"Acts of Resistance" by Dominic Carrillo is a remarkable and emotionally charged novel that portrays a lesser-known chapter of World War II history. This gripping account is not only historically significant but also deeply moving.

The novel is filled with compelling and multifaceted characters, each of whom offer a unique perspective on the events of the time. Misho, Peter, and Lily provide distinct voices that draw readers into their individual journeys of resistance against the backdrop of a pro-Nazi government. Their determination to do what is right in the face of overwhelming danger is inspiring and heart-wrenching.

Carrillo's storytelling brilliance shines through in the way he weaves together the storylines of these three characters, filled with bravery and sacrifice. The alternating perspectives keep the reader engaged and emotionally invested in the characters' fates.

Lily's transformation from a reluctant collaborator to a courageous spy is compelling, highlighting the internal struggles faced by individuals in morally ambiguous situations.

Carrillo's vivid descriptions and attention to historical detail transport readers to the streets of Bulgaria during this tumultuous period. The tension and danger are palpable, capturing the gravity of the characters' actions.

"Acts of Resistance" illustrates the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity for ordinary people to rise to extraordinary heights in the face of adversity. It sheds light on a little-known act of heroism during the Holocaust, offering a powerful reminder of the importance of bearing witness to history's lesser-told stories.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. It didn't disappoint! Must read!!

Considering I had no
knowledge of Bulgaria during the World War2 and Cold War eras, I was fascinated and quite intrigued while reading this book! I loved all of the characters , the good, the bad and the ugly. Very enlightening!
Thank you to Net Galley for the early edition copy of this book. Worth all 5 stars!!

A historical fiction story that is based on true events. The story is told through the point of view of three different characters. Each of them finding their way to resist the pro Nazi regime that is overtaking Bulgaria. Lily is the last character to get involved. She realizes what happens after she finish her job and begins to fight. Breathtaking storytelling, thrilling characters and has a nail biting plot. A brilliant historical fiction story about resistance, resilience and fighting the evils of the world.

Disclaimer: Thank You NetGalley and Santa Monica Press for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

From the first page, I was drawn into this book, raw, honest and gritty, based on real events and people.

I find books written about World War Two fascinating and important. To see the extent that humanity would go to, on both sides. To learn what happened to ensure we don't ever repeat any of those horrors.

Acts of Resistance is easy to read and mid-paced. There are a few scenes which may be confronting to younger readers, however the violence isn't heavily described.
World War Two inspired and based books will always be important.

What a wonderful sad and heroic story this is.
A true story of three teenagers Misho Peter and Lilly who working for the resistance helped 50,000 Bulgarian Jews escape from the concentration camps to freedom.
You cannot put this book down especially as you know it is a true story and something that has not really been written about.
Well done Dominic Carrillo bringing this story to peoples attention and thanks net galley for giving me the opportunity to read it.

Acts of Resistance is a work of historical fiction told from multiple points of view, about the events in Bulgaria during WWII, and the actions of various resistance members who, collectively, revealed the plans of Alexander Belev - the Bulgarian commissar of Jewish Affairs during World War II - who tried, in concert with German officials, to eliminate the Jewish population of Bulgaria. Because of the actions of people such as his secretary - renamed Lily Dimitrov and fictionalized in this novel - as well as Archbishop (Metropolitan) Stefan, Dimitar Peshev, and others, largely in the city of Sofia, tens of thousands of Jewish lives were saved.

This novel portrays events that actually occurred, although some of the primary characters are entirely fictitious, such as Misho and Peter. The events in Bulgaria are not as well known to many as the events elsewhere in Europe, and this novel is a good starting point for those interested in the events that occurred there. Recommended for middle school to adult.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Set in Bulgaria, this novel follows three teenagres, as they find ways to fight against the Nazi intruders. Misha is hiding his Jewish identity by working for a prominent archbishop. Peter, travels with his father to the capital, to warn the government of planned Jewish deportations. Lily, works at the government offices in charge of deporting Jews. When she learns of a planned attack, she leaks word to the local resistance.

I had a bit of trouble with this book, it felt like a translation. Not everything really worked together, and I never really got to know the characters beyond surface level. The plot was well paced, and the three stories worked well together. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

This book was not what I expected. I have read lots of WWII novels, and several memoirs, and I thought this book might be a good combination of both genres.

Don't get me wrong. I think that this would be a good book for teens, especially if this was possibly their first introduction to historical fiction, or their first foray into WWII stories.

But it wasn't for me.

I have read lots about the Second World War, both fiction and non-fiction, but this this the first set in Bulgaria. I knew virtually nothing about the events described in this book and have found it fascinating to learn so much and from three such interesting viewpoints. I am looking forward to reading more about the actions of Bulgarians who stood up to the Nazi regime and about Lily Panitza who was the inspiration behind the character of Lily Dimitrova.
This is also my first of Dominic Carrillo's books and I have already sought out more, after thoroughly enjoying his writing style.

I have always loved reading/learning about WW2, so of course when I saw this available I had to check it out. I love the format, it makes this a fast paced read that doesn’t ever lag and the stories and perspective were a new angle of the atrocities that I hadn’t seen before. Thank you for allowing me to read this ARC.

This was a great read. It was well researched, well written, and had a great story layout. Dominic Carrillo does a good job of gripping readers from the very beginning and not letting you go. This was the first time I read/heard about Bulgaria in the setting of the Holocaust due to my history classes barely (or if at all) touching the country. While it would have been nice to not only learn more about the characters lives before the war, but also culture and food of Bulgaria, this was a pretty solid read. I gave it 4.6/5.

