I Am Fifteen And I Don't Want To Die

Ms. Arnothy's story of a part of her youth during WWII is a well written account, giving the readers a first hand taste of what it was like to wait out air raids and wonder where your next meal is coming from. At the end, I wanted this book to keep going, to see how she finished out the war.

This is a great book for pre-teens and teens to read. I read it in 8th grade when I was 13, I was so upset at what she had to go through because of a war, I thought it was wrong that her family, her house, and friends all had to go through that and it made me greatful of what I have. I think this is a great book for anyone to read.

Bang! Bombs went off just feet from the cellar. Cold, dark, and destroyed, families huddled together in the basement of their bombed-out apartment building. I Am Fifteen - And Don't Want To Die is an extraordinary autobiography by Christine Arnothy. Christine is fiftee, living in Budapest, Hungary duriny World War II. She's growing up,, living in the middle of a war-torn city. her family is struggling to help others and to stay alive themselves. Really the only place to get water is across the road. Christine is horrified of getting bombed, while getting the water they desperately need. Throughout the many days Christine, her family and other families spent in the cellar, their world overhead was, being ddestroyed by raging bombs. They could only come out at desperate times. Her family needs to get out of the middle of this war, but when will they go, and how will they get out? Most of all where will they go? I liked this particular autobiography because it is about Christine's hard times in life. Some books I've read about difficulties in life didn't seem real to me, but because this is a true story I could really get into it. I felt sorry for her because compared to her life, my life is perfect. The way Christine wrote this book was very interesting, she wrote this book from old diaries she kept when she went through all of these struggles. I likes the description, it is another reason why I liked this book so much. she describes the scenes she sees with great enthusiam. Like the day when she finds a wounded enemy soilder, I felt as if I was sanding right next to her looking over him. Christine is a quiet girl, who tends to keep to herself. She also needs her parents and friends to comfort her, expecially now, living in the cellar. Her story was a heart pumping adventure. She learned mant lessons about life and death. She lived to tell about her experience, the horror of living in the middle of a war-torn city.

I read this book many times, between the ages of 12 and 15, and I still think about it as an adult (I am 32 as I type this). I read a lot of books about teenaged girls in WWII and this was one of the most real. When I traveled around Europe a few years ago, I made it a point to visit Budapest mainly because of the impression made on me by this book. It's a difficult read, but well worth the effort, for a unique perspective on a difficult war.