginable and inconceivable hatred, ignorance and cruelty. We need to learn from the past.

I believe Kacer and Lebowitz to have had all of these intentions at heart when writing this novel. Sadly it’s lost in the poor dialogue (both between characters and Jordana’s internal voice) and the woeful over simplification of complex moral and emotional issues.

I can see that Jordana is meant to be a brave, driven, focussed young woman with great respect for history. Sadly this is really not translated in the telling of the story. Over and over again she talks about the need to bear witness. How exciting is to be part of history, she is always putting herself at the centre of everything.

I felt like Max and Hedy et al. could have offered another level to the narration. Unfortunately, they get very little opportunity. Again I felt more focus was placed on Jordana’s incessant need to explain her reasons to be there and dissatisfaction that no one understands. The following sentence is frankly, ridiculous:
“They couldn’t quite comprehend that she had dropped everything in her life with only a few weeks’ notice just to be here.”

Why is it ALWAYS about Jordana? This only got worse until I couldn’t read anymore.

I was further irritated by her over inflated self-importance when they enter the court. All she cares about is that her camera and notebook are removed. I’d have thought she could’ve spared about to think how the others must feel arriving in Germany to have all their belongings removed and impersonally searched by German officers given why they were there?!

Her audacious approach to Groening is also unfathomable. I’ve never been to international war crimes trial but I wouldn’t have thought just anyone could walk up and do so. I had believed the title to be more metaphorical.

As I mentioned I believe this book has something important to say and I hope that it will at least encourage young people to think about what happened and explore the issues. I hope it opens and encourages debate and further study.

This book could serve as a very salient lesson, of what it's like to care about justice, history and its lessons, and human rights, taking as it does the subject of a young Canadian teen going to the much belated trial in Germany of one of the Auschwitz/Birkenau workers. But it's saddled with an awful, cheesy style. The man involved is Oskar Groening, who was an office worker for the Nazis and the Waffen SS until he was promoted to be the guy sifting treasures out of whatever the camp victims were holding as luggage, the very minute they left the cattle carts, and sending it away for the war effort. Jordana Lebowitz, the girl intent on being witness to everything and to back up the real survivors she called friends, is potentially going to be a very important person in the future. So why is she saddled with a book like this, that dumbs everything down, dramatizes the story with the most naively-written dialogue, and more? Is it really true that she didn't know what Groening looked like before they were in court together? Do we need her being humanised by pretend texts to her BFFs, when other things are much more important? And will she ever get anywhere if she insists on nicking hotel breakfast buffet food for lunch, and smuggling pens and paper into court?

It's unfortunate the trial was so long she was only witness to the first week; her blogs have a simplicity to them that shows they would have been of use in translating the import of it to the young. But this patronising, naïve dressing of her experience just isn't the way to go. This has a teenaged woman's concerns wrapped up in ways that would talk down to a ten year old; surely a great disservice.

Wow! What a powerful book. It was wonderful to see a young adult interested in making sure that her peers know and understand what happened during the Holocaust. Reading about the survivors stories and Jordana's confusion over seeing an old man where she thought she would see a monster really was moving. This should be required reading in school.

