https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6456712550

I have read many WW2 novels and it is difficult to find one that stands out from the crowd. This one does, thanks to its great premise - teenage boy in Vienna's life splits into two parallel streams, Sliding Doors style - and in one he ends up on the Nazi side, and in the other against them. However, a great premise can only take you so far, and beyond that the plot, while compelling, got a little silly at times, and a lot of the characters descended into caricatures. If you are going to take on huge, emotional topics like a world war and the Holocaust, they probably bear treating with a little more depth than this has to offer, with its slightly one note 'love conquers all' message. But still an enjoyable, interesting book, and worth a read. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

A really unique read - one man, one choice, two lifetimes. Following a devistating fire, we follow the parallel lives of Max/Hans. Each of their journeys draw them to Vienna where they meet and fall in love with Sophie.
The story is a bit confusing at first as it jumps between the two men however, it is a compelling thought- provoking read. Makes you think about your life and how different it might have been a bit of taken an alternative path.
Well worth a read

It took me a couple of chapters to understand what was happening and from then on, I loved it. Interesting story as if Max is living 2 lives, but then he becomes aware of the other version of himself, Hans and they live different yet similar lives and can impact on decisions in each others lives.

Huge thanks for the advanced readers copy.

What a unique and interesting concept for a book. I was so intrigued by the cover and this has to be one of my top reads of the year!

This is a stunning novel. At its heart it is a romantic thriller set before and during WW2, but that is the tip of the iceberg. The book develops a dual simultaneous timeline theme where a character suffers a disaster and from then becomes two contrasting characters. Both fall in love with Sophie. The eye opening thing is that this is developed consistently and convincingly, which is no small feat. The fact that the characters are explained using some Jungian psychology made me smile. It made the plotline quire sophisticated and thoroughly enjoyable. Congratulations on producing such an imaginative book

The book is set in 1933 in Vienna. Max is the son of a Music Instrument shop, his mother a housewife and musician.
Max's father is a Jew, although non practising but the rise of Adolf Hitler and his hatred of Jews is beginning.. One night his house is set on fire and they lose everything. Max now lives a parallel life with Hans. They meet up again in Paris, Max as a waiter and Hans as an SS officer. Both fall in love with Sofie who they met in Vienna. Through the strife of war their lives keep colliding even though they are on different sides.
A little confusing at times as the story jumps between the two men.
An enjoyable and interesting read though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

I enjoyed this book although it did it take me a while to get through it. I have read these dual timeline books before but it took me a hwile to get used to Max/Hans and to remember who was who and what was when.

The Third Reich and the atrocities are a sensitive subject and I think the author is brave in the Hans storyline to try to convey how mentally removed these Nazis were from the terrible things they were part of. To some of them it was just their job and, shockingly for the reader, they saw many of their actions as just part of the mundane nature of any job. That struck me quite forcibly - how successfully the atrocities were almost normalised under the totalitarianism of the dictatorship and Hitler cult.

I liked Sophie and Max and, shockingly, even Hans. It is interesting how the same supporting characters are in both timeslines but are slightly different in personality and action.

I don't like the title because in my view, Max and Hans are the main characters and a title such as the 2 lives of max speigelmann would have been more accurate.

It is an interesting, thought provoking and quite shocking read.

This is a difficult book for me to rate. The premise was very intriguing, the way that the dual timelines were presented was phenomenal and very unique, and I really enjoyed how the dual storylines intertwined with one another. I think the book did a really good job of exploring just how much environments and nurture can impact a person's decisions and the paths that they take in life.

It was also interesting to see the different aspects of each character's personalities were explored in each timeline. Various aspects of the characters shone through based on their environment and their interaction with either Max or Hans, developing them in such unique ways and exploring how, no matter where or what happens to a person, there are certain parts of a personality that still hold strong.

My issue was with the second half of the book, especially with the Hans timeline. I think that if the backdrop of a story is going to be WWII, and especially if the atrocities that were committed during the war are going to be a significant part of the plot, it has to be done with utmost care and respect. Unfortunately, I did not feel like that this care was given throughout the second part of the book. I was extremely uncomfortable with how certain characters were still expected to elicit sympathy, despite the fact that they were Nazis are participated in those atrocities. Furthermore, the actual setting of the plot during the war did not seem to respect the severity of it; while I understand that the characters and the plot were supposed to take main stage, the events of the war as described throughout the second part of the book were surface level.

