I thought this book was just ok, while the characters were fairly interesting I found the plot tedious and hard to finish

I was actually gifted a copy of this after its published date by a friend and was delighted to be able to own a physical copy. Unfortunately this novel left me depressed and more than a little bit sad for the family involved. 

I thought the concept was amazing and it seemed like a story that was going to transcend time and dive into the realities of mental health after a world-wide trauma. In the end, this fell completely flat. It seemed as if the author was more focused on the negatives and harsh realities than finding any sort of positive outcome. 

I found the writing to be quite confusing and meandering and often found myself rereading paragraphs to try and better understand what was going on. I really enjoy WWII historical fiction and was sad that this didn't come out on a more positive note for me. Two stars.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read.  I was interested in reading a WW II book from a different perspective; however, I could not connect with the book.  I found it to be very slow and confusing.  Normally I always try to finish a book, but I could not make it through this one.

I absolutely love WW2 books but this book was a bit difficult to get through. The storyline was great but the words just didn't flow very easily. I also would have liked to know what happened to the rest of the family at the end. I was disappointed with the ending.

Seen from the perspective of a German family during the last days of WWII, this is a sensitive and thought provoking book. Etta Huber valiantly tries to hold her family together, with one son fighting in the east, and her younger son training with the Hitler Youth. Recommended reading.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very heartrending story.
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2020
A very heartrending story set in Germany during the end of WWII. A German family and the things they had to do to survive. Ater finishing this book, it has stayed with me and given me much food for thought. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

It was interesting reading a different perspective of WWII, that of a regular German family. I enjoyed it, but I do wish it went a bit more in-depth as to the experience of the boys especially Georg in the Hitler Youth.

I really tried to read this book because WWII historical fiction is my favorite genre. I was intrigued by a story that was told from the point of view of a German family whose sons are sent to war. Unfortunately, I only read about 25% before giving up. I hate to review a book I didn't finish but I just found this story dry.

This is my first book by L Annette Binder and I loved it!!! The emotions and story pull you into the real life of the people during the war!!! What a page turner!!! Read and enjoy!!!

The Vanishing Sky is the story of a german family during the end of WW2. Written in the alternating POV of the mother and the youngest son, it follows their lives through the hardships and the horror of war. ⁣
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This book was different from the other WW2 stories I've read so far. It's more realistic and down-to-earth. It's not about some hero or heroine who saves dozens of lives or changed history with his or her actions. It's 'just' a story about a normal family: mother, father and two sons. ⁣
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It's a slow burn and more character driven. There isn't a big plot but the reader gets to know more about the feelings and thoughts of the protagonists who are separated by the war and want nothing more than to be back together. ⁣
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While I enjoyed reading it and felt for the characters, something was missing for me. I wished for more emotions and passion. Also sometimes the timeline confused me and I wasn't sure if something was actually happening or if the character was just remembering it. But all in all I really enjoyed reading it! ⁣
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Thank you @netgalley and @bloomsburypublishing for the free copy of this book! ⁣

The Vanishing Sky  By L. Annette Binder

Rating  3  / 5 Stars

Publication Date - 7/21/2020

** Thank you to Netgalley, Bloomsbury, and of course, L. Annette Binder, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Hubers - Etta, Joseph, Max and Georg. An average German family trying to survive at the end of World War II. It’s 1945 and Germany is at its final strength of War War II. With one son suffering from PTSD and Schizophrenia after serving on the front line (Max) to the other deep into the culture of the Hitler Youth, Etta and James must put their own struggles aside to help them. It does not help that Joseph is showing signs of Dementia. 

While the historical fiction (specifically in regards to World War II) market is incredibly oversaturated, Binder does a good job of making a novel which might stand out on the shelves for its difference. By focusing on a family, this novel echos tones of We Were The Lucky Ones. It had the potential to be a great novel, and I do think it is pretty solid. I believe the reasoning I am giving this book 3 out of 5 is due to that exact oversaturation in the market. I would love to see Binder dive into a different era as I did enjoy her writing! :)

Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing, & MacMillan for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

DNF @ 25%

If pressed to say what it was that I didn't like about this one, I would think it was the characters - but that's not exactly it. It's more so that there wasn't a lot of plot and the characters were more so there to be vehicles of the storytelling rather than characters in and of themselves, and it didn't vibe. The writing itself was haunting and evocative and moving, but I wanted something to be moved towards.

