Search This Blog
2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (9)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (2)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (2)
- Georgia (2)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (4)
- Indiana (4)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (3)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (2)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (9)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (2)
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (1)
- Washington, D.C.* (2)
International:
- Argentina (1)
- Australia (2)
- Bolivia (1)
- Canada (3)
- China (2)
- England (21)
- France (1)
- Ghana (1)
- India (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (4)
- Italy (1)
- Poland (1)
- Russia (1)
- Scotland (3)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge
2024 52 Club Reading Challenge
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge
2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge
2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge
Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge
Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge
The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge
The Life Skills Reading Challenge
Friday, September 24, 2021
Birds of a Feather: Bluebird the Best World War II Novel I've Read Since The Nightingale
4:03 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
As World War II comes to a close, a German teenager arrives in America, ostensibly to start a new life away from the chaos in her homeland. In order to flee, Eva Gerst has made a deal with the devil. She and her mute best friend have been allowed to leave the country only because Eva knows an important secret. She holds the key to Project Bluebird, a horrifying concentration camp experiment, the results of which are so powerful that both the Americans and the Germans would do anything to control it. Eva's determination to keep it away from them is just as strong, but it's not power she's seeking. She desires only one thing—justice. No matter what it takes, she will track down the escaped Nazi who designed the horrific experiment. And then, she'll kill him.
In an alternating storyline, Inge von Emmerich is living in war-torn Germany a year earlier. The daughter of a powerful Nazi couple, she's been thoroughly indoctrinated. It's not until her eyes are opened to the atrocities being committed by the regime that she realizes just how wrong her family's view is—and how involved her father is in appalling acts against their Jewish countrymen.
As the girls' stories collide, they will come together to take down a monster in a desperate race to settle a score, get justice, and not just clip Bluebird's wings, but destroy it forever.
Bluebird (available October 5, 2021), the newest YA historical from Sharon Cameron, is, quite simply, a stunner. I'm a big Cameron fan, so I'm not surprised, just really, really pleased. Bluebird features everything I love in a historical novel—a vivid, atmospheric setting; a tense, engrossing plot; sympathetic, interesting characters; and smooth, solid writing. That the story is based on a real experiment that I'd never heard about just makes it all the more fascinating. Not to mention eye-opening and thought-provoking. All of these elements combine to create a book that is so immersive and propulsive that it is unputdownable. Almost literally. I would have read it in one day, but my eyes gave out at about 80% after staring at my Kindle for hours on end! Yes, I saw the big plot twist coming, but that didn't really matter. I still found myself totally absorbed by this novel. It's the best World War II story I've read (and I've read a lot of them) since The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. If you love historical fiction, do yourself a favor and pre-order this one now. It just might be the best book I've read this year.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron as well as novels by Ruta Sepetys and Monica Hesse)
Grade:
for violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter (including a rape scene, although the act is not described)
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Bluebird from the generous folks at Scholastic via those at Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
10 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
Listening
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
Followin' with Bloglovin'
Followin' with Feedly
-
-
-
Monthly Round-up: October 20248 hours ago
-
-
If It's Perfect - Short review11 hours ago
-
#ThrowbackThursday. November 2011 Part 311 hours ago
-
Our Lord of the Rings Halloween Costumes13 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Just a heads up1 day ago
-
October Reflections1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult3 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Reading Recap September 20243 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Review: The Duke and I2 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus3 months ago
-
Sunday Post3 months ago
-
-
-
The Music of 2024: Q23 months ago
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Design by:
Blog Archive
- ▼ 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
Wow, I've read many WWII novels this year, but this sounds like another one I should read. Great Review!
ReplyDeleteOk. I am going to get access to a copy of this as soon as it comes out. Thank you for letting me know about this one.
ReplyDeleteI just learned that Sharon Cameron is doing a virtual event with my local indie store on October 12 so I hope I can read the book then hear her speak. Cool!
ReplyDeleteMind blowing review
ReplyDeleteI got burned out on war books in general and haven’t read any for a long time. You’ve convinced me to put this one on my list.
ReplyDeleteSounds good! I'm a Cameron fan, too. I just enjoyed a Minnesota home-front story, Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green. It's lighter fare than Bluebird sounds like, but still thought-provoking and entertaining.
ReplyDeleteThis is sounds absolutely amazing! I definitely need to read this one it sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds so interesting. I love reading historical fiction that also educates me.
ReplyDeleteOMG! This one sounds like a must read, how compelling is that story? Off to add this one to my wish list and make a note of the author too.
ReplyDeleteExcellent review, Susan. I definitely want to read this one and am adding it to my goodreads list right now. I will have to see if I can get my hands on a copy.
ReplyDelete