A fantastic and compelling historical novel, especially for the Refuge and Lifeboat 12 set. Lasky portrayal of spies in WWII is fascinating!

I was not surprised to see another WWII novel by Lasky. I was a big fan of her Ashes novel. I thought this novel really combined a interesting plot device of people who are easily forgettable. These people would make excellent spies and worked for the Tabula Rasa. Although this is not a real organization the idea of it is interesting. I am a sucker for spy novels and I think that Lasky does a good job of balancing the adventure story with the history of WWII. The historical world building of the Rasas is awesome. Excellent novel.

Words from my 12.5-year-old avid Lasky fan.




I usually love Kathryn Lasky’s books. Such as the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, the Wolves of the Beyond series, and the Horses of the Dawn series. But I just could not get into Faceless even though I tried. There just wasn’t enough excitement and action to catch hold of me. I did get about 32% in, but I just couldn’t finish it.

Imagine having the kind of face that is unrecognizable to people, a face that they just don't remember or recall even if they had been talking to you only minutes before. Now imagine how useful that forgettable face would be when it came to the art of spying. Well, that is the premise of Faceless.
Alice Winfield, 12, her mother Posie, father Alan, and older sister Louise, 18, are part of a unique group of people with forgettable faces, "nonfaces that were like tabulae rasas or blank slates." (pg 6) And British Rasas had been serving their country as spies since the days of Henry VIII. Now, however, Louise has decided to leaving spying and have plastic surgery that would give her a recognizable face - something that Alice just can't understand.

But it's 1944, and before she has too much time to think too much about it, Alice is parachuting into Germany with her mother on her first real spying mission and joining her father in Berlin. Her mission is to spy on Adolf Hitler. Posing as a schoolgirl named Ute, Alice wins the Reichs Praktikum for a chance to be an intern in Hitler's household, going where he goes and assessing his mental health. Her mentor for this spy mission is Count Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg, Reichs hero and secretly part of Operation Valkyrie, the plot to kill Hitler, and now Alice is right in the thick of that conspiracy.

In the midst of this intrigue Alice/Ute meets David, a starving Jewish boy who has been hiding out in the house his family used to lived in before they were deported. The house is now occupied by Colonel Ernst Schmelling, a high ranking Nazi. David has been eating scraps of food out of the Schmelling garbage cans to survive. Alice begins sneaking food to David and they gradually become friends. Oddly enough, David never forgets her, recognizing her face each time they meet.

On top of all that, one day Alice is sure she has seen Louise among the crowds of people in Berlin. But what would she be doing there? Is she a double agent, or has she gone over to the other side? Whatever it is, Alice is determined to find Louise and confront her.

With the war turning in the Allies favor, especially after the failure of Operation Valkyrie (not a spoiler, we all know what happened), and the success of the July 6, 1944 Normandy landings (D-Day), things are becoming quite dangerous as the tension mounts.

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did, I was hooked. The whole business about Rasa confused me at first, but once I realized it was a fiction, I just went with it. It was interesting to see the last days of the Third Reich through Alice's eyes, and Lasky included lots of good information about what it was like to be in Hitler's inner circle.

But there were some things that bothered me. It was a little to repetitive at times, especially in the beginning of the book. And I kept wondering how the local baker was about to bake such wonderful bread and cookies in 1944, when most people were starving (except Nazis, of course). There was also a big error on page 102, which I think was just a typo - it said that was the commandant of Auschwitz was Rudolf Hess, but it was actually Rudolf Höss. Rudolf Hess was a prisoner in the Tower of London in 1944. You can see how easy it is to confuse the two names, though. One last thing bothered me - on page 114 it says there isn't a cozy name for mother in German, but that's exactly was Mutti is. These things will definitely not spoil your reading of Faceless, but as a person with a PhD in Germanic Languages and Literature who's also a little OCD, I just couldn't let them go. However, despite these things, I really did enjoy reading this novel.

