Ashes by Kathryn Lasky

Summary
Berlin, 1932. Thirteen-year-old Gabriela Schramm is living a happy and privileged life. But as Hitler rises to power, things quickly change. People who were once trustworthy are now Nazis. And many of her friends are fleeing the country or being taken away. To cope. Gaby turns to the comfort of her books, but suddenly those are in grave danger of disappearing as well. Will Gaby be able to hold on to the one thing that gives her hope? (from back of book)

Review
     I liked this book, a lot. I would give it four stars out of five.
     It was a bit strange. The first time I read the book, I loved it. As in, loved it. The second time, I wasn't as charmed. I still love it, and it will always be one of my favorite books. I liked Gaby, and I liked her family as well. Every member of her family was active against the Nazis someway, whether it was her father, who practiced "Jewish Physics," or her sister, who worked in a subtly anti-Nazi cabaret. Not just her character evolved, but her whole family did too. I also liked how this book was focused on the crimes of the Nazis as a whole, not just the attempted genocide of the Jews.
     It was interesting to see how the politics affected Gaby's world so much, and how she felt about others. She saw the true bravery of all the people she thought she hated, and, to put in bluntly, the inner nastiness of the people she thought she liked.
     One of my favorite parts if the book was Einstein. Yes, Einstein was a character. Remember, Gaby's father was a physicist, and they're families were very close. It was fascinating hearing Einstein talk about theories he was still developing that we now learn about in school. That may not be interesting to the rest of you, but it was to my nerdy self.
     The way the book was written, it felt like Gaby was actually talking to you, and telling you the story. I could practically hear hear German accent. I also liked how Gaby was basically everything Hitler liked-born German, light skin, blue eyes, light blonde hair, and she even wore the stereotypical braids that you usually picture with a dirndl.  
     I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

     This is not part of the review, but it is a funny story. I was reading a part if the book where Gaby got caught reading in class, and had the book taken away when I heard the teacher call out, "Tali, give me that book." I got caught reading in class as well!