kris_tea516's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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

5.0

Book 25 of 52 for 2024

I saw the movie a few years ago for this book. I had no idea until a couple of months ago that it was a book. I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it after watching the movie but it had been a few years & I wasn’t sure how much I really remembered. Well, I have to say I’m so happy I reread it. It’s such a wonderful story & it is done so well. I highly recommend the audiobook because each wonderful character’s letter is read by a different actor. This book is the definition of “cozy” read but it also deals with very difficult things from history (Holocaust, WWII) & how complicated the relationships between the Germans & British had been. It also shows how reading can change your life in ways you might never expect. It left me wanting to read even more books & appreciate genres I might never think about. 

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katievallin's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0


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gabbygarcia's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted sad fast-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

4.5


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blewballoon's review against another edition

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funny informative lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

5.0

I listened to this as an audiobook that had a large cast of narrators to cover all of the different voices, and I adored it. I didn't know much about the book going into it, I knew I had liked the movie and one of my favorite narrators (Rosalyn Landor) was included. It is much better than the movie. Despite being told in epistolary style, the characters feel so rich and real. It was easy to see how Juliet would grow to love them, and they to love her.

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jja_b's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A charming read. I thought this was a very melancholic but sweet tale, and the characters’ experiences during the occupation were moving.

I did struggle with the writing style a bit at first (an epistolary novel I believe it’s called??) but I ended up really liking it. I think the film adaption is great, but I think I might prefer the book a lil more.

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naomi_k's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0


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rory1387's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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

4.5

this was such a wholesome book :)
I read it in one day and here's my review:
There's this woman, Juliet. During World War II she wrote a column for the newspaper, which is now being published. A man from the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society contacts her, and she decides to write about said society. The other members contact her and it's very nice :)
sorry for using :) a lot but that's just my current mood. 
also just so you know it's all letters and the occasional telegram

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rieviolet's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

I went into this book not expecting much, I thought it would be just a pleasant and easy read to end the year and start a new one, but oh boy it was much more! I'm not the biggest fan of WW2 fiction but this book was a very pleasant surprise.

I really liked how the authors didn't shy away from and handled the heavy topics related to war, occupation and concentration camps. But, at the same time, the book was also very hopeful and filled with such lovely humour and funny situations.
I really loved the big cast of characters, with all their idiosyncrasies, they felt really well depicted and vivid on the page. 

I appreciated the narrative choice of telling the story through letters/telegrams and the theme of  "reading/loving books" that was an undercurrent throughout the story.

I'm not giving full marks because some plot points and situations felt a little bit too predictable or far-fetched/bizarre, although it made for a very heartwarming and feel-good story. 

All in all, a lovely way to begin a new reading year!

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dear_alice's review

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A delightful, charming and easy read. Even as someone who generally avoids books related to either WW1 or WW2, I really enjoyed this book. Because of the way the book was made up out of letters and telegrams, it was very quick to get through. It provided me with a cosy feeling while also getting insight in the way that people had to rebuild their lives and communities after the war. Would definitely recommend!

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claragweny's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful 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

5.0

I read the book after I fell in love with the Netflix production. I was surprised that the format of the book is a collection of letters. I've never read a book with this kind of format and I have to say that I loved it more than I thought I would. I think it really enhanced the romantic feel of the story. I love all the characters so much and I love the plot even more. Found family stories really, really get me emotional and the added bonus of this being a love story makes it even better! 5/5 would recommend it to anyone who loves historical romance or books about books. 

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