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readingwithavengeance's review against another edition
3.0
Spellbinding? I think not. But I do enjoy historical fiction surrounding WWII. WIth The Nightingale it was about what happened in France. Here it's about the British in Malta and back home in London. The characters were interesting enough but the dialogue was the real gem here. True to form, the wry humor of the Brits made this more enjoyable than it would have been without it.
claredesausmarez's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
sad
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? No
4.5
pia_de_e's review against another edition
3.0
I was somewhat reluctant about this book, as I've read many WW2 books lately and I was a bit bored with the subject. I didn't know what kind of war book it was going to be and was surprised by the story.
Young Mary North drops out of finishing school in Switzerland as soon as she hears war has been declared, telegraphs the Home Office asking for a job and rushes to London. There, she finds out that she will be teaching young children, as most of the teachers are joining the war.
Rich and kind of useless, she does manage to be quite a good teacher, especially to young Zachary, the only black boy in the class, son of an American jazz musician. However, that's not what the other teachers think, so they fire her as soon as possible.
Trying to get her job back, she meets Tom Shaw and falls in love with him. But when Tom is killed in an air raid, her whole world falls apart.
The two main points of the story are the war seen from the city, as in Mary's life and the other side of the story, focused on Alistair, Tom's friend who is in the trenches. This is the scary war part.
Mary and Tom start a relationship as they write letters to each other, but will it survive the war?
I really liked this book, but I have to give it 3 stars because it's so slow. There are parts that -for me- could have been much more agile (Alistair in the island, for example)
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Young Mary North drops out of finishing school in Switzerland as soon as she hears war has been declared, telegraphs the Home Office asking for a job and rushes to London. There, she finds out that she will be teaching young children, as most of the teachers are joining the war.
Rich and kind of useless, she does manage to be quite a good teacher, especially to young Zachary, the only black boy in the class, son of an American jazz musician. However, that's not what the other teachers think, so they fire her as soon as possible.
Trying to get her job back, she meets Tom Shaw and falls in love with him. But when Tom is killed in an air raid, her whole world falls apart.
The two main points of the story are the war seen from the city, as in Mary's life and the other side of the story, focused on Alistair, Tom's friend who is in the trenches. This is the scary war part.
Mary and Tom start a relationship as they write letters to each other, but will it survive the war?
I really liked this book, but I have to give it 3 stars because it's so slow. There are parts that -for me- could have been much more agile (Alistair in the island, for example)
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
kellymat77's review against another edition
5.0
Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave: A raw, heartfelt novel about love and life during wartime. Set in WW2, it follows three young adults in London who attempt to cope with their new lives. It was extremely character-driven, starring Mary, a socialite turned teacher; Tom, an administrator; and Alistair, an art restorer. Their paths cross as the war goes on and makes life more bleak.
I have lots of praise for this book. The dialogue was witty and clever, which lightened the mood of some of the novel’s more serious scenes. Cleave interwove cheerful passages about meeting someone new on a date in between heavy descriptions about bombs dropping on London. His social commentary was right on the mark and just as poignant today as it was in his setting. His depiction of minstrel shows and Mary’s involvement with Zachary’s life rang disparagingly true. I also loved the symbolism of the night sky and Alistair’s jar of jam. He wrote lovable characters and beautiful pages about tragedy, and many passages forced me to stare off into space and just thinking about them for a while.
Some reviews online had issues with this book’s pacing and with his characters, but I completely disagree. I was drawn in from the very first page by Cleave’s prose. I loved the pace of the novel, and I thought its twists were well timed. I was shocked multiple times by unexpectedly tragic moments, and I think Cleave achieved his goal in showing an accurate picture of how random and terrible war is. As for his characters, I didn’t find them flat at all and I enjoyed watching them grow and change as their circumstances changed. Absolutely a standout novel.
I have lots of praise for this book. The dialogue was witty and clever, which lightened the mood of some of the novel’s more serious scenes. Cleave interwove cheerful passages about meeting someone new on a date in between heavy descriptions about bombs dropping on London. His social commentary was right on the mark and just as poignant today as it was in his setting. His depiction of minstrel shows and Mary’s involvement with Zachary’s life rang disparagingly true. I also loved the symbolism of the night sky and Alistair’s jar of jam. He wrote lovable characters and beautiful pages about tragedy, and many passages forced me to stare off into space and just thinking about them for a while.
Some reviews online had issues with this book’s pacing and with his characters, but I completely disagree. I was drawn in from the very first page by Cleave’s prose. I loved the pace of the novel, and I thought its twists were well timed. I was shocked multiple times by unexpectedly tragic moments, and I think Cleave achieved his goal in showing an accurate picture of how random and terrible war is. As for his characters, I didn’t find them flat at all and I enjoyed watching them grow and change as their circumstances changed. Absolutely a standout novel.
marnella's review against another edition
4.0
Audiobook - Great narration- I really enjoyed this story. I randomly chose this book as it was available. When I realized it was set during WW2 I grumbled a little internally as I felt I was burnt out on this genre recently. This book doesn't take place in Germany and doesn't deal with concentration camps which I think is what made it more enjoyable.
carolynu's review against another edition
5.0
ANOTHER book for me about WWll. I really liked this story and liked that the setting was London.
tleewgirl's review against another edition
5.0
A five-star read in my opinion. This novel depicts WWII through the eyes of several characters living in London at the beginning, and follows them through the Blitz, service at Dunkirk and in Malta, and through events that change them forever personally, even as the events changed the world at large. The epilogue is also not to be missed. This is a novel with heart, beautiful, witty prose, and memorable, truly human characters. This is the first novel I have read by this author, and I will definitely be reading more.
michelehoward's review against another edition
5.0
I love this author everything I've read has been remarkable. As was this. Touching human nature in hard times. A must read.
kb123thatsme's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. It took a while to get into, but once I did, I found it an interesting read.