The Vanishing Sky is a heart wrenching tale of one Germany family as they battle to survive the end of WWII. I had a difficult time connecting with the writing style of this book, but it was an okay read overall. I appreciate the story as something different from many other WWII historical fictions that I've read. 

Thank you so much NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a DNF for me. I read about 25% and could not get into the story. The book pacing felt a bit slow for me. I did appreciate the book trying to show how a German family experienced during WWII.

As an avid reader, I realize the effort authors put in to finally have a book published.  If the book doesn’t ‘grab’ me right away, I keep plodding along in an effort to give the author the respect they deserve. Unfortunately I absolutely struggled with this book and I truly feel it had no redeeming value.  I couldn’t connect with the story line or any of the characters. I do not like to give any book a one star rating but this was probably worse than that. At it’s heart the story is about a German family trying to ‘suffer’ through the hardships of WWII.    

I would like to thank the publisher, author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ah how I adore this harrowing tale of the WWII, it was lovely - No. It was scaring? Yes. It made me ponder over things, acknowledge the fact that how privileged we really are while some are fighting everyday to keep their existence intact. The author has intricately weaved the feelings and emotions of the characters and had given the readers an exquisite taste of the great war.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: WWII is just so overdone in the historical fiction genre. It seems like every other book in the genre is set during WWII, and I'm just kind of sick of it. At this point, writing a WWII book is just like beating a dead horse. Because everyone and their mother has written about the period, it's hard to write something original, fresh, and exciting; it seems like it's all been done before. And, unfortunately, I think The Vanishing Sky suffered for that very reason. I enjoyed the book, but I felt like I've read ten others like it. It's a good book, but by no means is it the best. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable enough for me to recommend it to those who love reading WWII fiction.

Few novels focus on life from the German perspective at the end of World War II.  The father, Josef, had been a teacher until his forgetfulness caused him to retire. A son, Max, was sent to the front, but came back changed because of what he had seen. And then there’s Georg, who at age 15, joined the Hitler Youth group. Mutti, is indomitable. She’s the one responsible for scrounging food and tending to her sick husband and sons. Of all the characters, only Georg really became a more in-depth character.  The picture is bleak and we all know the ending even for those who involuntarily were forced to participate.

The Vanishing Sky by L. Annette Binder

This novel centers around WWII & the Huber family, in Germany, 1945. While the father’s memory fades, his wife struggles with her thoughts & emotions as her sons inevitably are called to serve the Nazi regime. 

The father, Josef, was the hardest character for me to identify with. He was simply unresponsive to his family’s needs. The majority of the story centers around (mother) Etta’s struggles to continue on with her home life while she’s troubled over the health and well-being of her sons, Max and Georg. Max is to be returning from the war, while Georg is off to training camp. 

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this novel.

The Vanishing Sky is the story of one German family, the Hubers, in the waning months of WWII: mother Etta, father Joseph who appears to be sinking into the dementia that overwhelmed his father, older son Max serving on the Eastern front, and younger son Georg, 15 years old and off training with the Hitler Youth. Their home is in the countryside somewhat buffered for the moment. This debut novel is partially based on journals from relatives of the author.

As the novel begins, signs increase that the war is going poorly for Germany and Max returns home from the war a changed man with obvious emotional problems, unable to function. Food is becoming more scarce even in an area where people farm. Old men and younger boys are being called up.

But this is the story of one family, how they are living through these days, together and apart. And how the parents live in their community. It’s a difficult story, one that I took a break from a couple of times, especially toward the end, given the sadness of everyday life in the world lately. But it is very effectively written and from a perspective that I haven’t had much experience reading. There is at times an ethereal quality to some of the descriptions, offsetting the much too real activity happening.

I do recommend this book to those interested in historical fiction, WWII, and Germany. It’s a difficult book to rate, between 3 and 3.5 for me which results with the 3 rating.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.