To Look at Nazi in the Eye - Could you imagine doing just that?
Jordana Lebowitz was nineteen when she traveled to Germany and witnessed the trial of Oskar Groening, known as the bookkeeper of Auschwitz. At the time of his trial, Oskar was 94. Proving his guilt when he didn't directly cause death with his own two hands would not be an easy feat. This trial would set a precedent - you can be found guilty of murder if you contributed to the "death machine" without actually killing anyone.
Kathy is an established author of books that bring the history of The Holocaust to readers of all ages. Jordana Lebowitz was a teenager who found her mission in life at a young age during a visit to The Holocaust memorial. On said visit, she connected with living survivors, made lasting friendships with them, and thus began her journey to become a voice of history to future generations. Kathy Kacer, includes actual blogs written by Jordana during the time of the trial in 2015. Throughout this story we can click on any number of footnotes to see the true articles and facts.
"As I prepare to leave I am left to wonder: How can we help patch the world back together stitch by stitch into a patchwork of peace, and truly ensure Never Again?"
The witness testimonies are not word for word accurate to the trial, but they are written from true accounts of the survivors. Each of them was a child living an ordinary life. Each of them slowly saw their lives impacted by increased regulations and control over Jewish people. Their stories were heart wrenching and yet they're only three of the millions of stories of this time period. Their courage to continuously retell their stories is admirable. Even the word admirable is an understatement. They take it as their duty to keep reliving their pain as a tribute to all of the others who are not here to do the same.
This story was near perfect for me. I don't want to admit my reason for dropping it to a 4.5 star rating but I will. I didn't connect with the main character, Jordana. It's terrible to say because she is a real person, she has a relationship with the author and worked closely with her to develop this book. How could I not connect with her? She just didn't seem real. I didn't feel like the character's actions were realistic. Her interactions with the judge and with Oskar during the trial didn't feel real. I found myself thinking, "that would never really happen". From what I read in the acknowledgements, it very likely did happen as it was told. Kathy Kacer and Jordana Lebowitz talked for years, Kacer interviewed the survivors who testified, so it must be very close to accurate. So, I feel terrible that I doubted her personality throughout the story. Maybe I'm a little bit blinded by the young people I know personally?
Kudos to Jordana!
A young person who is so passionate about the survival of history, and is so altruistic, it just doesn't seem like she could be real. The beautiful truth is that she is a real woman who is truly on a mission to better the world. History should not be allowed to repeat itself. We should not become so disconnected from the harsh reality of history that we can pretend it never happened. Millions of people died of all ages and I am certain they never would have believed that their coming fate would be possible. Today, I can't fathom being separated from my children and forced to work under torturous conditions. That is the reality that far too many people endured. I applaud Jordana Lebowitz for enduring such emotional turmoil and stress so that she can shoulder the story of her ancestors. She is a person of action who wants to ensure that this never happens again.

The survivors of the Holocaust, and the nazi's who perpetrated it are both dying of old age. This is the last generation that will hear the stories from living people. Jordana is only a teenager, but because she has heard stories of her grandmother, as well as visiting Auschwitz, she feels that this might be the only time she can attend such a trail, and hear from the SS Officers own lips what happened, and why he did what he did.

This book is important. The experience of Jordan's Leibovitz, and the effect it had on her are quite important. The words of the survivors, the testimony of the Nazi, all of these are important, and every one should read this book, for that alone.

The problem is, the book though tear jerking at times feels as though we are a bit too far removed. As anotehr reviewer said, perhaps Jordon herself should have written the book, have the book in her words, instead of relying on her blog entries, and interviews with the survivors who testified.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I liked this book and read it straight through.

I am very interested in Holocaust history as Jordana is. I didn’t realize until the end of the book that this is a true account and not fictional. While I was reading, I thought it was fiction based on true events.

Jordana becomes interested in the Holocaust when she participates in the March of the Living when she is in high school. There she meets a Holocaust survivor, Hedy. As a college student, she learns that Hedy will be giving her testimony at the trial of Oskar Groening, one of the Nazi’s who worked at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Jordana is compelled to be at the trial and manages to arrange the trip and a place in the courtroom in a short time.

The book is an account of her experience there and the changes she goes through in the process. I think it’s a good book and happy it’s written with the YA audience in mind. This is a topic I worry will be forgotten and was happy to know of this book and to read it.

Note: This review will be featured on my blog as well.

Jordana, a young college student, gets the opportunity of a lifetime to fly to Germany and witness the trial of a former Nazi Officer, Oskar Groening. She is brought over with the people who survived their time in Auschwitz who will testify about their experiences in the concentration camp at the time Oskar was there. Throughout her time in Germany, Jordana is confronted with her own ideologies, her desire for everything to be black and white, her view of Germany and her own Jewish History as she attends the trial, hoping for a guilty verdict.

