This is a novel about a group of young teenagers growing up in Nazi Germany into and through the war. They are in part based on the White Rose group centred around Hans and Sophie Scholl, in that they anonymously distribute leaflets about the real situation with the war and the horrors of the Nazi regime. Unlike the White Rose group, they are mostly not caught and our friends Emil, Johann and Katharina survive to witness the full horror of the unfolding of the war and the Nazis' Gotterdamerung. Tragedy ensues as they become victims of the defeated Hitler's desperate attempts to sacrifice his entire people rather than confront the reality of defeat. I found this profoundly moving and gripping throughout and it can be enjoyed by readers of all ages, though it seems to be directed primarily at younger readers. ( )

Emil is growing up in Passau, Germany under Hitler’s rule. He attends his Deutsches Jungvolk meetings with fervor and wants to be a pilot. Emil begins to see the faults in Hitler’s plans as tensions arise and the hatred of the Jewish people grows. Emil’s friends Moritz and Johann discover the truth behind the German propaganda with the BBC news broadcast over a shortwave radio, not everything is going so well for the German’s during the war and fatalities are much worse than reported. The three friends decide to distribute the news with the help of Johann’s sister, Katharina. As the years pass, the boys grow older and are eventually trained to fight and sent to the front for a war they no longer want to fight; even Katharina finds herself in training as the German losses mount.
Playing With Matches proved to be a moving coming of age story told from the point of view of a German teen. The history in the story really grabbed me and I learned about the German Youth meeting, the effects of World War II on the average German Home and the efforts of The White Rose resistance. It was interesting to watch Emil’s character grow as he began to emulate his Deutshes Jungvolk leader and argue with his parents as a youth, to seeing his Jewish friends business destroyed, to taking huge risks by distributing treasonous pamphlet and eventually fighting. Emil’s character struggles through many emotions: fear, hope, survival and love to create a realistic story of a German youth growing up during World War II.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )