Scan barcode
withlovenour's review against another edition
5.0
The idea behind this story was ingenious; the combination of history, philosophy, romance, and science fiction was done brilliantly and I truly enjoyed this story. however, there were a few plotholes and the characters and relationships were not fully developed. the story ended abruptly and I felt that it could have been expanded beyond the mere 256 pages. What was in Kai's letter? When in the future did Ellie land? Does Kai reach out to her in her time? Is Aurora really dead? I need answers!
freadomlibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating 4.5 stars
HOW DID IT END LIKE THAT?!?
HOW DID IT END LIKE THAT?!?
pedanther's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Antisemitism, Murder, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Child death, Confinement, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Dementia, Medical content, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Alcohol, Blood, War, Homophobia, Deportation, and Mental illness
Minor: Excrement, Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Torture, and Bullying
kalliste's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the idea of this book plus anything with multiple point of views and time travel is a sure bet to get me interested but there just wasn't enough there to make this a great book.
Kai and Ellie were pretty bland with Kai always in awe of Ellie when she really hadn't done anything deserving of it. I can't imagine a person in the position he was in would find such amazement in someone so ordinary.
I know it's a series but for the most part the characters weren't really fleshed out well and we only know surface facts about them.
Kai and Ellie were pretty bland with Kai always in awe of Ellie when she really hadn't done anything deserving of it. I can't imagine a person in the position he was in would find such amazement in someone so ordinary.
I know it's a series but for the most part the characters weren't really fleshed out well and we only know surface facts about them.
papertraildiary's review against another edition
3.0
So, I liked this - mostly for the concept. I had some problems with the writing style, like there were things that could have been explained better, I found the connection between Kai and Ellie sort of took off too quickly, and we didn't get a motive for what was happening until the very end (is that normal?) I am really into the concept of it, and the existential question it creates (which I won't say because spoilers) but I felt like things could've been smoother. I have a hard time with series so I think some of my opinion comes from that, but I'd be into checking out #2.
rmarcin's review against another edition
4.0
I was not aware of anything about this book. I think I decided to download it because it was on a book list or book recommendation somewhere. It is a young adult novel set in Berlin, Germany. It is the first in a series.
I grew to really like Ellie Baum, and Kai and Mitzi, the main characters in the book. While it is a bit of fantasy / magic, it really brings forth the question on what you would do if you could remake / change history. Would it be better or worse, or should you not try to change it?
This was an interesting take on the holocaust, and its repercussions on those who survived and future generations.
There is a 2nd book in the series which I will read to see how the story develops.
#TheGirlWithTheRedBalloon #KatherineLocke
I grew to really like Ellie Baum, and Kai and Mitzi, the main characters in the book. While it is a bit of fantasy / magic, it really brings forth the question on what you would do if you could remake / change history. Would it be better or worse, or should you not try to change it?
This was an interesting take on the holocaust, and its repercussions on those who survived and future generations.
There is a 2nd book in the series which I will read to see how the story develops.
#TheGirlWithTheRedBalloon #KatherineLocke
b00kluver's review against another edition
4.0
Magical elements, a conspiracy, a strong female character, and history combined into one story spanning three time periods. A good read with a message of hope, love, and doing the right thing.
ameserole's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did.
The Girl with the Red Balloon seemed like it was going to be a book that left my mind blown. However, it didn't. I liked how it was unique and everything.. but honestly, nothing really struck out to me. Which kind of ended up disappointing the heck out of me.
Now I liked Ellie. She was so naïve and young. I loved it. She went to Germany, even thought her grandfather didn't want her to. It was for school, well her German Class, and since I have never been to Germany I was twiddling my thumbs to see her POV about it. Especially when the red balloon comes into play.
When we dive into Berlin, 1988, man was that an eye-opener. I have a love/hate relationship with books that revolve around our world's bitter past. Mostly because I love getting to see different sides to a story but hate that I end up ugly crying. It happens a lot but I know that our history sucks ass. I hate that people went through things that they didn't have to.
So yeah, I definitely ugly cried while reading this book.
Overall, I'm happy that I finally dove into this and now I'm pumped/scared to dive into the second book of this series.
The Girl with the Red Balloon seemed like it was going to be a book that left my mind blown. However, it didn't. I liked how it was unique and everything.. but honestly, nothing really struck out to me. Which kind of ended up disappointing the heck out of me.
Now I liked Ellie. She was so naïve and young. I loved it. She went to Germany, even thought her grandfather didn't want her to. It was for school, well her German Class, and since I have never been to Germany I was twiddling my thumbs to see her POV about it. Especially when the red balloon comes into play.
When we dive into Berlin, 1988, man was that an eye-opener. I have a love/hate relationship with books that revolve around our world's bitter past. Mostly because I love getting to see different sides to a story but hate that I end up ugly crying. It happens a lot but I know that our history sucks ass. I hate that people went through things that they didn't have to.
So yeah, I definitely ugly cried while reading this book.
Overall, I'm happy that I finally dove into this and now I'm pumped/scared to dive into the second book of this series.
katie_chandler's review against another edition
3.0
I like that this fantasy YA book covers the Berlin Wall in the late 1980’s. It’s a period in history that I don’t know a lot about, though I have an interest in WWII historical fiction. Having read this, I am primed to be educated on what East Berlin was like after WWII and how the wall came to be and fall.
The book was entertaining, but didn’t give me a full enough picture of East Berlin beyond general paranoia and restrictions in the setting. In the final few chapters, characters that hadn’t sworn the entire time let off a series of F-bombs that seemed out of place. Didn’t love the ending.
The book was entertaining, but didn’t give me a full enough picture of East Berlin beyond general paranoia and restrictions in the setting. In the final few chapters, characters that hadn’t sworn the entire time let off a series of F-bombs that seemed out of place. Didn’t love the ending.
cami19's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75