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ninasbooks57's review against another edition
5.0
What a heartbreaking and heartwarming story! I need to find more books by this author!!
b0ok_drag0n52's review against another edition
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Including a cast of three different perspectives. At first I was worried I’d get lost, but Dobson did an excellent job keeping the storylines separate, and when they all tied together, I was thrilled at well done everything was! All the characters are interesting, there is some suspense, and a lot of heart. I was truly invested in what would happen to each person.
turquoiseavenue's review against another edition
5.0
HIDDEN TREASURE, SECRETS, FRIENDSHIP AND A STORY THAT WILL CAPTIVATE READERS HEARTS AND IMAGINATIONS…
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts below are my own.
As history unfolds in this gripping, new novel by author Melanie Dobson, readers will find themselves not only captivated by Hidden Among the Stars endearing characters, and absorbed in this time slip book’s two simultaneous stories that are masterfully tied together by an imaginative and creative author. While rich in WWII history, this book takes place in 1930’s Austria as the Germans invade and in the life of present day bookstore owner, Callie Randall. With subtle, yet powerful morals such as friendship, loyalty, equality and choosing what is right, this novel is perfect for both contemporary and historical fiction readers.
I’ll be the first to admit, the Hidden Among the Stars cover is what initially drew me in for this novel. (…And they say to never judge a book by it’s cover.) With my love of historical fiction and a particular interest in WWII fiction, I was excited to begin this novel. From the first three chapters, I was completely hooked; it was quite the page turner! This time slip novel has two stories happening simultaneously, one that happened near Lake Hallstatt in Austria in the late 1930’s, and a second story that takes place in current day, both of which I found completely intriguing.
The characters are both endearing and relatable. As a book lover, I enjoyed Callie’s character very much and as an introvert, found my self connecting with her on a deeper level. Author Melanie Dobson weaves a heartwarming story through her characters as they face loss, overcome trials, maintain loyal friendships and fight to choose what is right.
There wasn’t anything I didn’t love about this novel. It was all I’d hoped for and more. I’d no sooner finished the story and I wanted to read it again! The story was entertaining, moved along at a pace that kept me interested, held a bit of mystery and suspense as well as certain elements of faith and friendship that were very impactful. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and descriptiveness very much. So much, in fact, that I’ve already searched our local library for her other books as well.
I know much time, work and love goes into creating a story of this magnitude and I think Melanie Dobson executed this piece magnificently.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts below are my own.
As history unfolds in this gripping, new novel by author Melanie Dobson, readers will find themselves not only captivated by Hidden Among the Stars endearing characters, and absorbed in this time slip book’s two simultaneous stories that are masterfully tied together by an imaginative and creative author. While rich in WWII history, this book takes place in 1930’s Austria as the Germans invade and in the life of present day bookstore owner, Callie Randall. With subtle, yet powerful morals such as friendship, loyalty, equality and choosing what is right, this novel is perfect for both contemporary and historical fiction readers.
I’ll be the first to admit, the Hidden Among the Stars cover is what initially drew me in for this novel. (…And they say to never judge a book by it’s cover.) With my love of historical fiction and a particular interest in WWII fiction, I was excited to begin this novel. From the first three chapters, I was completely hooked; it was quite the page turner! This time slip novel has two stories happening simultaneously, one that happened near Lake Hallstatt in Austria in the late 1930’s, and a second story that takes place in current day, both of which I found completely intriguing.
The characters are both endearing and relatable. As a book lover, I enjoyed Callie’s character very much and as an introvert, found my self connecting with her on a deeper level. Author Melanie Dobson weaves a heartwarming story through her characters as they face loss, overcome trials, maintain loyal friendships and fight to choose what is right.
There wasn’t anything I didn’t love about this novel. It was all I’d hoped for and more. I’d no sooner finished the story and I wanted to read it again! The story was entertaining, moved along at a pace that kept me interested, held a bit of mystery and suspense as well as certain elements of faith and friendship that were very impactful. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and descriptiveness very much. So much, in fact, that I’ve already searched our local library for her other books as well.
