Cover Image: Angels of the Resistance

Angels of the Resistance

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Member Reviews

Two young sister lived with their mother in the Netherlands. Life has been very normal for them in Haarlem even though the rumors of war are getting stronger. In 1940, the Nazis invaded their country and life changed dramatically. Lien is 14 and wants to be part of the Resistance like her older sister. She believes that she's much braver than Elif and she desperately wants to do her part to rid her beloved country of the Germans. The resistance leaders soon realize that Lien would be a perfect courier. Because of her young age, the Nazis won't suspect her. Once the leaders find out that both sisters had been taught to shoot by their late father, their involvement becomes even more dangerous. The author goes into great detail about some of the brave missions that the sisters were part of. One of the parts of the book that I enjoyed the most was the loving relationship between the two sisters. They always tried to take care of each other no matter what was going on.

I learned in the author's notes that this book was based on two young sisters who were part of the resistance - Truus and Freddie Oversteegen. The author also added other real people to the story such as Carrie Ten Boom who lived near the sisters. This book is a beautifully written and well researched book that looks at the true exploits of two young sisters who made a difference and put their lives in danger to bring freedom to their country.

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A beautiful, powerful book following two sisters navigating WWII. And based on a real story of two brave girls. The research done for this book is impeccable.

Immersive and captivating a book that will surely draw you in its clutches until the wee hours of the morning.

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read thia book in advance, in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Angels of the Resistance is historical fiction based on true events. It is set in the Netherlands beginning in 1940, just before Hitler and the Nazis invaded. Fourteen-year-old Lien Vinke lives with her mother and older sister, Elif, in the small town of Haarlem. They are dealing with the recent loss of their youngest sister when she accidentally drowns. When the Nazis invade the Netherlands, joining the Dutch resistance with Elif offers just the atonement Lien craves. Lien and Elif were taught to shoot by their father, and Lien never misses. The girls become a team luring soldiers to their death, delivering papers and food and transporting people to and from safe houses. It is not easy, and both girls suffer moral dilemmas and choices, but they do what is needed to save others.

The story is told form the POV of Lien, almost in a diary format. She is young, but grows up fast during the war. It tells of the period from 1940 until the end of the war. The relationship between the sisters, their mother and their "aunt" was amazing. The bonds were so strong, and they would do whatever they could for one another. This is not an easy book, it was not an easy time, especially for teens to take on the roles they did. The moral dilemma of killing, even in war, is hard to deal with and Lien had to shut that part of herself off. There is mention of the Ten Boom family, who were strong resistance workers and I have read The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Book. The author based Lien and Elif on a pair of sisters, Truus and Freddie Oversteen. Their story is told in Three Ordinary Girls: The Remarkable Story of Three Dutch Teenagers Who Became Spies, Saboteurs, Nazi Assassins–and WWII Heroes by Tim Brady, another book I read and recommend. There is an epilogue that gives the story closure as well as hope, which I really enjoyed. To read about what the citizens of these countries went through and how they fought back is awe inspiring. It would be wonderful if the world learned from these events, but with the wars going on and the political situations in some countries being what they are, I admit, we have not. I highly recommend Angels of the Resistance.

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Noelle can do no wrong. Her stories are so gripping and I become invested in the characters lives so badly.

Emotional yet lovely story of two sisters and the lives they led through WW2. Impossible to put down.

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Absolutely fantastic book! Noelle is an incredible writer, and I devoured this book in several quick sittings. I so appreciated hearing about this perspective from WWII, and the way the war impacted the Dutch citizens. Having an aunt who was a Dutch war bride and worked in the Resistance (but won't speak about anything to us), this book really resonated with me and presented some insight into what she may have faced. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!

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I love all stories of those who fought and aided others in wartime and this book did not disappoint!

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Thanks to NetGalley for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Angels of the Resistance is a beautifully written story of two sisters working tirelessly during World War 2 to help the Dutch Jewish people. This is a well written story that fully captures the struggle of this family and their efforts for the cause. It is haunting, beautiful, and so very moving.

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Their father called them "Angels", Lien and Elif Vinke, were two young ladies that when war broke out in the Netherlands they wanted to join the Resistance and fight for their country again Nazi Germany. This is what they wanted to do, and they did it to the best of their ability. With the leadership of Olivia Vox, Aunt Liv, they became warriors and did everything they were asked to do and did it well. This is a wonderful book, based loosely on real life. If you are a WWII reader this is a book you will love as much as I did.

