Beautiful read in every sense of the word and a great piece of historical fiction. Wonderful characters and plot.

This book is based on a true story.
This book is so well written and researched. The plot is so intriguing and taught me a lot
A great book

Wow, this packs a real heart-wrenching punch!!
I am lost for words by how amazing this book was, it's dramatic, engaging, compelling, eye-opening and unbelievably heart-breaking - if there is one book you read this year, then make it this one!!
I loved this book so much, I went out and purchased the paperback just so that I could have a copy on my bookcase.
Stunning!!

A fascinating historic story about the White Rose group in WW2. The story is well researched and well written and makes a compelling read in a terrifying time where these youngsters risked their lives on a daily basis to try and stop the Nazis. If you are a fan of this genre of book, which I am, it is well recommended

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book! It wasn’t my favorite , and I’d prefer not to leave negative reviews online.

Someone has to start....

This book is one of the prime examples of the reasons why I enjoy reading historical fiction, it teaches us important lessons about political change, the psychological impacts of war and espionage (who do you trust?), resistance and bravery, but it does so through the lens of a story we can at least somewhat identify with. We were all Natalya once, trying to find our way in the world, stepping out from under our parents' wings, making our way to independence and finding our footing and friends. It just so happens that for Natalya all of that happens against the backdrop of the rise of national socialism in Germany.

I've read quite a bit of historical fiction set around WWII, but a lot of it focuses on the nazi death-camps or the espionage carried out by the allied forces. I found it quite refreshing to be reading a bit more (in a fictional setting) about Sophie Scholl and die Weisse Rose. So far, not much I have read zoomed in on the resistance within Germany itself, the risks taken by the general population, the bravery to stand up to the regime. I found the author to write believably about the internal struggles of the main character, as well as some of the conversations/discussion between various member of the White Rose. The scenery painted comes into clear view almost immediately.

Does this mean this is the perfect book? No. At times I had difficulties believing Natalya's luck. I am not sure I needed the romance towards the latter part of the book, though I understand it helps the reader find hope in a seemingly hopeless situation. But none of these are reasons to skip this wonderful book about a piece of WWII history which is remarkably unknown.

This is a well researched and written world war 2 drama about a young woman who risks everything to play an important role in The White Rose Group and anti Nazi group who sought to expose the brutal regime of the Nazi party. Based on factual events it is enlightening and entertaining and perfect for WW2 enthusiasts who love gripping fiction.
The bravery is undoubted and the fear and tension throughout is palpable.

I absolutely loved this story. I’ve always been a fan of WWII novels. Natalya’s character shows so much strength and bravery. Faced with fear and danger she rises to every occasion. I will definitely be reading more by V S Alexander.

"The Traitor" by V.S. Alexander is the historical fiction retelling of the resistance group known as the White Rose. The White Rose spread pamphlets against the Nazis throughout Germany during the war. We are lead into the group through the eyes of Natalya Petrovich, a Russian immigrant and college student. Natalya joins the group, but at what cost?

This book was interesting and insightful. I know a little about the White Rose group, so to hear it from a fictional perspective was interesting. The fictional elements allow you to imagine and feel what this daring group of young people must have felt. Natalya has to balance school, romance, and family as she navigates her own desires and beliefs, in a time when having beliefs beyond what the Nazis approved of was dangerous.

Natalya is a great character. She is likable, but flawed. She is brave, but almost too much so. She is pretty, but not gorgeous. Natalya makes for the ideal story character. I think the most likable thing about Natalya is her adaptability. She sees life around her and blends into the situation. Not silently, but she doesn't let the next thing throw her. She always has a plan and is always hopeful.

In the end, I gave this book 4 stars. I liked the storyline and the characters. It felt realistic enough to be believable and the writing was well done. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK (One More Chapter) for the ARC of "The Traitor" by V.S. Alexander in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, One More Chapter and V.S. Alexander for this e-copy in return for my honest review. I'm an absolute sucker for historical fiction, especially set in WW2 Germany, so I absolutely lapped this up. To say that I loved it is an understatement. Cleverly written, and well researched. The characters are well developed in this tense story.

