Critiquing A Memoir: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

     The plot revolves around a young girl who lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, during the Nazi invasion. With her missing neighbors, lack of food, and Nazi soldiers on every corner, little Annemarie Johansen's life is changed drastically. When the invasion in her neighborhood becomes more severe, Annemarie realized that when the world around her needs a change, bravery is always appreciated regardless of age. The themes in "Number the Stars" include world war, human survival; lies, and deception, it was used to keep Nazi soldiers from arresting Danes. Additional themes include mutual protection, courage, and sacrifice. The story also explores coming-of-age themes such as family, true friendship, and growing up.

When I was reading the memoir, I was filled with different emotions, these emotions are: 

- Sadness- It is sad that this story was based on a true story, and because of this, I imagined what it’s like to experience a such horrible experience, which made me feel this emotion.

- Fear – Fearful for the safety of the characters and as well as the actions of the soldiers 

- Anger – This emotion is for the Nazi soldiers.

- Desperate – as you read the story, you’ll begin to feel desperate for answers.

- Anxious – Every chapter will make you worry about what might happen next.

- Anticipation – The knows how to hook the readers to expect what might happen next.

- Hopeful – The characters ‘courage and bravery made me feel hopeful for their future and safety.

     The memoir’s techniques in writing were used effectively, and the memoir’s most effective technique is that it engages the readers’ attention with good descriptive details, the plot shifts from one scene to the next, and a conversational tone that directly speaks to the readers. The memoir was also effective because it was based on recalled or real events and used creative expression when writing the story. Lois Lowry's novel Number the Stars has an unsettling and sad tone to it. There is constant tension, suspense, and foreboding as the Rosen family seeks to evacuate to Sweden with the assistance of the Danish resistance and Annemarie's family. The language used is not complex and difficult, appropriate for readers to understand since it was for young and adult readers.

     After reading the memoir, one suggestion came to my mind, it could have been a little darker. It was a sad period in history, and I'm not sure if that was expressed in the story. Overall, I do not have any more suggestions for improvement other than the story being darker, knowing that Lois Lowry's 1989 novel Number the Stars, won a prestigious Newbery Medal in 1990, it already captured the hearts of every reader in the world.

References

Cox, R. (n.d.). Study.com | Take Online Courses. Earn College Credit. Research Schools, Degrees & Careers. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://study.com/learn/lesson/number-the-stars-lois-lowry-themes-symbolism-analysis.html

Hughes, C. A. (2021, August 12). Book Review: “Number the Stars” by Lois Lowry. C.A. Hughes Book Reviews. https://cahughesbookreviews.com/2021/08/21/book-review-number-the-stars-by-lois-lowry/

Harlow, A. (2022, July 2). Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. The Bookish Elf. https://www.bookishelf.com/book-review-number-the-stars-by-lois-lowry/