Having had only a superficial understanding of this book, I was utterly unprepared for how extraordinary it is. Beyond telling the story of a young woman hiding from the Nazis with her family, it is so much more. The thoughts Anne confides to her diary contain complex character studies of her family members and the other residents, mature philosophical musings, discussions of her favorite school subjects, commentaries on current events, clear pictures of the hardships endured in hiding, plenty of healthy self-analysis, and the ordinary yearnings of a 14/15-year-old girl. On top of all this, the writing is excellent and conveys multiple well-developed arcs. Not an ordinary diary by any means!

Reading this book was an incredibly moving experience. I came away profoundly devastated that such a bright, extraordinary person was unjustly taken away so young, yet supremely grateful that she managed to leave us this book, and to live on anyway.