I loved that this story was about a historical group I knew nothing about! The White Rose was a group of young Germans secretly working against the Nazi's. This story was able to mix fiction and fact perfectly. It had me researching every time I came across something that I was intrigued by, and so many times, I would find that information to be true. I appreciate that the author was able to keep the true story and build a cast of characters around it to make the story flow.

It's an excellent book that I highly recommend to readers that are interested in a WWII historical fiction story that is based on real people and events.

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Fantastic book and i really like the Authors style of writing i enjoyed the first novel regarding Hitlers taster so i knew this wouldn't disappoint

Traitor is based on a horrific true story of rebellion during World War Two. Nazi Germany and ordinary citizens are living under the rules of the new regime. Natalya, a student returns to university in Munich after a stint as a volunteer nurse in Russia. Befriended by a group of earnest students, The White Rose movement to write and post leaflets condemning the regime, her perspective changes and she plays a small part in the underground resistance movement. A chilling story of young people resisting and giving up their lives for truth and freedom.

Sadly not for me. I can struggle with fictional nazis and I found them a struggle in this which meant I didn’t enjoy the book unfortunately

"Not all Germans were Nazis."

No truer words than these. However, even long after the war, Germany was synonymous with Hitler and the Nazi regime but interestingly enough, most Germans did not agree with his politics but because of his power they dare not defy him. So therefore it was easier to "Heil Hitler!" than it was to go against him. To do so was treason, and for treason the sentence was death.

But to live under that kind of rule, that kind of dictatorship, to be told what you can and can't do, what books you can or can't read, who to talk to and not to...would be a sentence in itself. Despite a world war going on, there was another kind of war being fought within Germany. To be living in Germany during that time would have been insufferable. Anyone who did would be incredibly brave to have withstood it (I don't know if I could have)...and those of the neighbouring countries that were affected by Hitler's rule.

But then there were those whose bravery lives long after they did. Founded by university students Hans and Sophie Scholl and their professor, The White Rose was a peaceful resistance movement that began in 1942 and, though shortlived, operated under great risk to bring truth to German citizens about the fascist Nazi regime and the Third Reich. They spoke out against the Nazi propaganda and what it stood for for the good of Germany.

So incorporating true life with fictional, we meet Natalya Petrovich who joins the movement and helps spread words of resistance and hope to the German people.

So no, not all German's were Nazis.

Munich, Kristallnacht 1938: Sixteen year old Natalya Petrovich watches from her bedroom window the orange skies on the horizon, as the synagogues and homes of Jews are set alight rendering them homeless. Her best friend Lisa Kobl bangs her floor on the ceiling below to let her know she sees it too.

1942: As a Russian born German, Natalya's family moved to Munich when she was four years old for a better life. But life under Hitler's rising regime has been harsh and now with the cruelties of war, Natalya feels a powerlessness that can only be quashed by helping those afflicted by those horrors. Now she is 20 and, instead of finding herself a husband and producing a child every year for the Reich as the Fuhrer demands, she is on her way to the Russian front as a volunteer nurse for the German Red Cross.

There she meets and makes friends with Alex Schmorell, Hans Scholl and Willi Graf who, upon their return to Munich, introduce her to the White Rose movement. After witnessing such horrors at the Russian front, Natalya joins the movement with her friend Lisa. Together they are involved in writing literature leaflets, expressing the oppressive government, the fascist regime and the death of the soul of the German people - "the spirit of Germany has been crushed under a foul dictator's iron boot!" Natalya does not hesitate in helping to spread these words to as many German citizens as possible, travelling in subterfuge as far as Vienna to post the leaflets to random addresses from the phone book.

Despite all attempts to remain unnoticed, she does draw the attention of one such man - Garrick Adler. Garrick frequents the gatherings of Hans, Sophie and their friends, trying to ingratiate himself into the movement and becoming increasingly frustrated by their rejection of him. He claims to share their views and wants to stand up against Nazi fascism...but the Scholls don't trust him. And Natalya isn't sure if she should either. But Garrick is charming. He continues to call on her, bringing her gifts and even a kitten in an attempt to woo her. But in a world where you trust no one for it could get you killed, Natalya remains staunch and playing ignorant to his claims. But there is something about Garrick. Can she trust him?

