Reviews

The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II by Madeline Martin

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kmathewson's review against another edition

4.0

I found this a delight to read (listen to)! There were lots of ups and downs and some parts were more difficult to hear with the book taking place during a war. I love how they leveraged the joy of reading to distract from the hardships of the war time and that you could feel the strong sense of community throughout.
Audiobook 8:13 hours

bunnyfaerie's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.25

kstephensreads's review against another edition

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5.0

I loved this book. Such a captivating, hopeful read after finishing Fahrenheit 451!

nainatai's review against another edition

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inspiring sad 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? No

4.0

My sister recommended this one a few weeks back. As always, her recommendation didn't disappoint. The book is set in London during WW II. It's about a country girl who moves to London just before the war breaks out. She starts assisting at a bookshop and eventually turns it into a space for people to find comfort and distraction in from the war. The story itself is quite predictable and the writing feels a little over the top. It's almost like a Bollywood biopic with a hero who's more superhuman than human, with lots of cheesy dialog-bazi. But for the story, I'm willing to let go of the writing.
I learnt a lot more of what people may have experienced during the war. Most of my readings around the second WW had been to do with the Holocaust. That part of the book has been done quite well. Going to check if this was we've made into a movie, I suspect it would do quite well as one.

vardewoman's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

quinnjuliac's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This was pleasant enough to read but not very compelling or original. It was interesting to learn about what life might have been like in London during the London Blitz bombings by Germany. It was very predictable regarding who would die, etc., and I didn’t notice any character growth or find the main character believable. It was a quick and pleasant enough read though, perhaps good for a beach read.

Content Warnings