This was a beautifully written novel. It’s powerful and heartbreaking. The frontline experience of WWI is full of horrors and is brutal. Unfortunately I have very little control of my curriculum and in NYC we’re required to follow the curriculum to a T, otherwise, I would have loved to use this book in my classroom but I’ll definitely be recommending it to my students and colleagues.

Woah - what a read! All Quiet on the Western Front is a classic for a reason, following a main character named Paul as he is sent to the German front. Loss of innocence has long been a theme in war novels, but what stands out to me is how Paul is aware of this loss as it happens, rather than being a theme for the reader to pick up. This book also has one of the most powerful last sentences of any novel I’ve ever read - and I already knew how this book ended, even before picking it up! I totally understand why it’s so well loved. Absolutely recommend!