As history goes, the White Rose movement lasted just a year, when in 1943 Hans and Sophie Scholl were arrested in the university distributing what would be their final leaflets. What did this mean for the others involved in the underground resistance? Were they now in danger? It would take a betrayal to put them in the firing line...and no one in the White Rose would betray another.

But then Natalya is arrested and soon finds herself on trial, alongside Lisa, in one of the most pompous rooms decorated in Nazi regalia she has ever seen. The charge - treason. The penalty - death. But when Natalya's life is saved at the eleventh hour, she finds she must sell her soul to the devil to remain alive. As a traitor she must now become a traitor to her own people...but can she betray those whose beliefs she also shares?

A well-researched novel, THE TRAITOR is compelling tale set during a dark period of Germany's history. It vividly portrays the oppressive atmosphere of the time and the constant fear of the brutal punishment given to those who dared to defy the Reich that even I felt I couldn't breathe.

Having read many historical fiction novels set during WW2 and being familiar with the White Rose resistance movement, I was immediately drawn to THE TRAITOR. It is always interesting to read "the other side of the story" rather than just those on British soil. Because not all Germans were Nazis.

The first part of the book was a little slow moving though it soon picked up. However, it's not until Natalya's journey after the White Rose that the story became interesting. The book is divided into two parts which tell the two aspects of Natalya's journey - Part 1: The White Rose and Part 2: Traitors. It is the second part that I couldn't put down. Even to the final pages where I read through tear-filled eyes right up to the very end.

A beautiful tale that is both captivating and heartbreaking, THE TRAITOR is a compelling and thought-provoking read recommended to all fans of WW2 historical fiction

I would like to thank #VSAlexander, #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #TheTraitor in exchange for an honest review.

The Traitor is set during a dark period of Germany's history. It shows, through the characters of Natalya and her friends, that not all Germans were Nazis and that some, like her, had the courage to resist despite the risk to them and their families. Those risks become all too evident as the book progresses as well as the desperately difficult moral choices they face.

The book's title raises the question who exactly is the "traitor"? Is it Natalya and her companions, as the German State would have it, for challenging the word of the Fuhrer? Is it those who inform on others, even if only to save themselves? Is it those in authority who participate in show trials, knowingly compromising their integrity? Is it those who profess allegiance to the Reich whilst in their hearts believing something else?

Personally I would have liked a little more information about the White Rose group, knowing nothing about it before starting the book. For example, how many members it had and how wide was its reach. Having said that, there are more details in the informative Author's Note, as well as suggestions for further reading and an example of a White Rose leaflet. 

I confess I found it hard to understand Natalya's attraction to the character with whom she gets involved and who becomes a recurring - and influential - presence in her life. He seemed to me to have few redeeming qualities even at the beginning. The opposite applies to Natalya who throughout demonstrates remarkable courage and resilience, even during the darkest of times.

The Traitor vividly conveys the oppressive atmosphere of the time, the constant fear of informers, the brutal treatment meted out to those who dared to defy the Reich and the courage of those who aided the resistance groups.

I am a sucker for historical fiction about ww2. Anything I find in that genre I read. This book was simply amazing. A historical fiction novel about a woman living on terrifying times and all she had to endure to survive.. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends

This is stunningly good. I don't know much about the history of the time involved, but it certainly felt authentic. I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I was given a copy of The Traitor by V S Alexander by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The book is set during world war two in Munich and based on a group called The White Rose. Natalya is a Russian is a student in the university. She becomes part of The White Rose group who are resistors. The book although is fiction it is based around the original white rose group and the things they did. The book is well written and paced book. Perfect for fans of historical fiction.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for asking me to read and review.
This story was a wonderful read.
It is well written with some characters that are well rounded and as a reader you feel you are right there with them and feel the emotions that they are going through. The plot draws you in, keeping you wanting more and turning those pages.
A brilliant, addictive read.