This book was great. Ever since reading The Diary of Anne Frank at eight years old, I've devoured most literature, information, and movies based on World War II, the Holocaust, and the 1940's in general. The story does an amazing job of sharing testimonies from all sides; the side of the Nazi Solider, the Survivors of the Holocaust, and the Germans of today who are living with the sins of their ancestors.
Being able to read first hand accounts of survivors, paired with Oskar's testimony was fascinating. Following the trial through the eyes of Jordana was an excellent choice. She had the first hand experience but was also removed from directly being involved in the trial so there was an aspect of a third party narrator throughout the story.
This book really gave a new perspective on the Germany of today and how those who live there want to make the sins of their ancestors right. They want to acknowledge and bring to justice those who were involved in the Holocaust.
I think one of the most powerful images from the book is Jordana's realization that though she wanted to immediately see Oskar as a horrible monster, in reality, he was a frail old man. The humanness of him really came through, despite what he might have done in the past.
The other powerful stories, besides the ones from the survivors, are in the stories from the Germans today and their commitment to a different future. Recognizing that they have that horrid history but wanting a much better future.
All in all, this book was great. It was quick read, very interesting, and engaging. I feel like I learned a lot about the concentration camps through both Oskar and the survivors' stories. Sometimes the voice of Jordana felt too childish in some of her comments but at the same time, she is a teenager watching this all unfold so it was also appropriate at the same time.
I fully recommend this book and honestly, will probably read it again.

This book follows the trial of Oskar Groening, known more commonly as the Bookkeeper of Auschwitz. As a transcript of the event was never formally recorded and published, this book is a reconstruction of various witness accounts, testimonies and published documents. It is told via Jordana Lebowitz's journey as she becomes determined to attend the trial to witness it firsthand - you may know of her blog detailing the events for the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

This book made me want to stop reading and start doing something - this is both inspirational but heartbreaking all in one. There are a number of elements of this book which I particularly liked. Most of all the witness statements and reconstructed testimony of Groening's. These really hit home, were ugly and descriptive but absolutely set the scene for me.

Jordana has conflicting emotions about the man she expected to come out looking evil, but who in fact appeared quite ordinary, old and frail. I liked that the authors conveyed that not all evil has a certain look about it. But I liked even more so that they captured how a newer generation of Germans have also been affected by the events of their ancestors. It certainly blows out any ignorant perspectives, and general tarring with the same brush ideas that I'm sure are not entirely lost in today's society. In fact, the authors wonderfully weave in the possibility for parallels between this time and modern society which sadly are still evident. Equally, they did not shy away from questioning if condemning a man for a crime so long ago was really justice, if it had any purpose or was fair particularly as he did not directly murder anyone. The controversy of many of the points really captivated me and kept the pages turning.

The layout of the book is perhaps slightly unusual because it isn't a firsthand account but isn't entirely reconstructed - I imagine reading Jordana's blog alone would have been substantial in evoking an emotional, thoughtful response from the general public. But I'm not sure it would reach an audience like me - a younger reader with less knowledge of this time who might want to expose themselves to more information, but not necessarily want to wade through formal textbooks to do so. And that's why I found this book to resonate so powerfully with me; because it was accessible, written in a way I could connect with, despite my knowledge being less in depth about this time than others (although I did recognise the stories from Eva Mozes Kor from previous books I've read), and I, very much like Jordana I suppose, want to know more about those who did suffer through that time to spread their message. For me, this book is important for future generations and I absolutely think it has a place in schools at the very least so that others might experience this part of history, but from the fortunate safety of the pages of a book.

