The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina is a moving story set in Poland in 1944. As I don’t know as much about the war between the Polish Resistance and Ukrainian nationalists, I found this one informative, and I enjoyed the complex character dynamics. While I struggled to keep up with the audiobook at certain points, I still enjoyed the story as a whole and would recommend it to those looking for a historical fiction about hope and humanity.
Title: The Silent UnseenAuthor: Amanda McCrina
Narrator: Laura Jennings
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: April 5, 2022
Rating:
A mesmerizing historical audiobook of suspense and intrigue about a teenage girl who risks everything to save her missing brother.
Poland, July 1944. Sixteen-year-old Maria is making her way home after years of forced labor in Nazi Germany, only to find her village destroyed and her parents killed in a war between the Polish Resistance and Ukrainian nationalists. To Maria’s shock, the local Resistance unit is commanded by her older brother, Tomek—who she thought was dead. He is now a “Silent Unseen,” a special-operations agent with an audacious plan to resist a new and even more dangerous enemy sweeping in from the East.
When Tomek disappears, Maria is determined to find him, but the only person who might be able to help is a young Ukrainian prisoner and the last person Maria trusts—even as she feels a growing connection to him that she can’t resist.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina
After escaping a labour camp in 1944, Maria returns home to find her village destroyed and her family missing. In the wreckage, she meets Kostya, a Ukrainian prisoner, and her brother, a resistance leader who she presumed was dead. However, when Maria’s brother doesn’t return one day, she is forced to team up with the boy she perceives as the enemy in order to find him, and recognize their similarities along the way.
❀ An Unlikely Friendship
Maria and Kostya have an interesting dynamic, and I enjoyed their complex relationship with each other. At first, they see themselves as enemies as Kostya is ex-UPA, but as they learn to rely on each other, and to accept each other, they discover an unlikely friendship that is beautiful to read about. Both characters are also fully developed, and the author does an excellent job capturing their complex emotions.
❀ Hard to Follow Audiobook
In terms of the audio version, I have to admit that I found the story difficult to follow at times. There are many characters to keep track of, and I don’t know much about the UPA or the NKVD, which are pretty central to the story. At the end of the book, there are historical notes and a list of characters, but I would have also appreciated more context throughout the narrative so that I could have an easier time following along. However, this audiobook is also well-produced, and the narrator perfectly captures the high emotions of the story–I just personally feel as though I would have enjoyed this one more in print form.
❀ An Emotional Story
The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina is an emotional story about a part of World War II that I was not as familiar with. I enjoyed this learning experience and the complex main characters, but I also struggled to keep up with the plot at certain points because I was missing some of the context. However, this is still a moving story that is perfect for fans of authors like Ruta Sepetys.
About Amanda McCrina
Amanda McCrina was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her BA in History and Political Science from the University of West Georgia. She currently lives in Franklin, Tennessee.
She writes historical fiction for teens and political fantasy for adults.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, novice New Yorker, & professional bibliophile.
I’m not a big fan of historical books, but it sounds interesting.
It does have a lot of interesting elements! 🙂
I like the sound of this book! I might give the physical version a go. Thanks for your honest review!
Thanks. Geoff! I hope that you enjoy it fo you give it a try! 🙂
Ooo! This sounds so good. Need to check my library for the audiobook.
I would love to hear your thoughts on it if you get the chance to give it a try! 🙂
Great review, Olivia! If I were to pick this up I think I’d go for the physical book or e-book, then it might be easier to keep track of the characters maybe. But it does sound like a great story!
Yes! I think it might be an easier way to keep track, for sure! 🙂
Thanks for the great review. I would definitely want to read this book, rather than hear it on audiobooks.
Thanks so much! 🙂
The Silent Unseen sounds like a really good historical book for me to read! Thanks for sharing your review and have a spectacular weekend!
Thanks, Eva! 🙂
It’s always nice when a book can teach you about an aspect of history you didn’t know about!
Right?! I really enjoyed that aspect of this one! 🙂
I can not wait to check this out.
This sounds like a great read and one that will keep me interested and reading.
honest take on it
Thanks for sharing, the book sounds pretty good!
This sounds very good!