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heartsfull2's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? No
3.5
gracethruchaos's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as the other books by this author. It lacked a lot and drug on too long. Which is weird to say it lacked and drug on, but I didn’t feel a connection and the story just kept going and going.
fawnponzar's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite part of this book is the near end between Elise and Mariko when they decide they have remained friends despite not seeing each other for decades. The author explains that an aged person is not a different person but the same person at 81 as at 14 but with added experience and that’s why they can pick back up where they left off so easily. I love how this friendship is the one tiny wave in the universe that set Elise’s entire life in motion and that it means so much to her and comes full circle. This book is written so well, too!
sdmomof5boys's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed. Felt like a friend was telling me her story.
haleybeck's review against another edition
3.0
Just like the previous book by this author, this book started out pretty good and then it seems as if the author thought "this seems too clean" and had to add in mature conversations.
While it was fascinating to read about the WWII internment camps (in Crystal City, Texas!) I would not recommend this book because of the direction of the last half.
I would not consider this a clean book, even though most of the mentions of intimacy are within the context of marriage. The author promotes a very sad view of marriage (although the main character does find "true love" in the end), and very anti-capitalist views.
While it was fascinating to read about the WWII internment camps (in Crystal City, Texas!) I would not recommend this book because of the direction of the last half.
I would not consider this a clean book, even though most of the mentions of intimacy are within the context of marriage. The author promotes a very sad view of marriage (although the main character does find "true love" in the end), and very anti-capitalist views.
winelovingbooknerd's review against another edition
3.0
Two American born fourteen year old girls, Elise Sontag and Mariko Inoue, meet at an internment camp in Texas during WWII and make an instant connection. The girls are separated when Elise’s family is repatriated back to Germany. A lot of times when I’m starting a book I have a hard time keeping track of who’s who, but each of the characters in this story are developed beautifully so that they’re each unique and easy to remember, even the peripheral characters. I haven’t come across any other novels that delve into the internment camps and I don’t think I ever knew that families were actually traded. I appreciated learning about this unique perspective of the war. While I enjoyed reading it and and wanted to see what would happen, the story moved a bit slowly for me and I didn’t find myself emotionally invested in it. Don't let this deter you though - judging from the other reviews I'm definitely in the minority in that aspect!
Thank you to Susan Meissner and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Susan Meissner and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
sydneynwats's review against another edition
4.0
A story in the view of a girl named Elise. Elise shares her story of being an American girl with German parents that have been sent to an interment camp. Elise finds herself losing her identify. A beautiful study of a girl/woman finding herself with the help of a best friend.
acarolinabelle's review
5.0
Beautiful story
The story jumps from WWII era to 2010. Elise was born in America to German parents and comes of age during WWII.
The story jumps from WWII era to 2010. Elise was born in America to German parents and comes of age during WWII.
julietn02's review against another edition
5.0
What a beautiful story. I loved following Elise and Mariko’s journey.
“We do not become different people as we age, we just add layers of experience onto who we already are.”
“We do not become different people as we age, we just add layers of experience onto who we already are.”
carynrjones's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful story of two teenage girls in unfortunate circumstances that bond over their fate. Elise Sontag or German ancestry, born American and Mariko Inoue of Japanese ancestry, born American. Both with their families forced into internment camps during the last year of WWII. They find friendship, similarities, and good memories in the camp until they are both forced to repatriate with their families to countries they do not know.
We follow Elise back to Germany where she discovers the truth in survival, holding on to good memories, remembering true friends, and searching for a way back to America, the only home she knows. We jump time as we follow Elise today searching for Mariko in a last attempt to find her friend before Alzheimer's takes over for good. While we follow her to Mariko we discover he life story of what Germany was like during the war.
We see what she had to do to live through it, keep her positivity and make it back home.
We follow Elise back to Germany where she discovers the truth in survival, holding on to good memories, remembering true friends, and searching for a way back to America, the only home she knows. We jump time as we follow Elise today searching for Mariko in a last attempt to find her friend before Alzheimer's takes over for good. While we follow her to Mariko we discover he life story of what Germany was like during the war.
We see what she had to do to live through it, keep her positivity and make it back home.