spunkylib's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Great simple explanation of the reasons for World War I. By following the lives of 5 young people affected by the war in different way, it describes the difficulty of wartimes without being graphic. The author uses a lot of convenient “coincidences” with paths crossing and recrossing to move the plot along, a device that I don’t recall in her other books, but a middle grade reader may not mind them.
ashleyeila's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
4.75
sportygirl622's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-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
4.0
leo_dog's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
As usual, I loved this Jennifer Nielsen novel. The writing is not necessarily sophisticated, but Nielsen's knack for pulling you into the lives, hearts and minds of her young character gets me every time. When I would pick up to see what Felix and friends were up to, it felt like coming home.
suegat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
anug_girl3's review against another edition
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
yourlocalducknamer's review against another edition
3.0
i love how all the kids wanted to give someone a blood transmission but most of them probably don't have the same blood type-
evamadera1's review against another edition
4.5
This book surprised me with how much I loved it. Nielsen skillfully weaves the narrative through five different fully developed main characters across the vast expanse of the years of World War I. She tells an intimate story that covers so much ground. I really enjoyed it.
juani's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
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? No
5.0
yetilibrary's review against another edition
4.0
I was VERY impressed with this: Nielsen clearly did a lot of research, and while WWI buffs will be able to tell, this remains a very accessible middle-grade book. Nielsen also manages to make clear the horrors of war without actually SHOWING the horrors of war (that would turn this into a very different novel of a very different genre). She also pulls off a much harder, and rarely-attempted, feat: telling a story about war where, for the people in the middle of it, there ceases to be a right side or a wrong side: there is only the war, and everyone is losing. Nielsen also provides a brief afterword with (very accessible!) facts that flesh out some events mentioned in the book (the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the Battle of Verdun) and give a fuller picture of the cost of the war, and what followed (the dissolution of empires, formation of new countries, the Weimar Republic, etc.). This will be useful to all readers but especially, I think, to the younger ones; I wish I'd had this information as a kid, since my education with respect to WWI boiled down to "they shot an archduke and then everyone fought."
I need to stress that Lines of Courage is neither boring nor bleak; its characters constantly search out their own inner strength and hope and keep moving forward. All the characters are challenged to see beyond what "side" people are on and to value others by humanity alone; they are repeatedly forced to choose between doing what is right, and doing what is legal or expedient. We get to watch them grow, and this is particularly valuable for young readers: so often we see characters who are already perfectly brave and moral, and here, we see them grow into the people they want to be.
tl;dr Highly recommended for middle-grade readers in particular, and for anyone who wants to read a book about kids on different sides of the Great War.
Only missed 5 stars because I didn't like the last chapter, and that may be because I'm old and cranky.
I need to stress that Lines of Courage is neither boring nor bleak; its characters constantly search out their own inner strength and hope and keep moving forward. All the characters are challenged to see beyond what "side" people are on and to value others by humanity alone; they are repeatedly forced to choose between doing what is right, and doing what is legal or expedient. We get to watch them grow, and this is particularly valuable for young readers: so often we see characters who are already perfectly brave and moral, and here, we see them grow into the people they want to be.
tl;dr Highly recommended for middle-grade readers in particular, and for anyone who wants to read a book about kids on different sides of the Great War.
Only missed 5 stars because I didn't like the last chapter, and that may be because I'm old and cranky.