Under the Same Stars
Modern Age |
---|
![]() Under the Same Stars
|
|}
Content Warning |
---|
war, pandemic, murder, teen pregnancy |
World History > Modern Age > WWII
From New York Times-bestselling and Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray comes a propulsive historical mystery that examines truth, rebellion, reconciliation, and what must be sacrificed for a better world.
It was said that if you write to the Bridegroom’s Oak, the love of your life will answer back. Now, the tree is giving up its secrets at last.
In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message waiting for her in the Bridegroom's Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is sending messages too―but not to find love. As World War II unfolds in their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may hold the key to resistance against the Nazis.
In 1980s West Germany, American teen transplant Jenny feels suffocated by her strict parents and is struggling to fit in. Until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl hell-bent on tearing down the wall separating West Germany from East Germany, and meeting Frau Hermann, a kind old lady with secrets of her own.
In Spring 2020, New York City, best friends Miles and Chloe are slogging through the last few months of senior year when an unexpected package from Chloe’s grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two unidentified teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom’s Oak eighty years ago.
Emily's Review
If a book can make me cry, it's an automatic five-star read. There is so much packed into this story! It is full of endearing characters, and the writing is beautiful. I loved the fairy tale woven throughout and the way the author took the idea of resistance through each of the three intertwining stories. It is an excellent illustration of the fact that we must always be prepared to fight and stand up for a better future. It was incredibly relevant for today and I think teens, especially, will get a lot out of it.
I love the way the stories connected. It's rare, I think, for a story with three different timelines to come together quite so well. I love a story about uncovering family history, and Under the Same Stars did it in a very creative way. The 2020 pandemic storyline was my least favorite for most of the book, but by the end it had redeemed itself. By far, my favorite storyline was the 1940's with Hanna and Sophie. I would have read an entire book just with that, but I'm glad the author wove such an intricate tale for us.
If you enjoy stories about resistance, with dynamic characters, queer rep, and coming-of-age, this is for you. I think you're going to love it.
Other Similar Books
Other suggestions on the subject of the World War II (Nazi Germany}.
- An Elephant in the Garden (by: Morpurgo, Michael, MG)
- The Book Thief (by: Zusak, Markus, YA, UMG)
- When the World Was Ours (by: Kessler, Liz, UMG, YA)
- Maus II (by: Spiegelman, Art, YA, A)
- My Long List of Impossible Things (by: Barker, Michelle, YA, A)
- Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken (by: Tyndall, Nita, YA, A)
- The Berlin Boxing Club (by: Sharenow, Robert, YA, A)
- White Rose (by: Wilson, Kip, YA, A)
- The Faithful Spy (by: Hendrix, John, YA, A)
- Parallel Journeys (by: O'Brien, Tim, YA, A)
- Flowers in the Gutter (by: Gaddy, K. R., YA, A)
- Names in a Jar (by: Gold, Jennifer, YA, A)
- Maus I (by: Spiegelman, Art, YA, A)
- Under the Same Stars (by: Bray, Libba, YA, A)
- The Shadow War (by: Smith, Lindsay, YA)
- The Last Checkmate: A Novel (by: Saab, Gabriella, YA)
- The German Wife (by: Rimmer, Kelly, A)
- Berlin (by: Lutes, Jason, A)
Other suggestions on the subject of the Berlin Wall.
- The Berlin Wall: An Interactive Modern History Adventure (by: Doeden, Matt, MG)
- A Night Divided (by: Nielson, Jennifer A., UMG)
- Cloud and Wallfish (by: Nesbet, Anne, UMG)
- Under the Same Stars (by: Bray, Libba, YA, A)
- The Berlin Letters (by: Reay, Katherine, A)