Julia

I received this book as part of a school assignment, and is one of the few school issued books I enjoyed. I sat down only intending to read the first few pages so I could get a feel for the piece. I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting. The characters are realistic, multifacted, and expertly written. I finished the book in less than an hour, and came out angry in the best possible way.

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night at camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky. Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes. Never shall I forget those, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.” I have never once read a piece of non-fiction all the way through. Night is a beautiful and soul-sucking work of art. It is a vivid and sickening look into one of the most violent and disgusting points in human history. And while the most apt adjectives to describe this book carry a negative connotation, I use them as praise.

I came to look for this book after hearing Kurtis Conner's podcast about it, and am shocked to see that he truly wasn't lying about how awful this book is.