It was also extremely uncomfortable that the FMC still held the MMC in the same regard when he was Nazi. Especially as a Jewish woman- one who was involved with a resistance group and saw first hand how Hans treated and the things that he did to people that she knew.

The one other uncomfortable part was the infidelity aspect of the main relationship throughout both timelines. It hindered the romance and completely extinguished the investment that I had in the relationship. It also seemed unnecessary; the story would have been much stronger and more impactful, without this obstacle.

Because of this, I could not, in good conscious, rate this very highly, nor can I recommend it .

I do hope that this book is given to sensitivity readers before publication. A little more care given to the setting and events would transform this into an unforgettable story.

Such a unique and fascinating premise based around the sliding doors trope but made all the more profound by its powerful setting and time period.

An immersive reading experience and I was fully invested in Max/Han's story and the beautiful romance that wss full of longing between him and Sophie. Such meticulous plotting and accomplished writing that more than once moved me to tears.

Highly Recommended

The story is set in 1933 Vienna and is divided into two timelines. That of Max Spiegelman and Hans Schatten.

Max a 13 year old Jewish boy, lives in Vienna with his Father Franz who owns a musical instrument store and his Mother Ana a housewife. They live above the music store. Max is a typical 13 year old who enjoys playing Football with his friend Joseph Muller afterschool, who plays music mainly piano and loves reading especially his favourite childhood book - Peter Pan. Until the day he meets Sophie Strum in his Father’s music store and Max’s life drastically changes overnight. His parents die in a fire destroying their store and home.

This is where the dual timelines begin

Max is now become Hans.

The Schatten family were German are were longtime friends of the Spiegelman Family who were Jewish. , Despite their differences in religious beliefs cherished their friendship. While Max was recovering in hospital after the fire that destroyed his family as he knew it. Katherine and her Husband adopted Max now naming him Hans Osker Schatten. Max at first was not sure if he should take up his new identity, for many reasons, one being he didn’t really like their Son Karl Schatten. In the end he decided it was a better idea to accept their generosity and was adopted by his new family, also adopting his new name and identity as Hans.

Then War hostilities began in Vienna and the growing hatred between the Nazi Germans and Jewish communities really began to spread across Vienna and Europe. Splitting both families and the Country into two.

This was an interesting portrayal of the story and a time in history during WWIi via a unique perspective and dual timelines that I found both fascinating and a little confusing to follow at times. As the story progressed I found myself wishing that the story would not end.

I rate this book 4 stars out of 5 and appreciate receiving a copy to read it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity and this is my honest review.

An interesting concept about a thirteen year olds life that splits, living two separate time lines, one as Hans, and one as Max. The world war setting for these stories added drama, and the research showed. Some parts felt a little repetitive, but overall the book flowed well. Would read another book by this author.

Please note this book is currently not listed correctly on goodreads. Only one kindle edition, with no book cover.

this book was entertaining, although i do feel as though it’s something i’ve already read before. i feel as though the sliding doors trope is a little worn out, honestly, but i did like the characters and the way the two narrative threads were distinctly fleshed out.

I enjoyed this dual time line book, a real 'what if' story that unlike many in this genre had Max/Hans aware of each other in their respective timelines. It was interesting to read about the rise of the Nazis in Austria throughout the 1930s as much that I've read before concentrates on the 1938 Anschluss only.

I am confused about the target audience for this book as much of the time it read like a YA book until the fairly graphic sex scenes which I am still not sure were needed.

Thank you Faber for the chance to read this excellent novel. I thought it was well written and had a great premise, once I got my head around the concept of the parallel lives of Max and Hans. The love story between Sophie and Max/Hans was compelling but perhaps more valuable was the way it generated questions about right and wrong, moral standards and how environment can dictate behaviour. I found it very relevant for today’s issues, notably the Middle East. A perfect book group title.

The premise of this was so interesting, especially given the historical context this book was set in. I really enjoyed it at first, however as the book carried on, I felt that it dragged a bit! I also struggled with the writing, some of it felt a little juvenile but then other scenes were incredibly graphic and detailed, so the juxtaposition of the two left me a little rattled. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading this and the premise and characters were very interesting and well researched, especially Max’s character compared to his counterpart, Hans.

What a unique and interesting concept for a book. I was so intrigued by the cover and I’m very curious to read the two different scenarios as well as find out the yesteryear of the “girl”. Will be sharing a full review and thoughts upon completion. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity.