Tragically, the conflict for the main character ends with his beheading at 17 years old. He was executed by guillotine in Berlin on October 27, 1942.

The title, The Boy Who Dared, is extremely fitting because Helmut Hübener truly was a boy who dared to do something extraordinary. He dared to stand up to Adolf Hitler. By the time the novel opens, Helmut is already on death row, and we learn his story largely through flashbacks as Helmut reflects on his life and the choices that he made.

Having been both a Mormon and a member of the Hitler's Youth program, he struggled to reconcile his religious education with the Nazi propaganda that he and others were being fed. Witnessing the beating of a Jewish classmate and seeing a Jewish neighbor being taken away by Nazis leaves Helmut more than slightly disillusioned with Hitler's message. This is the heart of the conflict that arises for Helmut, as he becomes convinced that Hitler is evil and that everyone needs to know this. He therefore starts attempting to counteract all the pro-Hitler propaganda by handing out anti-Hitler flyers in the dead of night.

For this brave teenager who dared to stand up for what was right, the cost of telling the truth was his life.