Book Review: Prisoner B-3087 

By Alan Gratz 

4 Stars 

Prisoner B-3087 is a young adult historical fiction novel by Alan Gratz. The book itself is fiction, but it is based on the true story of Ruth and Jack Gruener. This novel takes the reader through the experiences of a Jewish boy named Yanek Gruener who went through the horrors of the Holocaust. Going through 10 different concentration camps, dodging death multiple times, and going on 2 death marches was the reality for Yanek.   

The book transports you into the world of a ten-year-old boy who explains his story as a Jewish boy of the Holocaust. From the ages 10 to 16, Yanek encountered multiple life-threatening challenges just for being alive. This book describes the personal and brutal experience a young boy had to go through. From having his family ripped apart from him to trying his hardest to make it out alive, Yanek is a boy filled with determination. At the age of 13, he was taken to a concentration camp where the horrors just began. Over the next 2-4 years, he went through 10 different concentration camps and 2 death marches. His only motivation was to make it out alive, no matter what. The idea of giving up and dying seemed great at moments, but powering through with courage was what took over him every time.  

Alan Gratz, the author of this book, has greatly set an image of someone who had experienced the horrors of being Jewish during World War II. Though this book has been written greatly, there are parts where the detail could have been extended to fully connect the reader with the emotions of Yanek. Dismissing that, this book encompasses the emotions and thoughts that Yanek goes through over the course of a few years in the concentration camps. In conclusion, I really recommend this book to people who not only love history but to others as well. You never know what treasure you may find. 

Reviewed by Minahil as part of the Teen Reviewer, opens a new window program.

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