THE UNWANTED by Peter Clenott (Level Best Books, 2022) 

Fans of "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein will love THE UNWANTED by Peter Clenott (Level Best Books, 2022), a WWII novel set mainly in Germany from 1939-1947. (I enjoyed this book more than VERITY.) It covers topics such as the Lebensborn breeding program, eugenics, genetics, mentally disabled, mentally ill, disabled, and homosexuals/lesbians and how the Germans viewed and delt with them.

THE UNWANTED is a suspense murder mystery written in third person omniscient present tense voice reminiscent of THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak. Clenott’s choice of voice and language make THE UNWANTED accessible to readers, giving it a contemporary vibe, who don’t necessarily care for reading historical fiction. The sex and violence is off stage/page and not graphic since it is done in a telling rather than showing stye. The chapters are short and alternate among different time periods and point of views, culminating in a stunning unpredictable, yet satisfying, ending.      

Christine Kohler