Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
hopeful
inspiring
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
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I always enjoy books about readers and book clubs. WWII often feels like an oversaturated category, but I appreciated that this book was focused on the women left behind for various reasons. This was a nice change from the books about spies and heroines, though I do enjoy those as well. The characters were compelling and it was a pretty easy read despite the length. If you enjoy books about book clubs, women banding together, and/or WWII then this is a good choice.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for this ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for this ARC!
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley, & Bethany House, & Baker Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
As a reader, one of my favorite things to read about is fictional characters' love of books. Even more specifically, I love watching the journey of characters that aren't readers as they themselves fall in love with books and the community that books can give us - and that's absolutely what you get in this novel.
It takes place in America during WWII, in the Northeast - somewhere that I felt was unique, considering most wartime historical fiction takes place in Britain or on the continent. I enjoyed (always seems like the wrong word to use, but you know what I mean) learning more about the wartime activities of German uboats in US waters, as that wasn't something that was taught heavily in my school.
I liked that we got so many POVs (not everyone's jam, but it's always my favorite) and that we had friendship, mystery, romance, and a bit of crime activity as well - the many different aspects worked together well and created a story I didn't want to put down!
(Also, if you like this book, I cannot recommend The Last Bookshop in London highly enough - it takes place in London near Paternoster Row, which was synonymous with the publishing trade in London and is very much a book about how much we love books.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, War
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Blackout Book Club by Amy Lynn Green follows four very different women on the Atlantic coast during World War 2. Avis becomes a reluctant librarian after her brother left for the war and put her in charge, while she has marital struggles – her husband is feeling useless because he can’t serve in the army due to asthma, and this gives a lot of tension. Then we have the very bubbly Ginny, who is trying to save money so she can go back to her beloved island once the war is over, Martina with her two children who are in hiding, and the old, slightly bitter and slightly eccentric lady Louise who owns the library itself (together with her cook and her ex-pilot turned gardener Freddy). Together, somehow, they have turned into a book club which Avis hosts in desperation to prevent the library from shutting down. She honestly doesn’t have a clue how to run one, though she does get better every meeting and learns a lot. I really really want to attend that book club because it is epic!
Amy Lynn Green’s first book wasn’t a hit for me, because of the letter format, which totally put me off though I could see its potential. I can say I appreciate this style so much more, in fact: I loved it! The writing is very fluid, there are hilarious sentences and comparisons, and I found myself giggling out loud a lot. I loved all four stories equally as they are woven together, which is also rare as usually you love one more. Finding out about Louise’s past makes you understand her so much more! I love the depth and themes woven into this book, and there are many as this is by no means a shallow book (even though Louise might say otherwise). The book club takes place during a dark time, and the friendships that are formed here will be comfort and healing. And I’m sure many readers are enamored with the book club meetings themselves. True to Amy’s style, those are penned in the form of minutes, and it makes them fast and at times hilarious to read with dry humor.
The finale was epic on all fronts, and although it was perfect, I do wish I could continue reading. Might I suggest spin offs for each character? Or maybe a continued book club for the new generation? I’m just not reading to say goodbye to these amazing characters. I give this book 5 stars.
I received an e-arc but this has not influenced my opinion.