The message is loud in this book. You will not find it beautiful or delicate. It is harsh and ugly. But maybe books like this are the stepping stones to making sure that our world doesn't ever become so dark again. The bravery of the survivors to tell their story, to seek justice and in some cases, to forgive the monsters of their memories, will absolutely stay with me. And I also learnt a thing or two as well. I wouldn't hesitate to pass this book along.

Could be used for history lesson about the second world war and the final solution through the eyes of survivor children and grandchildren and the anger still remaining.
The book takes a personal account of the suffering encounted and not just taken as statistics from mumbers.
A lesson in rememberance,family and in the end forgivness.

Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley

When the trial of Oskar Groening of aiding and abetting the killing of Jews in Auschwitz. started, I actually discussed it with a student. We had both seen the series on Auschwitz done by BBC and Lawrence Rees. In it, Groening is interviewed. My student wonder two things – why it took so long for Groening to be arrested, especially after the interview and whether her interest in the Holocaust was wrong.
She would like this book.
In many ways, Jordana Lebowitz reminds me of that student with an interest in something that happened long before her birth. True, Lebowitz is Jewish and my student was not. But the burning need to know is something that they have in common. Though guts and determination, Lebowitz is able to make it to the trial and witness it. This book is the story of that determination and the trial itself.
Sadly, the book is far from perfect.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There is much that is good in this book. In many ways, this is a book that most teens and young adults should read because it makes connections between then and now. Lebowitz’s story not only shows the importance of history and remembrance, but how the younger generation can get involved.
Yet, there is also a sense of wanting something more from the book. In part, this is due to the chosen style. Referring to Lebowitz in third person, doesn’t work. It actually distances the reader in a way that is a bit disconcerting, and the use of passive voice doesn’t help in terms of this. There are also some weird juxtapositions – like the overlooking of Lebowitz’s grandmother’s reaction to her granddaughter’s proposed trip. Perhaps this reaction does have something to do with the Holocaust as well? The inclusion of Groening’s testimony , while understandable, is also somewhat strange as it is taken from sources, something that is only made clear at the end of each entry.
The thing is Lebowitz’s blog on trial, done for the Simon Wiesenthal center, doesn’t suffer from this. Undoubtedly, there are copyright resections and such, but if Lebowitz had had more of a voice, I wonder if this book would have been a smoother read.
That said, it isn’t a bad read. It is one worth reading, especially for teens and young adults.

A very interesting testimony about the everyday evil and a teenager's fight to find the truth and better understand things impossible to accept and grasp, after so many years. Although very late, the trial of the 'accountant of Auschwitz', Oskar Gröningen, was the proof that when there is the will, justice can be delivered, The murder of 6 million innocent people couldn't have been possible without the compliance of people like him, who oblierated their humanity for the excuse of a safe bureaucratic job. The merit of Jordana is of using the enthusiasm of her youth for fighting hard to reveal the truth and restore the hope into humanity. A recommended read for schools but also for anyone interested in Shoah and WWII histories.

**Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of TO LOOK A NAZI IN THE EYE in exchange for my honest review**

3.5 stars

In 2015, nineteen-year-old Jordana travels to Germany to witness the trial of a Nazi war criminal.

TO LOOK A NAZI IN THE EYE is an important story and unfortunately still quite relevant to current events still happening in the world. Jordana, in part, wanted to see the trial as a witness to history, to make sure the Holocaust is not forgotten for her generation and beyond. The shrinking number of survivors and likelihood that few if any guards are still alive makes Jordana's travels even more vital.

Writing is the biggest drawback to the book. Kathy Kacer uses mostly passive verbs. She tells rather than shows. Her sentences are wordy and repetitive. For example, many people ask Jordana why she wanted to attend the trial. Readers didn't need to be told each time with dialogue, because her answer is always similar. Jordana's actual blogs were extremely well written and I wish she had written the book as her own memoir. If she had, TO LOOK A NAZI IN THE EYE would be a great classroom read.

I recommend TO LOOK A NAZI IN THE EYE, for the historical importance, which transcends poor writing.