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A review by zinelib
Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
There are three storylines in this novel, that of Sophie and Hanna who live in Germany in the 1940s, Jenny and Lena in Berlin in 1980, and Chloe and Miles in Brooklyn in 2020. Of course, it turns out they're all connected. Chloe and Miles are the detectives, though that's tricky because it's early in the pandemic, before vaccines, so they rarely even left the house, let alone visit libraries, newspaper offices, or archives. I feel like just about anything I share will spoil the plot, and NetGalley shelf ate my bookmarks, so this is all you'll get! (But from what I recall, the way Nazis are described reminds me a lot of Zionist Israelis. I hope that was Bray's point, or just inevitable, rather than her trying to defend Zionism-because-the-holocaust.)
I found some of the Sophie and Hanna sections to be slow, but also inspiring because they were part of the resistance. Jenny is a sheltered girl of means who learns about squats, punk, and lesbianism. Miles, who despite being half Filipino and having two moms also has some learning to do about racial politics and standing up. He also needs to get out of his own way and tell the girl he likes that he likes her.
I found some of the Sophie and Hanna sections to be slow, but also inspiring because they were part of the resistance. Jenny is a sheltered girl of means who learns about squats, punk, and lesbianism. Miles, who despite being half Filipino and having two moms also has some learning to do about racial politics and standing up. He also needs to get out of his own way and tell the girl he likes that he likes her.