Faceless is a story that will appeal to readers who enjoy WWII fiction, historical fiction, and spy novels and I do recommend it.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was a digital book gratefully received from NetGalley

Kathryn Lasky is an author I have read before and adored her books. So I was excited to give this one a try. I’m also a huge WW11 reader, one of my favorite things to read about.

For me Faceless started out really slow and felt repetitive until about 30% in. However after that the story picked up pace and was good.
My favorite part was Alice’s interactions with David .
This book made me cry at a certain part that I will leave unsaid so this review is spoiler free, just know I cried.

Alice was a likable character and I enjoyed the story from her perspective.

There is one instance where she finds herself being looked over in a threatening way by an older man and while nothing happens ,I just wanted to mention that for triggering reasons.

All in all a pretty good read , but not in my top favorites of Kathryn Laskys.

Thank you for Netgalley for the review copy!

4.5 Stars

Faceless starts out with a good hook, but it takes more than a few pages to get your bearings. Once you do, however, you understand the storytelling choices author Kathryn Lasky has made.

Most of the time, Alice feels older than her years. She’s confident and well-prepared for her assignment. But there are a few moments when her insecurities peak through, and that’s what makes her interesting. There are a few “main” supporting characters, but it’s Alice’s experiences that take center stage.

Among Alice’s experiences are flashbacks to spy training, uncovering mission assignments and the actual events of her mission, which are full of suspense and bursts of high adrenaline. All these moments play out cinematic pacing and smooth prose.

Faceless is the sort of story I would have loved as a middle-reader and that I still enjoy today. Her mix of espionage and historical drama make for a fast-paced and engaging adventure. I would recommend this for fourth- and fifth-graders.

This was a really interesting concept for a book about World War II. I loved the idea of Alice, our main character, and her family being "Faceless", having faces that made them so unrecognizable that they made the perfect spies. However, I was reading this book, I couldn't help but keep thinking, what's the point? The story was captivating enough, that I wasn't bored, and the setting and writing style were interesting to me, but I continued to feel that there was not real point to this story right up until the end. But perhaps that is the point, after all war is rather pointless? Nonetheless, this was an interesting and unique perspective of World War II, that would be enjoyed by fans of war stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4.5/5 stars.

The cover? Beautiful. The plot? Beautiful. The necessary world building for this secret organization of spies who have faces that can't be remembered? Amazing. Like...I was not expecting to like this as much as I did, and I hope that this becomes a series.

Alice is part of the Rasa...a branch of spies who have faces that are so common, they can't be remembered. They are faceless, and people consistently forget who they are. Because of this, they are able to take on missions and project who they need to be on their targets and ledgers. Seriously...this is amazing. Alice gets tasked with infiltrating Hitler's life which...I mean...I knew it was a WW2 novel but I didn't realize we were going to be right in the middle of it.

I sincerely could not put this book down, and I just wanted to keep reading it. The historical world building of the Rasas is phenomenal. Alice is incredibly likable. I only docked 1/2 a star because of the ~~twist~~ in the end.

Looking at the cover and the author I was intrigued with the premise of this book. I do have to say that middle grade is simply not the placement for this title. This is the story of Alice, one of Rasas, a secret spy organization for the British has infiltrated Nazi Germany.. She is also struggling with her sister leaving the organization of forgettable faces and adopting a new persona. While stationed as an RP (Reich Practicum) student, she is placed within Hitler's household. She becomes a key member of the group of would be assassins that attempt Adolph Hitler's life with Operation Valkyrie. Although a fascinating title throughout the beginning and middle of the title, it simply is too graphic for younger middle grade readers. I would categorize this as a YA . Some mild curse words in this title as well.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel. This did not affect my review at all.

This was a great book about spying on the Nazis! Alice is a member of the Tabula Rosa, an elite group of spies who are almost “faceless” and are very easy to forget. She is cleared for a Level A mission and is sent to England to try and earn a position spying on high ranking Nazi officers, eventually even working her way up to being near Adolf Hitler himself. She helps the Allies get very useful information to attack.

