The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

This is a slow-building book. Much like the slow building of the friendship at the center of this story. Bruno is 9 years old, lives in Berlin, and has no idea what his father does for a living that garners so much respect and talk of importance. Soon the "Fury" comes to dinner, and the reader quickly figures out that Hitler is the man informing this family that they're moving to a post they call "Out-With," which is a desolate concentration camp, where Bruno's father will be the supreme officer.

Bruno, having no clue about the world outside of his 5-story home, is simply upset that he must leave his friends. His frustrations become even larger when he has only 3 stories in the new house and no neighbors, no friends, no school to attend. He looks out his new bedroom window and wonders about the fence, and the people who shuffle about inside the fence wearing striped pajamas and matching caps.

Eventually Bruno tires of the lack of adventure to be found inside the house, and disobeys his parents strict orders (With No Exceptions) to go exploring. He walks along the length of the fence, coming upon a boy his age sitting, staring out. This boy, Shmuel, becomes his only friend. They talk of their lives prior to Out-With, finding that they were quite similar in their other worlds. Shmuel never fully explains to Bruno what Out-With is, or what his father does on the inside of the fence. Bruno eventually finds out when he dares to crawl under the fence to visit Shmuel's world.

Knowing this was a book about the Holocaust, I kept waiting to be shocked by the ending. I guess you can't be shocked when you're anticipating it.