Immersing myself in the haunting pages of Andrea Grosso Ciponte's "Freiheit! - The White Rose Graphic Novel" was a visceral experience, a journey into the harrowing reality of a group of students who dared to defy the Nazis. This graphic adaptation of true events is a chilling and poignant tribute to the indomitable spirit of the White Rose, a clandestine resistance movement that faced the brutal consequences of standing against tyranny.

The plot navigates the treacherous terrain of Nazi Germany, where blind obedience to an evil leader gripped the nation. In the shadows, a courageous few emerged as the White Rose, university students who risked everything to expose Nazi atrocities. The characters, notably Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, Christoph Probst, Alexander Schmorell, and Willi Graf, are etched with depth and humanity. Their unwavering commitment to resistance, even in the face of imminent danger, serves as a testament to the power of moral conviction.

The illustrations by Andrea Grosso Ciponte are hauntingly beautiful, capturing the stark reality of the era with a poignant grace. The visual narrative enhances the emotional depth of the story, evoking a sense of urgency and despair that mirrors the historical context. The graphic novel format proves to be a compelling medium, offering a unique lens through which to experience the resilience and sacrifice of the White Rose.

The events unfold with a gripping momentum, each panel resonating with the weight of the characters' choices. The narrative successfully portrays the escalating tension and the palpable danger that looms over the White Rose. The pacing is dynamic, drawing readers into a tale of resistance that is both heart-wrenching and inspirational.

While the graphic novel excels in capturing the emotional essence of the White Rose's story, there were moments where the complexity of historical details felt slightly condensed. Some readers may find themselves yearning for a more exhaustive exploration of the broader historical context and individual characters. However, this serves as a minor quibble in light of the graphic novel's overall impact.

This is an evocative and riveting exploration of a dark chapter in history. Andrea Grosso Ciponte's artistic prowess and storytelling finesse bring to life the courage and sacrifice of the White Rose, offering a poignant reminder of the enduring need to stand against evil.
This graphic novel is a compelling addition to the literature commemorating those who chose resistance over compliance. 🕊️📚🎭

This story was well-told and engaging throughout. I think it will definitely find its right audience and continue to inspire.

This is a great introduction to a resistance group that existed in Nazi Germany, and while it doesn't go very in-depth, we get a nice overview of the members and their activities. The illustrations are well done and enhance the story being told. Ciponte clearly did some research in order to write this, and did a good job balancing entertaining and informative. While I would like to learn more, I know it can be hard to pack a lot of facts into a graphic novel, and I'll be doing some research on my own now.

Had been looking forward to reading this book. Sadly it wasn’t for me. It just lacked a good plot to get you excited and wanting more. It was very slow paced and never picked up

This is an amazing historical graphic novel which tells one of the most interesting but less well known stories from the second world war. It recounts the journey the White Rose Movement went on to oppose the Nazi propaganda they came across. The illustrations are wonderful and the colour scheme fits the mood of the novel perfectly. Would 100% recommend this

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. Perhaps another reader would have enjoyed it more. It had a really interesting premise though.

I am really disappointed in this graphic novel. I had such a hard time accessing it and reading it. It was super difficult to read electrically and the story didn’t help at all. Personally I wasn’t a fan at all.

This was a beautifully illustrated, concise history of the White Rose student group that (subtly) fought against the Nazi party during WWII in Germany. I didn't know anything about this group before I read this book, and am now interested in learning more about them and what they accomplished as a small group of students to disrupt the fascist regime running their country.

The ending was unfortunately not a happy one for our protagonists, but I liked that the author included the lasting effects of the White Rose's work later on in the war as well as English translations of their leaflets.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (Rounded Up)

I wasn’t able to finish this graphic novel due to time constraints and also because it seemed like I wasn’t the right audience for it. But from what I’ve read and seen, Freiheit definitely showed how dark and terrifying WWII was to many, even for Germans who were a part of a resistance against the nazi regime, called The White Rose. The art in this graphic novel’s use of color and lines emphasized the stress and fear members of the White Rose had in finding ways to help the resistance. If you are interested in learning more about the White Rose, through a graphic novel that depicts what they did and went through, then this book may be for you.

Since this is a heavy and important topic, and I’m not the directed audience for it, someone has carefully written a more detailed review about this book that discusses its pros and cons: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3699560049

Thank you Plough Publishing and Netgalley for providing me an eARC of Freiheit!: The White Rose Graphic Novel in exchange for an honest review.

