Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

This was an interesting one to read. This book focuses on David... when his parents were killed by Neo-Nazis he was sent to live with his grandfather - a man he'd never met. When he arrives at his grandfather's house he is not treated well when they discover that he's Jewish. Despite it being 1968, the town is still filled with Nazi sympathisers. He finds a way to settle there to a certain extent by bonding with his grandfather's dog Mozart... when Mozart goes missing he disobeys his father's main rule - never go out at night. He soon discoverers the reason for the rule - the village is cursed and goes back to 1943 every night...
This was certainly an original concept. The story is an enticing historical fiction with some fantasy elements thrown in whilst dealing with one of the most harrowing historical periods in a generally sensitive way.

Having said that at times I found some of the narrative choices difficult to get into including the consistent use of the f-word.

However on the whole I'd recommend this one to anyone who enjoys historical fictions. David was an interesting character to read and on the whole while it was a tough read it was a memorable one - the closest comparison being The Book Thief.
Thanks to Net Galley and Elyse Hoffman for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I rated this one 3.5

Confusing in parts but the premise of redemption stands out. The novel is worth finishing, but not as good or as compelling as others I have read.

This was a really enjoyable read.. Very interesting in the theme of the book. I loved how the relationship with the grandson and grandfather evolved. My heart went out to the grandson and all he had lost. I would for sure recommend this to my fellow book worms!!!

This book grabbed me from the very first sentence. I had to keep reading to find out what in the world happened to this 10-year-old child named David. The first chapter did not seem like the normal WWII historical fiction.

The character development in this book was really well done. The description of the town, house, etc made me feel like I was there.

This book was chosen as a potential fit for our middle school library as the main character is that age and there is a demand for books about the Holocaust. It was a disappointment and we will not be purchasing it due to vulgar language that is unsuitable for this age group. Mixing fantasy and historical fiction also cheapens the horrors of the Holocaust and adds nothing to understanding history better. The last complaint is that the author seemed to have a thesaurus out at all times and just rotated through a set of words for speaking and moving around. Generally not the best quality writing to redeem an overall failure of a book for me.

Poor David, he lost his parents in a car crash and believed it was his fault. So he vowed to never smile or have any fun because they couldn’t. His social worker shipped him off to his grandfather who lived in a small town that had been bombed in WWII and never repaired. A strange town full of hatred for the Jews. When David arrived at his grandfathers house, the grandfather suggested he got rid of his kipper (skullcap) before they went into the little town. He refused and soon discover how the townspeople hated Jews. They abused him verbally and physically but David didn’t care, he wanted to be punished for his part in the death of his parents. Unsmiling he took all the punishment they gave him.
His grandfather also gave David a strict curfew of midnight. Why? Because there was a curse on the town and at midnight till 5am every day the town reverted back to the war and if a Jew was found he would be killed or sent to Auschwitz. Of course David doesn’t obey this rule and finds himself having to be hidden from the SS.
A strange story going back and forth from the mid 60’s to the war. The book is a huge reminder of the atrocities that occurred against the Jews and the hatred that Hitler had people brainwashed into believing.
Parts of it I enjoyed, parts I felt confused and at other times I was deeply sad that they the human race could be so brutal and destructive.. the story is well researched and well written, a mixture of fact and fantasy. A good read..

For the most part, I enjoyed this novel; it is the story of David Saidel, a boy whose parents died in a car crash, who is sent to live in Brennenbach, with his only living relative, his grandfather - a man David has never met, for reasons he was never given. This novel is historical fiction with a fantasy twist. There is something odd in the town of Brennenbach - something that causes parents to keep their children in from midnight to sunrise, a mystery that no one explains, but which is related to the history of the Nazi occupation of the town during WWII. From midnight to sunrise, Brennanbach becomes the town it was in 1943, with most of the inhabitants becoming either their younger selves, or taking the place of people who lived in the town during Nazi occupation. For the most part, the story is told with an eye toward historical accuracy, or at least as far as the fantasy portion allows, but the one place it falls down is in an excessive, and, in my opinion, historically inaccurate and unnecessary use of modern American profanity, which makes this novel inappropriate for the age group it would otherwise be perfect for, and which caused me to rate the book lower than I would have otherwise.

