Review of Sentenced to mate

[Jenna Floyd]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sentenced to mate" by Azazlia Za.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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A harrowing account of unspeakable rape during World War II, Sentenced to Mate by Azalia Za, is a heart-wrenching but essential read. From the perspective of the author’s step-grandmother, Maria, the author recounts ruthless atrocities committed by the Nazis and Stalin's military. When Hitler’s army invades Ukraine, Maria is ripped from her family and forced on a traumatic journey of abuse, murder, and horror. After serving as an overworked house slave, Maria is forced to lie about her age and pretend to be a German woman. She is then impregnated by a German officer and births a child, who is snatched away from her as an infant. After serving her purpose in this program, she is ushered to a concentration camp. There, the horrors continue as she is enslaved in a brothel, tortured, experimented upon, and starved. Throughout these experiences, she bands with other women for support, but these relationships often end in tragedy. When the war ends, life is still unsafe for Ukrainians under Stalin’s rule. Maria must rely on her will, faith, and fighting spirit to finally reclaim her life.

It feels wrong to say I enjoyed this book, as it’s full of trauma and pain, but I found it captivating. I learned much about aspects of World War II that I did not know. I enjoyed that Za provided sections of historical facts and photos throughout. These lessons helped me understand and appreciate the gravity of the abuse on a deeper level. The narrative moved at a good pace; I never felt bored or like the story lingered too long in a given section. Furthermore, the author made me feel the depth of both the good and bad emotions Maria experienced. I deeply appreciated the friendships Maria forged with other women and felt the pain of her countless losses. Za balanced all of these things in a way that I found masterful.

The only negative I have to say is the book’s numerous errors. There were a fair number of typos. With more thorough editing, I would have no negatives to say about this book at all; I genuinely loved it.

Despite my enjoyment of the book, I feel I can only give it 4 out of 5 stars. The aforementioned typos are the only thing keeping me from giving a perfect five stars. It’s beautifully written, informative, and captivating. I had difficulty putting it down.

I highly recommend this book to any adult reader because it sheds light on an overlooked aspect of the Holocaust. As one would expect from a book about World War II, there are strong adult themes in the narrative. Despite discussions of rape, the author was tactful and did not provide more detail than was needed. Descriptions and occasional photos of death may be difficult for some readers to process. As such, I urge caution if you are sensitive to these issues. Additionally, there are minor instances of both borderline and non-borderline profanity, but this language was scarce. Finally, while there are brief discussions of Maria's beliefs in a Christian God, the book is not limited to any one religious group.

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Sentenced to mate
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[Charles Ashinze]

I can only imagine the pain and suffering Maria went through. The cruelty of humans baffles me, and I wonder whether the individuals who commit such cruel acts are deviod of emotions like sympathy. That was a really dark time in man's history.

[NetMassimo]

Too often wars are accompanied by atrocities against civilians, with women becoming victims of dehumanized perpetrators. This example of historical fiction digs into such dark events. Thank you for your great review!