A brilliant but scary work that demands an audience. I don't think the subject is entirely unknown but this shows a resistance to the fascists that is hard to ignore. You learn new information and are taken aback by the breathtaking narrative that gives you a sense of being there. I recommend "Freiheit!" to anyone interested in the period or the eternal struggle from freedom against oppression.

Thank you for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

I have to admit that this book was great while I also think that it is a bit confusing for someone who doesn't know the Scholl siblings' story and what transpired back in those days. I was born and raised in Germany and learned about the siblings and the other White Rose resistance fighters in school. I did love the illustrations a lot, though.

I would love to be able to read this and give it a proper review, but alas, the format does not work at all. Not to mention, all the negative reviews are not really making me want to put in the effort to search it out so this will be staying on my "no, but thanks" list for now.

Not everyone in Nazi Germany was happy with what was going on. A group of students came together under the pseudonym, The White Rose. They secretly printed pamphlets denouncing Hitler and distributed them throughout Germany until they were eventually caught. I liked the photorealistic art with the airbrushed style coloring.

I've been fascinated by the White Rose and especially the Scholl siblings for a few years now, and I'm a big fan of comics (especially nonfiction comics) so I was excited to read Freiheit, a graphic nonfiction adaptation of their story. I have to say, I found it to be an underwhelming disappointment for a few reasons.

The way the story is laid out is disjointed and bare-bones. I already had background knowledge of the people involved, so I was able to follow everything, but I had a hard time imagining that someone unfamiliar with their story would easily understand everything happening. I also found that it was short and concise enough that nothing included was new information for me, and that I've read books on broader subjects where the White Rose or the Scholl siblings received a few pages or a chapter that I thought were more informative than this entire book. The fact that ignored the fact that Hans Scholl was queer is also a disappointment.

Additionally, in some ways, I found the book felt a bit exploitative. Including the reports of their executions with details of their decapitation but not other parts of their story seemed questionable at best. The only interaction with or acknowledgment of Jews in this story about the LITERAL HOLOCAUST is when they show Hans Scholl being nice to a Jewish child in a camp.

The art itself was something of a mixed bag. The darker and grittier style certainly feels appropriate for such a story, but the style is also very hazy and it could be difficult to tell what was happening and who was who as a result of this.

Overall, I can't say that I recommend this book. I really wanted to, but I just can't. The story is an important one and comics are a powerful medium to tell it through, but this book did not do either of those things justice. The fact that my favourite part of the book was the inclusion of the White Rose pamphlets in full translation at the end does not redeem the original content here.

Freiheit is one of the latest attempts of graphic novels telling a singular historic story. Telling the story of the White Rose and the individuals in the movement. The style of the images is simple, which is appropriate for this story. While it is nice to see the entire group rather than just one or two people, the text was a bit choppy and disjointed. This would probably be an ok intro to the concept of youth resistance in Germany, but shouldn't be the only book used.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review, but my opinions are my own.

This was a wonderfully illustrated story of those young men and woman who fought against Hitler by using words. Their leaflets spoke the truth about the Nazi regime and the need to rise up and fight against it. Each knew that their life would be forfeit if they were caught.
The book contains the text of the five leaflets. I do believe that their words could be used to us today, here in the U.S. and in places around the world. I pray some may remember history because it is to our peril not to.

Thank you Netgalley and Plough Publishing for an early read of this book.

The White Rose movement operated between 27 June 1942 and 18 February 1943 in the South of Germany. Through its representatives, among which Hans and Sophie Scholl, Alexander Schmorell and Christoph Probst, they distributed manifests encouraging ´passive resistance´ against the National- Socialism and expressing their suspicions regarding the ideological relevance and values of the Nazi regime in general. Caught by the Gestapo while distributing the manifests within the Munich University on 18 February, Hans and Sophie Scholl, together with Christoph Probst are condemned to death three days after. Freiheit! - Freedom, are among the last words written by Sophie Scholl. The movement is considered as an example of German resistance against the Nazi regime, with institutions and steets all over Germany being given the Scholl name. The members of The White Rose were middle class, on different religious and sexual orientations. Some of the texts wroten by them were used by the British Army when was spreading from airplanes the anti-Nazi manifestoes.

Freiheit!, the graphic novel by Andrea Grosso Ciponte concentrates in 113 pages the profile of the movement, in its historical and intellectual context. From the visual point of view, the dramatic pastels and the predominantly black graphics create the perfect effect expected for a graphic novel treating this very serious topic. Published by Plough Publishing House this February, it offers basic information about the movement through the graphic story, as well as the content fo the manifestoes, part of the annexes.