This book should be considered fantasy and not historical fiction. It is so outlandish, after reading about 1/3 of the book, I was about to give up. I am glad I read to the end, but I cannot recommend it.

The Curse

When David's parents are killed by neo Nazi's he is sent to live with his grandfather whom he never knew. He blames himself for his parent's death as they had to leave early because of him.

When he gets there he is not treated well when they find out he is Jewish. He refuses to hide the fact that he is Jewish. The town is filled with Nazi sympathizers. It is 1968 the war has been over for years.

He does bond with his grandfather's dog Mozart. One day when Mozart goes missing he disobeys his grandfather's rule to never go out at night and goes to look for his dog. He discovers why he shouldn't go out at night and why the village is so pro Nazi. The village is cursed and goes back to 1943 every night.

Now his friend Milo, a young girl Maria and himself must figure out how to break the curse put upon the village when a young Jewish man disappeared. A young man that escaped the Nazi's when his whole family was deported. What happened to David Kogan?

This story has a bit of history, a bit of fantasy, some reckoning and confessions. It has suspense, danger, and the fantasy. I think you will enjoy reading it.

Thanks to Elyse Hoffman for writing a great story, The Book Whisperer for publishing it and NetGalley for providing me with a book to read and review.

This book gets an A+ for creativity alone. I just loved the idea that a cursed town could revert to war time every midnight and that it resets each New Year. I haven't read anything like it and it was refreshing.

For a while, I thought this was going to be a 3-star book because I kept getting characters confused and it wasn't always clear to me when we were in the cursed time or regular time. I was fighting to love it and I spent a lot of time confused.

HOWEVER, that ending was fantastic. I honestly didn't see it coming and it made the rest of the story so endearing and raw. I almost want to read it again immediately knowing what I know now to see if it changes the way I view certain relationships or if I'd pick up on something I didn't before.

I feel like this is one I'll be mulling over for a while. I mean that it in a very good way.

In a time when being honest and true to yourself can cost you your life could make you question who you are, who your true family is, and force you into hiding. David didn't. He didn't hide. He didn't question what he believed. He didn't question his Jewish heritage. He did question the hatred he was shown while believing he deserved the pain of that hatred. hen he was finally shown friendship, he hung onto that bit of love and acceptance when everything told him to run.

In a town with terrible secrets, David showed love, faith, and a determination to prove the hate in the town was wrong. When he discovered the secret of the town and a way to begin healing the people who lived in the town, he discovered a horrible secret about his family. He didn't step back and question what he should do. He knew how to bring about change, a change that would cost him what he thought he knew. He fought for the change knowing it was what needed to be done. What he found on the other side was the truth behind the hatred of the town he lived in and the truth behind his family. He also found acceptance, love, and a grandfather's secret.

“Where David Threw Stones” by Elyse Hoffman is a fantasy/historical fiction novel. David is a Jewish boy living in a very Anti-Semitic town in West Germany in 1968. His grandfather tells him not to go out past curfew, so of course, he does it. What follows is a whirlwind. David is transported back to 1943 where Hitler is still in power. Nazi ghosts roam and they are out to get David.
I appreciated the research that went into this novel. However, toying with history and fantasy is a fine line. I can’t say too much without having spoilers. I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I would like to read more by this author because I enjoy her writing style. I received a complimentary copy of the book from The Book Whisperer through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Great book except for the foul language. Way too many F words. And I don't like kids cussing. I think this is why it took me so long to get through it.

Where David Threw Stones
Pub Date 27 Sep 2022
The Book Whisperer
General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Teens & YA


I am reviewing a copy of Where David Threw Stones through The Book Whisperer and Netgalley:


This book will transport you back to West Germany in 1968.


After ten year old David Saidel's parents are murdered by Neo-Nazis, he is sent to live with his grandfather in the anti-Semitic village of Brennenbach. David, miserable and lonely, finds solace in his kindly Grandpa Ernst, who has one strict rule: never go out after midnight.



