Kelly's review of "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
January 10, 2024
Review by Kelly
All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
In All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, the author juxtaposes the stories of two characters: Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, a German soldier. However, due to World War II and fate, their paths cross. The story describes how Marie-Laure adapts to her environment and survives when the Germans invade her home country. Despite being blind, Marie-Laure can “see” everything and helps those in need through her own ways. On the other hand, Werner joins the Nazis to fight in hopes of accomplishing his dreams of becoming an inventor. In addition, the novel dives into themes involving family, identity, freedom, and perseverance. With each character discovering their true roles in society, the story is an emotional roller coaster with each turning page
The story highlights that war is the driving force that corrupts people and cause them to abandon their morals. There were several times when violence was ensued upon innocent civilians just because the soldiers were given orders. It purely demonstrates how in such bloody times, people do not care about helping others but only care about themselves. Doerr expresses through the characters and their stories on how war can shape people and how war is just self-destruction. Overall, I enjoyed a majority aspect of the novel and would rate it a 4 out of 5 stars.
Historical Fiction, Teen Book Review, All the Light We Cannot See