Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse takes place in Amsterdam during World War II. Hanneke Bakker is a girl in her late teen years, and she works in the black market, delivering goods such as food and oil to people around the city. One of her clients comes to her in desperate need of help to find a young Jewish girl whom she had been hiding but disappeared. Throughout the novel, she forms many friendships and gets caught up in situations that could be detrimental to her and her family's safety. In a series of twists and turns, this book will have you invested in the storyline every step of the way.

Girl in the Blue Coat has the themes of resilience and courage as well as the devastations of war. I would highly recommend this book to those who are craving a good wartime mystery novel and an intriguing read.

Review by: Holly Childs

Holly is a 16-year-old Junior at Santa Monica High School and volunteers at the West LA Regional Library.

—Carrie Davies, Young Adult Librarian, West Los Angeles Branch Library