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Great book!! I was so enthralled with the whole thing. I stayed up way too late because I just needed to know how it ended. It also got my curiousity about the real life sisters who it was based on, so I ended up doing some research into them. This story was heart wrenching and unforgettable!

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A gripping and unflinching story that explores the lengths Resistance fighters would go to to fight back, as well as the physical and emotional toll on those involved. We meet Lien and Elief when they are fourteen and sixteen, and Salazar does a brilliant job of making us care for two girls who are concerned with typical teenage things: school, boys, family, a social life. The sisters are "eased" into the resistance movement with non-voilent tasks, but before long they are training for tougher missions. It's brilliantly done, shining a light on the bonds of family, the courage of fighting back, and the long-reaching consequences of doing the right thing no matter the personal cost. Absolutely riveting and unputdownable!

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It took me a long time to finish this story. I didn’t rush because so much of the topic was heavy.
War makes heroes and brings out the villains. Loosely based on two real Dutch teenaged sisters who did things most of us never could fathom, Lien and Elif were warriors as young girls turning into women in WWII.
It’s a powerful book and message. Never underestimate anyone and the best disguise is to hide out in the open

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The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar is one of my all-time favorite WWII books and probably my most recommended. I love that book so much. Because of that, I had very high expectations for this new one. I went into it expecting for it to blow me away. It did not. However, I did still love the story. The characters are fantastic and the story of what happened in the Netherlands always makes me so sad. I think my issue is that I have read many, many books about the resistance during the war and because of that, this felt like a story I have read before. If you haven't read many books like that, I would tell you to put this one at the top of your list because it is wonderful. So this is definitely a case of "its me, not you." Even still this is definitely a four star read that I would totally recommend, even to people who have read the story of the resistance again and again.

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Read if you like: WW2 fiction
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The book follows Lien, a young girl who comes of age in the Netherlands during WW2 and gets wrapped up in the resistance movement.
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I enjoyed the subject matter of this book and the setting, but the book felt very slow-paced for a war novel, and I felt like some parts really dragged. I also struggled with the main character Lien and her character development, which is sad because I loved Salazar's first novel, The Flight Girls, and it is one of my favourite books.

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Lien and Elif are young teen girls, living with their mom in The Netherlands at the start of WWII. Having recently lost their father and younger sister, they've grown up quickly and are thrown into adult-life even more quickly as the Nazis take over their village. What begins as making deliveries for The Resistance turns into bombings, shootings, and death - all in the name of The Resistance. Set in an area not often written about in historical fiction of this time, Salazar gives a unique view of the war, the Nazis horrific treatment of the Jewish community, and how schools, communities, friendships, and families were forever changed.

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Yesterday was the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and Sunday in the Netherlands is National Holocaust Remembrance Day.

It feels important that I skip some reviews to showcase this beautiful book!

Thank you @netgalley for allowing me to review it!

Angels of The Resistance by Noelle Salazar is a WW2 story set in the Netherlands. We follow the story of two sisters and their family as the Natzis begin to invade their country. They join the Dutch Resistance and we watch them as they do whatever it takes to help people make it to the other side of the war.

❤️Review❤️

I listened to this on audio through Hoopla. I typically stay away from WW2 novels due to there just being too many of them, but I loved Flight Girls and had to read this one. Noelle Salazar has a beautiful writing style that really captures what it must have been like to be alive in this moment in history. Even though the girls are teenagers it never felt YA or boring. It’s tense, emotional, beautiful, gripping and everything in between. I found myself crying in my car while listening multiple times. There are definitely difficult moments because they do put themselves in harms way and it is war after all. So there are trigger warnings that come with that. I loved that it took place in the Netherlands and the way the sisters took part in the resistance felt unique compared to other WW2 novels I have read in the past. If you are on the fence about reading this, please read it! It’s so worth it!

5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#Bookstagram #NetGalley #HistoricalFiction #WW2Books #BooksAboutSisters #BeautifulBooks #EmotionalBooks #BooksThatMadeMeCry #Sobbing #2022BookRelease #NewBooks #Books #AudioBooks

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3.5 stars

This is the second book I have read by Noelle Salazar, though I didn't enjoy it as much as the first, it was still a good read.

