Reviews

Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen

i_like_eating_nail_polish's review

4.0

What was going on in my little 6th grade mind

libraryjenn2002's review

5.0

In my humble opinion Jennifer Nielsen is one of the very best middle grade historical fiction authors out there. I first discovered her when reading A Night Divided, and immediately named it worthy of being taught with my fourth grade book club. In one of her most recent historical fiction titles, she tackles a largely undiscovered and unknown time period in World War I. Told in five perspectives from across the whole of Europe, she uncovers the history of a largely unknown war. With characters that jump from the page into my imagination, starting with the assassination of Archduke Francis of Ferdinand, the story dances across my mind covering the span of the War to End All Wars.
As a true historical fiction fan, I greatly appreciate Nielsen's attention to detail and historical research. Being able to create characters from different cultures and countries is no easy task. I also will never forget now that the first World War was started all because a driver took a wrong turn.
If you are a fan of historical fiction, I highly recommend this title. I come away with a greater sense of right and wrong and knowledge of history which leads me to wonder, just like the author: could this war have been prevented if the driver had not taken that wrong turn?
My favorite quote from the book: "'Life is messy,' Juliette said. 'It's a line that moves in circles, and weave itself into the circles that others have created. Our lines should be messy because that's how our lives connect together.'"

the_loudlibrarian's review against another edition

5.0

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. This is an absorbing multi-perspective story set during WWI. Five teens are in different countries and have different lives, but are all brought into each other’s lives during the war. The author does an excellent job of tying the stories together. Highly recommend for both Nielsen’s existing fans as well as those who love Alan Gratz. Recommended for grades 5-8.

alexxthelibrarian's review

4.0

Really great historical fiction about WW1 which doesn’t have as many fiction books to read about. Thrilling enough for hard core fans, but gentle enough for those who may be more sensitive to war

karnivorous's review

hopeful informative inspiring 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Minor: Violence and Antisemitism

starslette's review

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Any books that show the perspectives of high intensity war will always hurt me. Read with caution.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

dianereads54's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

snw0723's review

4.0

I have enjoyed her other historical fiction books and this one wasn't bad but I didn't love it. Admittedly I'm an adult reading a book for kids (and unlike some YA books it actually seems to be written for young teens). I like a little more drama in my WW2 books I guess. However, this is an excellent book and entirely appropriate for the intended age. I expect my 12-yead-old daughter to really enjoy this book - one of the biggest reason I listen and read books like this. Sweet, not full of crushes and not dreams, and not to dark.

maureenrenee's review

5.0

This book deserves all the stars and should be at the top of every middle grade reader’s list! It is beautifully written, weaving together the stories of five young people from vastly different circumstances, who’s lives are all being torn apart by WWI. I loved spending time learning each young person’s story, and seeing how their lives intertwined, until they all come together at the end for a single purpose. I can’t recommend this one enough!

aspen_talks's review

adventurous informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Initially, I started reading this book with my brother because it was part of his reading list for class (he’s in 5th grade). You can definitely tell that this is meant to be children’s function. The characters are not particularly deep, and their stories are not fully flushed out because of the fractured narrative. However, I think it’s always enjoyable to connect back to a simpler kind of  story, especially one this immersive. The fast pacing and diverse lives of the characters kept me interested throughout the book. I particularly enjoyed learning about the different viewpoints of countries and people during the war (I would definitely recommend this if history is interesting to you, I learned a fair bit). Some of the story elements weren’t entirely believable, but that was part of its charm. Overall, the novel has engaging characters who keep you on your toes. You truly never know what will come next.

Edit: I will add that I did wish we got more from the characters. I wanted to know their stories better, and have the relationships between the main five explored more in depth.