It wasn't hard in the sense of the content really, though looking at trigger warnings for that is extremely important, it was just the pacing and the content.

This book was honestly very hard for me to read, and it's supposed to be a young adult book. Thank you Knopf Books for the arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! “Gorgeous and heart-wrenching.3/5 stars, this had important history and diversity, but I didn’t know what was going on a lot of the time “A beautiful and strange novel full of magic, friendships, and hard truths.” -The Southern Bookseller Review “Lyrically melding facts and otherworldly elements, including the angel of death, Jewish folklore, and the Danube as a magical, life-giving river with which Csilla can communicate, Locke (the Balloonmakers series) offers an original, moving tribute to the bravery of freedom fighters-straight and queer, Jewish and gentile-who risked their lives for their cause.” - Publishers Weekly Diaspora readers in particular will undoubtedly relate to this gorgeously poetic and heartbreaking tale of living in a place that may not love you back.” - BuzzFeed “Locke's path of lyrical and magical devastation continues through mid-20th century Europe with their newest YA novel. ★ ”Like Sepetys’ The Fountains of Silence, this will certainly send readers to research a lesser-known resistance movement and realize that while it’s easy to judge history in hindsight, it’s far more difficult, but necessary, to try to make it.” - The Bulletin, starred review

The queer characters, gentle three-way romance and passionate socio-political activism in This Rebel Heart are likely to strike a recognizable chord for teens of any era.” - Shelf Awareness, starred review ★ “Vivid, suspenseful, emotionally grounded, and heartbreaking, this book grapples with vital ethical debates about memory and democracy that makes it essential reading for lovers of historical fiction.” - School Library Journal, starred review “One of 2022’s most provocative fantasy novels.” - Polygon “Challenging and rewarding.” - Kirkus Reviews School Library Journal Best YA of 2022 Chicago Public Library Best YA of 2022 The List Best of 2022 Polygon Best SFF of 2022 Tablet Magazine Best Jewish Children’s Literature of 2022 Buzzfeed Best YA of 2022 ALA Rainbow Book List 2023 Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Other

This rebel heart by katherine locke