Review of The Dynamite Room

The historical fiction novel, The Dynamite Room by Jason Hewitt steps into the gladiatorial arena today to take on the gladiators of Gladiators Pen. Let’s begin with an introduction…

About the book:

In July 1940, eleven-year-old Lydia escapes life as a child evacuee in Wales. She arrives home to her English village, gas mask in tow, only to find it abandoned. Her family's house is shuttered and empty. Lydia settles in though, determined to wait out the war.

Later that night he arrives: a wounded soldier, gun-wielding, heralding a full-blown German invasion. He says he won't hurt Lydia, but she cannot leave the house.

The unlikely pair coexists in their claustrophobic confines, becoming dependent on each other for survival. Lydia soon realizes that the soldier knows more than he should about her family--and that he's plotting something for them both.

Review

The book was a little slow to start but you quickly become engulfed by the plight of a little girl in the middle of war-torn England. Lydia and her brother are sent away to safety but the foolish yet brave girl runs away from the shelter back home. Only to find the entire village has evacuated. She thought she was alone until a wounded German soldier shows up.

Though enemies, the two begin to depend on each other to survive their ordeal and begin to form a kind of bond.  From fear to laughter to tears at different times and the reader joins them. The book richly portrays the era and brings the characters vividly to life.

This book is historical fiction but reads as though these could be true events. The gladiators recommend this read to any fans of the genre, WWII era, and stories that touch the heart.