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helen_blanketsandbooks's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bookishperseus's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
booknerdjo's review
4.0
I chose this for my school book club because I had never read anything by this author, and I wanted to move away from fantasy.
This is a brilliant book which highlights all the unsung heroes of the Second World War, particularly those from India, the Far East and Africa, who fought and died for the Allies as members of the Commonwealth.
Leo's family is from Singapore and he feels like an outsider in the small village in Kent where they live. The only person who understands how he feels is his best friend Sangeeta. When they visit Rochester Cathedral as part of their class World War Two project, he sees his very own name on the wall of remembrance, and starts to realise that people like him were heroes too, not just the white men he sees in the text books.
Together, Leo, Sangeeta and the coolest girl in school Olivia, try to find out more - not just about 'the other Leo', but about all those men and women who contributed to the war effort whom history forgot.
They hit plenty of dead ends and get into lots of trouble, but together they learn that people who look like they do have just as much right to remembrance as anyone else.
A moving, funny and important book.
This is a brilliant book which highlights all the unsung heroes of the Second World War, particularly those from India, the Far East and Africa, who fought and died for the Allies as members of the Commonwealth.
Leo's family is from Singapore and he feels like an outsider in the small village in Kent where they live. The only person who understands how he feels is his best friend Sangeeta. When they visit Rochester Cathedral as part of their class World War Two project, he sees his very own name on the wall of remembrance, and starts to realise that people like him were heroes too, not just the white men he sees in the text books.
Together, Leo, Sangeeta and the coolest girl in school Olivia, try to find out more - not just about 'the other Leo', but about all those men and women who contributed to the war effort whom history forgot.
They hit plenty of dead ends and get into lots of trouble, but together they learn that people who look like they do have just as much right to remembrance as anyone else.
A moving, funny and important book.
heatherfrances's review
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
year62022's review
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
jjoany's review
5.0
Another triumph from an incredible writer. Onjali Ralf has done it again. It sounds cliched to say “I laughed, I cried” but I genuinely laughed out loud whilst reading, got choked up by the emotional ending, and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. It’s safe to say that I loved it.
Leo, a boy living in the UK but of Singaporean descent, cannot see anyone who looked like him when studying World War 2- all the names sound like British royalty, and he feels like his ancestry are lesser to his classmates. Until, he spots a name on the cathedral wall honouring the soldiers from WW2, and not just any name- his own name. Suddenly, Leo wants to know, who was this soldier, what is his story, and could he have been named after this Leo? The race is on, especially as his class have been chosen to prepare an assembly and display board which might even make it onto TV. Can he find out the information in time, to make everyone remember a forgotten hero?
A story that deals with racism, and the lived experiences of many children here in the UK, in a sensitive but insightful way, and delivers a hopeful and inspirational message.
Leo, a boy living in the UK but of Singaporean descent, cannot see anyone who looked like him when studying World War 2- all the names sound like British royalty, and he feels like his ancestry are lesser to his classmates. Until, he spots a name on the cathedral wall honouring the soldiers from WW2, and not just any name- his own name. Suddenly, Leo wants to know, who was this soldier, what is his story, and could he have been named after this Leo? The race is on, especially as his class have been chosen to prepare an assembly and display board which might even make it onto TV. Can he find out the information in time, to make everyone remember a forgotten hero?
A story that deals with racism, and the lived experiences of many children here in the UK, in a sensitive but insightful way, and delivers a hopeful and inspirational message.
novellenovels's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
koala595's review
adventurous
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Racism
myjourneywithbooks's review
5.0
In a little English village that feels like the middle of nowhere, Leo and his best friend Sangeeta are the only ones who look different from everyone else at school. And some of the kids take great pains to make sure that Leo and Sangeeta know this.
While studying World War II in school, Leo feels even more like he doesn't belong because his ancestors weren't involved in the war like the relatives of his classmates. But a school trip to a nearby cathedral changes everything, when Leo spies his own name - Leo Kai Lim - among the names of soldiers from the war. Who was this Leo and what was his name doing all the way here in a cathedral in England?
As Leo and Sangeeta, soon joined by a few other friends, dig deeper into the lesser known facts of World War II history, we as readers will find our eyes opened too. I've read a lot of books set during WWII and only recently have I begun to realise that most of them focus on characters in Europe and sometimes the US. The history textbooks are the same. And while it may be true that they played a large role, the fact that other countries were affected too should not be forgotten. The Lion Above the Door, beautifully written and unputdownable, will make you wonder about the heroes who history has forgotten. While the story itself is entertaining, it also draws the reader's attention to racial discrimination in history and how representation matters.
"The school history books about the war hardly mentioned any countries outside Europe and America. Even the ones that did only ever said things like 'parts of the common wealth' or 'the Far East' or 'Africa' as if those words were just a single thing and weren't made up of lots of huge countries with millions of people who might have been heroes too."
The back of the book contains a collection of photos and stories of real life forgotten heroes from World War II.
While studying World War II in school, Leo feels even more like he doesn't belong because his ancestors weren't involved in the war like the relatives of his classmates. But a school trip to a nearby cathedral changes everything, when Leo spies his own name - Leo Kai Lim - among the names of soldiers from the war. Who was this Leo and what was his name doing all the way here in a cathedral in England?
As Leo and Sangeeta, soon joined by a few other friends, dig deeper into the lesser known facts of World War II history, we as readers will find our eyes opened too. I've read a lot of books set during WWII and only recently have I begun to realise that most of them focus on characters in Europe and sometimes the US. The history textbooks are the same. And while it may be true that they played a large role, the fact that other countries were affected too should not be forgotten. The Lion Above the Door, beautifully written and unputdownable, will make you wonder about the heroes who history has forgotten. While the story itself is entertaining, it also draws the reader's attention to racial discrimination in history and how representation matters.
"The school history books about the war hardly mentioned any countries outside Europe and America. Even the ones that did only ever said things like 'parts of the common wealth' or 'the Far East' or 'Africa' as if those words were just a single thing and weren't made up of lots of huge countries with millions of people who might have been heroes too."
The back of the book contains a collection of photos and stories of real life forgotten heroes from World War II.
aljavi's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Good way to deal with the context of being different