When David breaks curfew to search for his missing dog, he discovers why Ernst is so serious about his curfew: Brennenbach is cursed. When midnight strikes, the town is thrown back to 1943, the height of Hitler's reign.




During the Cursed Hours the Nazi ghosts that infest Brennenbach are just as dangerous as they were in life. They're hunting for David because they think David is the last remaining member of the Kogan family. Whatever happened to the Kogans caused the Curse, and David and his grandfather won't be safe until he finds a way to end it.



Through the help of a little girl named Maria Rahm, the daughter of a vicious Nazi Lieutenant, he sets out to uncover the truth behind the Kogans.
Can he end the Curse that plagues the town of Brennenbach before it claims another victim?


If you are looking for a unique fantasy novel then I highly recommend Where David Threw Stones€!


Five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

This novel creates multiple worlds, taking us back to the end of World War Two, and emphasizing the brutal terrors Jews experienced during the Holocaust. When the book begins, history has moved on, and though ten-year-old David Saidel’s parents have been murdered by the Nazis, he is alive, and now living with his grandfather in what we come to learn is an anti-Semitic village called Brennenbach.

Being a young boy, David finds comfort in his Grandfather’s dog and the presence of the yarmulke his parents gave him. The gift reminds him of them, and thus he always wears it. But when David begins to wander the town, that gift immediately identifies him as a Jew, he then experiencing few acknowledgements, the yarmulke opening him to taunts and stares. When a growing child should be making friends, finding his way despite the loss of his parents, David finds himself greatly challenged. What young boy wouldn’t want to have at least one friend to hang out with, to dream with, to help form a growing identity. As David struggles to find that, his sense of curiosity is also dampened, his grandfather insisting that he never, ever go outside after midnight.

But when his grandfather’s dog, David’s truest friend, goes missing, David forgets the curfew warning and leaves the house to search for him. Thus, he discovers the importance of the curfew: after midnight, it is no longer present time. As punishment, the village finds itself back in 1943, Hitler is still in power and every remaining Jew must be annihilated. Nazi ghosts still walk, live and rule after midnight and they are as evil and dangerous as they were during Hitter’s power. And they are hunting for David—the new Jew in town—who they must now terrorize and eventually kill.

Though this is a story of evil versus good, there were many characters with names that changed after midnight, and thus for me, complicating the flow of the story. And though the writer is intent on reminding us of this evil history, like films that have attempted this in the past, the magical sense of the story dilutes the power of evil. And despite the horrors the writer brings to bear after midnight, that aspect of the novel left this reader feeling hollow and confused. History is history and it’s always a challenge to tinker with it.

Where David Threw Stone by Elyse Hoffman has a very promising beginning with 10 year old David being taken to live with his grandfather after the deaths of his parents. The setting for the novel is a small town in Germany approximately 20 years after the Second World War. David is a Jewish boy who now must live in a VERY anti-Semitic town.
His grandfather tells David that he must never venture outside after midnight due to a curfew. After midnight, the town is transformed into “the Curse Hours” during which the entire town and its residents become transported back to 1943 when the town is occupied by Nazis during the height of Hitler’s regime.
Fantasy is not my type of book and I would never have read this book had it not been erroneously listed under mystery and thrillers.

Fantastic insight to the way people lived and thought during that Second World War. Well written this book centres on the life of one boy called David and his journey.
Great read

Some reviews are difficult to write.
This book was part historical fiction, part mystery, and part fantasy. It reminded me a lot of “The Book Thief”, another book that’s hard to review without spoilers. I was mesmerized by both of them, and did not want to stop reading!
My only disappointment in this book was the vulgar language used, frequently. Even for a book written for an adult audience, the constant f-bombs being dropped began to get tiresome; the rating would have been a four or five except for this.
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

Elyse Hoffman has a great writing style for a historical WW2 novel and can create a great character development. I was invested in what was going on in the plot of the book and enjoyed going through this book. It was a beautifully done story and thought David was the perfect main character and I really felt for him. I look forward to reading more from Elyse Hoffman.

“I’ll be okay, Opa!” David insisted. “I need to get back to Alfons! Please go to sleep like normal, okay? I’ll feel worse if you...don’t get sleep or hurt your health.”