Between 1943 and 1944, nearly 50,000 Bulgarian Jews were rescued from the Holocaust, including thousands who had already been rounded up and put on trains bound for death camps in Poland. This book is based on the true story of how everyday Bulgarians worked to rescue their fellow citizens.
The main characters in this book are three teenagers. Misho, an 18-year-old Jewish boy, chauffers the prominent archbishop Stefan who challenges the Bulgarian government’s pro-Nazi policies. Peter, aged 17, is determined to save his Jewish neighbors by confronting parliament members in the capital, then taking up arms to fight with a partisan rebel communist group. Lily, 19, works for the collaborationist government office and decides to become a spy after she witnesses the deportation of Jews to concentration camps. Each character intersects as the novel progresses.
As I read, I was struck by the fact that too often we wait to act when it’s personal. Only when we’re personally affected do we care about injustices. The personal application is why I give this book four stars instead of three. The technical execution lacks excitement and pizzazz.

My favorite quotes:
“Thousands who were no longer numbers on a page. They were real individuals.”
“My father stood up. ‘Then we will represent you. You’re our neighbors. Our friends. To stand up for you is the least we can do.’”
“The king finally spoke. ‘Well, Archbishop, I’m sure you’re familiar with the line: ‘All that matters is faith’? I’ll take my cues from the Bible and have my peace with God.’ After a long pause, Archbishop Stefan responded. ‘Boris, that line from the Book of Galatians is ‘All that matters is faith expressed through love.’ How will you show your love for your people— through inaction? By ignoring the issue? Praying in this protected villa up on a mountain?’”
“Holiness is nothing in isolation. It’s easy to be reverent in a solitary room. In fact, that’s when it’s most convenient to us. The true test is how you apply your faith to others out in the world. Actually, the Letters of James said it best. ‘So too, faith by itself, if it is not complemented by action, is dead.’”
“The fact was, I didn’t want to lose my best friend, David. Simple as that. I wouldn’t be able to live with not acting on his and his family’s behalf— standing on the sidelines while soldiers took them away forever.”
Peter discovered that the rebellion force was “more interested in winning their intellectual arguments than getting out into the world and actually doing something.”
Lilly: “The fear of my own death had turned me into something else. I can’t say that I’m proud of it, but it was a matter of survival.” We do what we must to survive. Until we know better.

This book was ok. I really struggled to get into it. I loved the characters and I loved the setting but this one was hard for me to get through.

#netgalleyarc I’m a sucker for historical fiction and this book did not disappoint. This is definitely a shorter book than historical fiction titles usually are, but I really enjoyed reading it. I love that it was written from multiple perspectives and that the main characters were teenagers. I thought that the characters were really well written and liked the character development. An overall good read.

I actually rarely read historical fiction. But this book made me enjoy the storyline from start to finish. I could feel the story background brought me close to Bulgaria and the Characters were well developed so i could blend within. It was captivating me easily. Great recommended for historical fiction lovers.

Acts of Resistance was an attention grabber. It's the story of Nazi ridden Bolgaria. And it's the story of Lily, who was sympathetic to the Jewish cause but works for the KEV, an organization whose mission was to rid Bolgaria of Jews, Peter, who was not Jewish but wanted to fight to save his Jewish friend, and Mischo, aka Michael, who was Jewish and hiding out with Archbishop Stephan. Lily chose to be a spy and passed on important information to her Jewish doctor who in turn spread the word throughout the community.

Peter left his family to go live in Sofia with a Jewish man, Ioan, who fought with the resistance. It was decided that three of them, Peter, Ioan and another man would kill Belev, Lily's boss. In their attempt, Believe killed Ioan and tried to kill Peter, but he got away.

Mischo was tired of hiding out. He wanted to do something for his people. Peter headed an uprising and Mischo joined in. He ended up getting arrested but the Archbishop was able to get him out.

So this book is about what transpired during the occupation. It's about the bravery of three young people. Lily was 23, Peter was 17 and Mischo was 15. They each in their own way were useful in the struggle. Also, Archbishop Stephan had a prominent role. There's so much I want to say but I don't want to give anything away. Suffice it to say that there are twists and turns that keep the reader coming back for more. I like stories that are Alice with action and intrigue and this one fit the bill. I gave it five stars.

Bulgaria during WWII became a dangerous place for Jews, in part due to the pro-Nazi inclinations of its government. Three teenagers, Misho, Peter and Lily, put their lives in danger to try to help thousands of Jews survive the brutality of the Nazi regime. Well written and recommended.

A well written and enjoyable read. Acts of Resistance tells an important story about the bravery and selflessness of people living in cruel and horrific times. The story is told through three different first hand accounts. Seemingly insignificant young people who are able to contribute to one of the most heroic acts of World War 2.

I’m not usually one for historical fiction. I picked Acts of Resistance because it is based on true stories and it is about a period of time that I do not think can be talked about enough.

Dominic Carrillo did a great job with Acts. In my ignorance I had no clue that the government of Bulgaria had even been a part of the decimation of Jewish people. (I am still learning.) I am so glad that this book came my way because now I am not only aware of some of what happened but also now of some of the lives given to try and help.

The stories are told in all of their voices and from their viewpoints in the war. Carrillo picks certain days and we get glimpses into their lives at those moments. Moments that changed how their journeys moved forward. It is engaging and quick. Carillo doesn’t stick with one character long, but quickly moves between them all keeping everything fresh.

Obviously this is not a story of joy, but it is so worth reading. To watch knowledge become action and change is so gratifying (especially for me in these times). I am in awe of people like Lily who existed in real-life and did the acts performed in this story. I thank people like her who paved the way for others to do the same.

I read the Author’s Notes and saw what became of the heroes of these stories and my heart breaks. I just want to hug every one of them.