I know much time, work and love goes into creating a story of this magnitude and I think Melanie Dobson executed this piece magnificently.
bluebell4's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
cami4402's review against another edition
4.0
i want to start off by saying that i read this book by accident but i was committed to finishing it. it was one of those books that had hidden christianity references in it that threw me off. the characters kind of confused me for a while. but the ending really caught my attention so i’d say i didn’t love this book until the last 100 ish pages
reneesmith's review against another edition
5.0
Such a tender, poignant, powerful story! I think this one will haunt me. The Holocaust storyline made me think of all those who sacrifice with little recognition so that others may live. How easy it is to feel unseen & unknown. Yet as the character I appreciated most learned, though the earth may not contain the happy ending we long for, we are never alone. Never forgotten. Never left without hope. And in eternity, all will be fulfilled and made right. The present day story reminded me that how we live our lives—even if we feel small & insignificant—makes a difference to future generations.
So glad I read this one!
My favorite passage:
“Sometimes I wonder where God is in the midst of such heartache.”
“I think God’s in the center of it all.”
My eyes grow wide. “That sounds so cruel.”
“I don’t mean it to be cruel. It’s just . . . I spent years wrestling through the question of why God would allow harm to come to His children, like Jacob in the Bible wrestled with God, I suppose.” The weight of his memories seems to bear down on him, his gaze refocusing on the lake. “In the midst of [her] suffering, I saw glimpses of hope. She believed that a renewed and restored body awaited her on the other side of death’s veil. Sickness might have taken her from this earth, but I believe her soul is resting now, hidden away with a compassionate God. He doesn’t run from pain like humans often do. He’s not afraid of it because He knows what’s beyond the grave. No more suffering for those who cling to Him.”
So glad I read this one!
My favorite passage:
“Sometimes I wonder where God is in the midst of such heartache.”
“I think God’s in the center of it all.”
My eyes grow wide. “That sounds so cruel.”
“I don’t mean it to be cruel. It’s just . . . I spent years wrestling through the question of why God would allow harm to come to His children, like Jacob in the Bible wrestled with God, I suppose.” The weight of his memories seems to bear down on him, his gaze refocusing on the lake. “In the midst of [her] suffering, I saw glimpses of hope. She believed that a renewed and restored body awaited her on the other side of death’s veil. Sickness might have taken her from this earth, but I believe her soul is resting now, hidden away with a compassionate God. He doesn’t run from pain like humans often do. He’s not afraid of it because He knows what’s beyond the grave. No more suffering for those who cling to Him.”
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
5.0
what a great book! both callie's and annika's stories were fantastic.
sarahjunebooks's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for sending me a finished copy of Hidden Among the Stars in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so interesting. Set simultaneously in the present day as well as during World War II. This kind of book is called a time-slip mystery and it was so fun making predictions and seeing how the two stories tied into each other.
This book took me a little bit of time to get into as I mainly read fantasy novels, but after I got into the meat of the story, I really enjoyed it. There are so many connections that the author makes and it has a really nice ending.
This book spans several genres in my opinion, being Christian Fiction, as well as Historical Fiction. Another genre that is prevalent in this book is romance between several characters.
This book and the characters within it was well written. My favorite part about this book was the anticipation of how the different characters would be tied together in the end.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about Historical events with a fun twist on characters being tied together, losing each other and then being united in the end.
Thanks for stopping by and reading this book review!
Christian Historical Fiction - World War II
This book was so interesting. Set simultaneously in the present day as well as during World War II. This kind of book is called a time-slip mystery and it was so fun making predictions and seeing how the two stories tied into each other.
This book took me a little bit of time to get into as I mainly read fantasy novels, but after I got into the meat of the story, I really enjoyed it. There are so many connections that the author makes and it has a really nice ending.
This book spans several genres in my opinion, being Christian Fiction, as well as Historical Fiction. Another genre that is prevalent in this book is romance between several characters.
This book and the characters within it was well written. My favorite part about this book was the anticipation of how the different characters would be tied together in the end.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about Historical events with a fun twist on characters being tied together, losing each other and then being united in the end.
Thanks for stopping by and reading this book review!