Faceless was a great novel for an older middle grade/younger young adult audience! It was very exciting and full of twists and turns! However, some parts were a bit dull, but the right reader would not care at all. Kathryn Lasky does not disappoint!

Grades 7+.

Faceless
by Kathryn Lasky
HarperCollins Children's Books
HarperCollins
Children's Fiction | Historical Fiction | Middle Grade
Pub Date 19 Oct 2021



I am reviewing a copy of Faceless through HarperCollins Children’s Books and Netgalley:



For centuries a small clan clan of spies called the Tabula Rasa has worked ceaselessly to fight oppression. They can pass unseen through enemy lines and “become” other people without being recognized. They are in essence Faceless.



Alice and Louise Winfield are spies in the Tabula Rasa. They are growing up,in England during the Second World War with the threat of Nazi Occupation always near. But Louise wants to live an ordinary life and leaves the agency. Now, as Alice faces her most dangerous assignment yet, she fears discovery, but, most of all, she fears losing her own sister.




Faceless is an upper middle grade novel full of espionage and historical adventure and will appeal to fans of Elizabeth Wein and Ruta Sepetys. Lasky masterfully spins a tale filled with mystery, suspense, and intrigue that will have readers hooked.


Faceless would make a great introduction to open discussions about the Second World War.


I give Faceless five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

"Faceless" by Kathtryn Lasky
Release date: 10.19.2021

Tabula Rasa is a small group of spies with their main goal to fight oppression. They exist, but no one knows who they are.

Alice and Louise Winfield are sisters and spies; they've been spies from an early age, trained to not remember faces. They attend summer camp every year, where they learn different languages and other skills.

Alice, 13-years-old, goes with her parents to Berlin to help with a mission. Alice assumes the identity of a top German student who is allowed to serve as part of Hitler's household staff, including his bunker. Alice must utilize the skills she learned to find out information about Hitler while figuring out what is going on with her sister, and helping a young Jewish boy without blowing her cover.

I believe my afterschoolers will enjoy learning about the spies that worked during World War II, especially since many of them were preteens and teens. I would recommend this for upper middle grade readers.


Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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Thirteen year old Alice and her family are rasa spies. Rasas have a condition that prevents people from remembering their faces, and are trained to be spies from an early age. . This book is about Alice’s first mission which is to infiltrate Hilter’s inner circle near the end of WWII.
Pros
You learn about Hitler’s inner circle, his movements, and his state of mind toward the end of WWII, as well as the conditions in Berlin at that time.
The intended audience will enjoy the fact that a character so close to their age has an important, dangerous job and all the freedoms that comes with it.
Cons
The same information was repeated in several places.
There were three storylines (Alice’s mission, the young Jewish boy she was trying to help, and a mystery surrounding her sister) & none of them felt fully fleshed out so I wasn’t as invested in any of them as I could have been.
I will recommend this title to fans of WWII fiction because of the main character’s unique perspective from inside Hitler’s inner circle.

Faceless by Kathryn Lasky
An intriguing and adventurous story that follows a family of spies in Germany during WWII. A historical upper middle grade novel perfect for readers who enjoy suspense and mystery with great historical detail.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

I have to admit this book didn't really speak to me. I've really loved some of Kathryn Lasky's work in the past, but this one left me underwhelmed. Obviously not every book is going to appeal to every reader, and there wasn't anything glaringly awful about this one I can point to, but it really failed to draw me it. It feels strange to be complaining about this when the main character spends most of the book surrounded by actual historical Nazis, but she is extremely judgmental and superior towards everyone around her, which was not as much fun to read as you might think.

Faceless is the story of a family of spies that people don't remember. Alice is the youngest (13 years old), and goes with her mom and dad to Berlin with a part to help in one of many missions, including Valkyrie. The fantastical addition of her "faceless" family and generations of training spies, as well, as their current mission make this a thrilling read. As Alice is nearing the age of the Fount of Life program (a program Germans used to spread reproduce "pure" children), there are a few discussions of her older classmates becoming pregnant. For that reason, it would be hard to recommend to younger readers, but I would definitely recommend it to 7th grade+ .