kateh0321's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kimsey2899's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
laheath's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"When you sell a man a book, you don't sell him just 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue. You sell him a whole new life, love and friendship and humor and ships at sea by night. There's all heaven and Earth in a book."
"Books are a way we leave a mark on the world, aren't they? They say we were here, we loved and we grieved and we laughed and we made mistakes and we existed. They can be burned halfway across the world, but the words can not be unread. The stories can not be untold. They do live on in this library, but more importantly they are immortalized in anyone who has read them."
This WWII historical fiction novel centered around the relationship between 2 women in Germany during the years of Hitler's rise to power. This time period isn't usually included in most of the WWII novels that I've read, so that was interesting, as were the book references. I enjoyed learning about the Armed Services Editions too. Unfortunately, I thought the romance aspect took away from the story. Also, there were numerous characters that were introduced but had little to do with the storyline making it seem like the author was trying to include too many aspects.
I wish the author's notes had been included in the audiobook as the depth of her research was apparent.
"Books are a way we leave a mark on the world, aren't they? They say we were here, we loved and we grieved and we laughed and we made mistakes and we existed. They can be burned halfway across the world, but the words can not be unread. The stories can not be untold. They do live on in this library, but more importantly they are immortalized in anyone who has read them."
This WWII historical fiction novel centered around the relationship between 2 women in Germany during the years of Hitler's rise to power. This time period isn't usually included in most of the WWII novels that I've read, so that was interesting, as were the book references. I enjoyed learning about the Armed Services Editions too. Unfortunately, I thought the romance aspect took away from the story. Also, there were numerous characters that were introduced but had little to do with the storyline making it seem like the author was trying to include too many aspects.
I wish the author's notes had been included in the audiobook as the depth of her research was apparent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and War
ecbook27's review against another edition
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
lexadoddle's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kmontcrieff's review against another edition
5.0
"History is built on moments that feel insignificant. And so in every moment you must ask yourself: Do you want to be the ones handing out the gasoline cans? Or the ones trying to put out the fire?"
This book was stunning. From cover to cover, the story had me enraptured. Set in three different periods of time all within WW2, we meet three women whose paths intersect with one another over books, censorship, and injustice. This is a historical fiction book, but it's so much more than that. It's an ode to book lovers, to the queer community, and quite frankly towards anyone who has felt silenced by others.
This book was stunning. From cover to cover, the story had me enraptured. Set in three different periods of time all within WW2, we meet three women whose paths intersect with one another over books, censorship, and injustice. This is a historical fiction book, but it's so much more than that. It's an ode to book lovers, to the queer community, and quite frankly towards anyone who has felt silenced by others.
justjacq's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The topic of this book was just so timely and felt too close to current day. I've read a lot of WWII fiction, but I think this might have been the first that bounced through Hitler's slow rise to power. But he wasn't at the heart of the story, instead it was his manipulation of the media, his book banning and burning, his propaganda, and its effect on democracy. Banning (or in the case of this story, burning) books is simply terrifying and is a direct insult to the people who have served for our rights and freedoms - and it's happening, it's still happening. It's disgusting, and every banned book is another threat to our freedoms and democracy. Okay, end rant. The story itself was good. The writing at times felt a little dramatic in a cliché kind of way, but the message was clear, and the characters were strong and lovable. The romance side of it was a little shy, and in a sense, there was a miscommunication trope, which I'm never into, but it ws still a great listen.
4.25/5⭐️s
4.25/5⭐️s
kfrazee's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thebrookester_'s review against another edition
5.0
This book was thoroughly well written from beginning to end. It was so hard to put it down once getting started! It was sort of like an adult version of the book “Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken” by Nina Tyndall, with a few more twists and turns. The way that all three protagonists lives linked up was beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time. If you are a sucker for historical fiction like me, I highly recommend this book! Everyone needs a copy for their library!
bookishly_laura9813's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75