I liked the fact that the book was so well-researched it brought a sense of authenticity to the story which is nice to have in historical fiction books. There was a bit of intimacy and some graphic violence based on what the Angels of Resistance did and I think that adding them was a good decision because it opens the reader's eyes to what actually happened.

The addition of the TenBoom Clock repair shop was a nice historical reference to the book and story of Corrie Ten Boom.

over all the book was well-written and the characters were likable. I look forward to reading her next book.

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Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lien Vinke lives a quiet life in the town of Haarlem with her mother and sister, but is haunted by the recent loss of her baby sister Madi, and she blames herself for the accident that caused her death. When it becomes clear that the Netherlands can no longer stay neutral in the war, Lien and her older sister Elif are recruited to the Dutch resistance movement by an old friend of her late father’s. Driven by the horrific treatment the Nazis inflict upon the Dutch citizens, the sisters train and are sent on crucial missions from transporting information, to saving Jewish families and even killing Nazis. But these missions begin to take their toll on Lien and it will only take one mistake for everything to unravel, placing all their lives in danger.

Although I go through several WWII novels each year, this was my first time reading a book by this author. The writing style was really good and it kept me engrossed in the story throughout, even the story initially took a few chapters to start moving. I was so intrigued to learn that this book was actually based on a real life story of two sisters who worked in the Dutch resistance as teenagers. The author brought their tale to life wonderfully, depicting how these ordinary girls took part in the war effort and made significant contributions towards its success. Reading this book has definitely made me want to seek out more WWII novels about the Dutch resistance, which I hadn’t read about until now.

Lien was an excellent protagonist and her arc was so well portrayed. It was interesting to see her and Elif grow from schoolgirls into assassins as they learned to do what was necessary to survive and help other around them even though they were far too young to be called to such responsibility. I would have actually like to see some POVs for Elif. So much of this story revolves around Lien’s feelings of guilt over Madi’s death and how it affects her and drives her to join the resistance and it would have been nice to see Elif’s perspective on this and how she dealt with it all, especially as she was shown to be initially reluctant to get involved but is later fully committed to it.

The reason I’m rating this 3.5 stars instead of 4 is because I feel like this book had much more potential. While the narrative kept me turning the pages, there weren’t really any big scenes or missions that set it apart from other novels in this genre. The pace of the story could have been a bit faster as well, perhaps allowing some room for more action scenes.

Overall, this was an engaging read and I enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to checking out other books by this author at some point and I would definitely recommend this novel to fans of the genre!

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Angels of the Resistance is historical fiction based on some real young woman who did amazing things during WWII. Whenever I think about Holland during the war, I think of Anne Frank. Lien and her sister are in a small town outside of Amsterdam. And they train to set off bombs, fight with knives and shoot to kill- as teenagers! At times the story moved too slowly for me but for the most part I was enthralled with their adventures and praying for their safety.

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I have learned that evil cannot be bargained with - to destroy it, one must almost become it. Where will I be when this is all over? Will I even know who I am? — thoughts from Lien as she becomes more and more involved in the resistance.

Taken from true events, this novel will keep you awake and very observant of what is going on around you even at this time. Learning who could be trusted, how to hide in the shadows while making a difference and more importantly how to survive were lessons no parent wanted for a young lady. But during wartime, they were so very important. I found myself needing to set this story aside until the morning as the shadows started to fall around me and even the smallest noise became a distraction. What an incredible thing to have survived! War truly provides a devastating education.

This ebook was received through Harlequin and NetGalley. These thoughts and impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.

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An absolutely riveting story of sisterhood and resistance. This story is about two sharp-shooting sisters who join the underground resistance when the war comes to their homeland, in the Netherlands. These sisters risk everything to fight for what they believe in.
This is an awe-inspiring story of courage and resilience when faced with impossible odds. Lien and Zelig will capture your heart with their heroic story of sacrifice, bravery and redemption.
I was captivated by their story from page one. This is everything I want to find in a WWII historical fiction novel. The courageous spirit of the sisters as they wage their own personal war against the evil of Hitler’s regime is awe inspiring. Both sad and happy, their story shows a not often told side of WWII, the resistance in the Netherlands and how citizens came together to fight for what was right and good. Written with flair and understanding all historical fiction fans will enjoy this fast paced adventure.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

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