KL Himmelweg is a fictional concentration camp, but Crawford draws inspiration for the setting of this series opener from historical accounts of places like Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Dachau. Crawford’s straightforward plot gains tension as Americans begin bombing the camp, secrets are revealed about the mysterious barns from which prisoners never return, and Nazi guards sniff out [the characters’] escape plan. . . . The long stretches of visceral descriptions of the camps and prisoners will surely inform readers about the atrocities committed during WWII. . . Reluctant readers struggling through WWII reading assignments should find this to be an engaging supplement.