If you are completely ignorant about this episode of German history, and of the WWII politics and stories in general, this book helps to figure out the basics. Written in English, it offers a good information support to a wide range of readers, from teenagers to adults looking for an entertaining approach to history.

However, if you are knowledgeable of the topic, there may be at least a couple of objections to the approach. There are references to the concentration camps and the deportations of Jews - the fact that the average population was not familiar with is a horrible lies, given that there were many concentration camps in the near vicinity of populated areas, as it is the case of Sachsenhausen for instance, among others. However the general references and dialogues attributed to the characters are very basic, robotic and vaguely philosophical sometimes. I had the feeling of just reading some texts that are there because expected to include them, without any clear personal human touch and fiction add-on. The topic may be overwhelming, indeed, but the role of the story-teller is to find the right narrative and wording which make your story different from all the other stories and unique. Unfortunately, I felt through the over 100 pages of Freiheit! as exposed to a standardized historical account, the only difference being made by the visual form - which, again, is appropriate to the topic and aesthethically successful.

During World War 2 bravely a group of University students banded together forming the white Rose. They created leaflets to encourage the citizens of Germany to open their eyes on the lies they are believing and what occurred to the Jews. Even though the group knew they faced death if caught by the Gestapo they were courageous to do so. Indeed their actions are indeed brave and courageous and it is sad that they were executed but it was what they expected and they silently had happily met their executioner. The book is ideal for those who like to read bibliographies and memoirs and historical texts. I give the book four stars as I enjoyed reading the book and the comics give the reader the backdrop of where they were and what they might have looked like.
Review run date 08 Apr 2021 for Netgalley. On 07 April 2021 my review will be posted on my Wordpress blog and Facebook blog, Amazon.com.au, goodreads, kobo, googlebooks and iBooks. My WordPress blog is http://bluefalkon95adorationofallgenres.wordpress.com My Facebook reader blog page link, is https://www.facebook.com/BlueFalkon95-Readers-blog-104660277776984
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Plough Publishing House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Freiheit #NetGalley

Freiheit is the German word for liberty and is an apt title for this graphic biography of The White Rose. Ciponte depiction of the non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany led by a group of students from the University of Munich is chilling. The decision to struggle against all odds against the tyrannical fascist regime is driven by intellectual disgust of Hitler's Germany and some its members' faith demonstrates a level of bravery that is inspiring.

Ciponte's art is just lush. Stylistically it is impressionistic; panels look like stills from a rotoscoped film, which lends a sense of motion and realism to the pages. There is genuine flair in the way some of the pages are composed. The combination of quotes from the leaflets that The White Rose produced with the grainy Pointillism inspired colouring produced some deeply affecting images. Ciponte somehow imbues the characters with a sense of youthfulness.

The dialogue here deserves special mention. It is sharp, clever, and perfectly pitched. Despite their shared aims, each of the characters are driven by slightly different motivations. They have different hopes and fears, which really comes across in the dialogue. I would be interested in finding out how much of it came from diaries or was imagined by Ciponte.

Freiheit! is a compelling biography of the rebels that came together at the University of Munich to resist in whatever way they could, one that immerses the reader in the tragic journey both they and Germany went through. It is both inspiring and shame-inducing. It begs the question of the reader: These young people did what they could, what are you doing to better the world? A though-provoking and prescient novel especially given protests around the world. Brilliant stuff.

A very short non-fiction graphic novel about the group known as The White Rose, an anti-Nazi group, who distributed leaflets of their beliefs around Germany and beyond. This is a very short history and flashes of the group's main members - specifically Sophie and Hans Scholl, Alexander Schmorell, and Christoph Probst.

I usually love a good non-fiction graphic novel, especially about a topic I really enjoy, but this one just didn't do it for me. It was very short, less than 100 pages, and did not cover much within those pages. I knew about this group from university and another book I read a few months ago, but if I didn't, I feel like I would have been very lost. There is not a lot of actual backstory or history given in this book, so anyone who may pick this up without any previous knowledge may be very confused. This is a very serious topic and it really didn't feel like it was taken seriously, more so just a quick telling of a famous group.

The art work wasn't bad, not my personal favourite style but it was done nicely. It did kind of fit the topic as it was mainly dark and dreary like the subject.

Overall, just kind of meh