Friday, February 20, 2026

Review: Steel Machines

Steel Machines Steel Machines by Dan Franklin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In Steel Machines by Dan Franklin, 8 year-old Otto Braum and his parents are a Jewish family hiding from the Nazis in the attic of their home in Prague, 1945. When the unthinkable happens, Otto must find a way to survive alone, and fills his time scrounging what food he can while trying to finish the steel Golem that has father had been creating as a protector for the family. As the empty, quiet and lonely days pass for Otto, he is haunted by his memories of what had happened and disturbing new visions... then a new family... a German family... moves in.

With STEEL MACHINES Franklin has crafted a riveting and heart-wrenching ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ tale of fear and survival, where even the smallest sound risks discovery, and the noise of the war outside is a constant background hum to the horrors and the ghosts of Otto's past.

Highly recommended.

View all my reviews

No comments: