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sumbum22's review
5.0
This was a very enjoyable read that I will recommend to others. I didn’t realize until the end that it was based on real events.
cwalter01's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Very good read. Ending was slightly confusing, but still good
hoovershawna03's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-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
3.0
toobusy's review
5.0
When it comes to these two timeline/historical fiction books I often find myself disliking one of the story lines, that was not the case with this book! I genuinely enjoyed both storylines and characters. I adored the relationship between Odile and Lily. Odile was the much needed straightforward mentor that a young tween girl needs to help her realize what she does/says right now matter and hurt. I haven't done much reading into the occupation of Paris during the war so I found this really eye opening to the prolonged hardships of war on civilians and our humanity (feels really relevant and scary due to world events at the time I read it). Some of the ALP characters are based on real librarians who defended the library during the occupation which adds another layer of depth to this novel.
Towards the end of the novel I felt the pace accelerated to push us along to a conclusion, which did end up feeling a little jumpy. But that ending left me clutching the book to my chest with tears in my eyes.
Towards the end of the novel I felt the pace accelerated to push us along to a conclusion, which did end up feeling a little jumpy. But that ending left me clutching the book to my chest with tears in my eyes.
aearl1299's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bookwormmelissa's review
4.0
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this dual-timeline story set in WWII Paris and 1980s Montana. It was not what I expected it to be, but it was still a creative story. I really liked all of the references to Dewey Decimal Numbers and all the intertextuality sprinkled throughout the book. And there were so many good quotes about libraries and reading and books. That was fun. This is based on a true story of librarians who fought to keep the American Library in Paris open while under German Occupation.
Odile's story is heartbreaking but inspiring, and I loved that she is able to pay it forward by helping Lily, her neighbor, learn the lessons she learned too late. I liked that we went back and forth from the 1940s to the 1980s and back, and while most of the story was told from Odile's and Lily's POV, we did get a few other characters. I think I would have liked more of that. The pacing was a little odd, where it moved fast in some places and slow in others.
I enjoyed this dual-timeline story set in WWII Paris and 1980s Montana. It was not what I expected it to be, but it was still a creative story. I really liked all of the references to Dewey Decimal Numbers and all the intertextuality sprinkled throughout the book. And there were so many good quotes about libraries and reading and books. That was fun. This is based on a true story of librarians who fought to keep the American Library in Paris open while under German Occupation.
Odile's story is heartbreaking but inspiring, and I loved that she is able to pay it forward by helping Lily, her neighbor, learn the lessons she learned too late. I liked that we went back and forth from the 1940s to the 1980s and back, and while most of the story was told from Odile's and Lily's POV, we did get a few other characters. I think I would have liked more of that. The pacing was a little odd, where it moved fast in some places and slow in others.
nicolel0922's review
5.0
I normally read books but this one I listened too. Having someone read it with a French accent made it come alive! Great story.
jl27's review against another edition
4.0
Writing gets 3 stars; story itself gets 4. I don't usually rate my books this way, but I really liked the overall story and how the parts came together. It wasn't super well-written, but that didn't cause me to DNF this one, which I must say is quite rare.