Lately I've found myself drawn to stories set during The Cold War.

On a school trip to Berlin, Ellie Baum suddenly finds herself transported to 1988 East Berlin. Trapped in the past and behind the Berlin Wall, Ellie falls in with a resistance group that helps people escape via magical balloons. Ellie and her new friends must unravel the mystery behind her time travel, which proves to be more and more sinister with every discovery.

The Girl with the Red Balloon is a fascinating combination of magic, historical fiction, and mystery. I love how Katherine Locke moves between Ellie's story and her grandfather's during WWII. The family ties made the tale so much richer for me. I want to know where else these balloonists have been secretly working.

The Girl with the Red Balloon, by Katherine Locke, was a really unique read.  On a school trip to Berlin, the main character, Ellie Baum, is transported back in time to 1988 East Berlin when she grabs the string of a red balloon she sees floating by because it reminds her of a story her grandfather told her about escaping a concentration camp.  Ellie never believed his story about magic balloons until she experiences the magic herself.  Upon arrival Ellie is taken in by two "runners", Kai and Mitzi, who use the magic balloons to help people escape the oppression of East Berlin.  Intertwined with Ellie's story is that of her grandfather, Benno, and his escape from certain death at Chelmno.  While Ellie becomes resigned to the fact that she may be forever stuck in 1988, something shady is going on with the balloon makers...more people are showing up from the future, but none of them survive this journey as Ellie did.  Ellie, Kai, and Mitzi are determined to find out who is behind these unnecessary deaths in order to save lives, and keep more people from disappearing from their time.  This story was really unique, and I really liked the characters.  There were some parts that were pretty confusing and I wasn't sure how the characters came to the conclusions that they came to, but it was overall, a pretty good story.  I would recommend this book to my students who enjoy time travel stories.

*eARC kindly provided by Albert Whitman & Company via NetGalley* 

I'd once tried Second Position, but set it aside because of my meh mood in life and a reading slump. So I was slightly nervous, just because like, I want to love Katherine's books. Her writing had hooked me, and I knew that I'd read more of her stories even though I never finished the one above. And I'm glad to say that I really did enjoy this one a lot! It was a quieter, emotional read than I was expecting, but one that was no less impactful. It had magic and heart and bravery, and most of all, love. Between friends, between family, and between two people who find small bits of happiness in a chaotic and dangerous time. I thought the switch-up in POVs was done really well (especially Benno's short but heartbreaking chapters), and I absolutely adored the queer side character, Mitzi. As well as Kai and Ellie. Such a good story! Also, I feel like this is the first time I'm noticing the couple in the balloon. I don't know how I've missed it for so long, and now I can't un-see it.

Rating: 4 Paw Prints!

The Girl With the Red Balloon is full of magic, mystery, action, romance, and wonderfully diverse characters. Set in 1988 East Berlin, a year before the Berlin Wall came down, there’s so much history and devastation and love and hope packed into Ellie and Kai and Mitzi’s story.

 The book started out a bit slow for me, but when it picked up, I could hardly put it down. The last quarter or so was so exciting I was stabbing at my Kindle pages trying to turn them faster and faster. Locke created a complex story that wove together the lives of several generations of people, from the Holocaust to Cold War Germany where a girl from modern times ends up time traveling via magic balloon.

 Whenever I read books that deal with Hitler’s Germany in any way, I realize how little I actually know about the horrors of the Holocaust. The scenes told from Ellie’s grandfather’s perspective, which took place mostly in a ghetto in Poland, left me with a lump in my throat, fighting back tears. I knew even less about the Cold War and the Berlin Wall, and the intense oppression and fear people experienced in East Berlin. As I was reading, I kept thinking, ‘this is recent history. This isn’t even 30 years ago. I was alive when this happened’. Considering what’s happening in the world and the fact the US currently has a leader who has frightening resemblances to Hitler, this book is one that got me thinking, researching, and having important conversations with friends.

The Girl With the Red Balloon wasn’t just a story about the atrocities of history, though. It was also a story about friendship, acceptance, love, perseverance, and hope. So much hope. I know this is a story that will stick with me - I read it weeks ago and have thought about it every single day since. I can’t wait to read the next book and see what happens.

1.5 stars.

The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke is a book I have been anticipating for a while, long before it had a cover. Time travel? Magic balloons that save people? German history? Sign me up! However, I finished the book feeling pretty disappointed.

First, the positives. I loved how The Girl with the Red Balloon was grounded in history - in two different time periods. Once Ellie has been whisked back to 1988 East Berlin by grabbing the string of a red balloon, the book is predominantly set there - a time when there was a Wall dividing East Germany from West Germany, a time of oppression and practically imprisonment. It was shocking and disturbing to see how the people of East Berlin were treated by the volkspolizei (the police) and the stasi (State Security). People who tried to escape into West Berlin any number of ways were killed if caught. There was no freedom, and the people lived in a state of fear. It's so hard to believe that this was less than 30 years ago. I was born before the Wall came down - this oppression and the freedom that fallowed in 1989 was taking place while I was a baby. It's just difficult to grasp that this happened in my lifetime; reading about it, it was so oppressive it felt like it belonged to another time, not my time. And I feel terrible that I know almost nothing about it. What I know about the East Berlin Wall I've learnt from this book. And the fear, the constant feeling of being watched, the danger that the characters could never really escape simply by living in East Berlin was palpable.

The second time period is 1941 - 1942, where we follow Benno, a Jewish German teenager who, along with his family, is sent to Łódź Ghetto in Poland, during the Holocaust. There, they have to work to manufatcure supplies needed for the Nazi army. They were kicked out of Germany by the Nazis, and were now forced to work for the Nazis. Reading about the Ghetto was so upsetting. It was so overcrowded, many people were ill and there was no medication, they had to work long hours, and they were fed a thin soup once a day, with a loaf of bread to last them a week. There was so much death - whether people died from illnesses, starvation, or were killed - and so much misery. It was horrific. It was incredibly hard to read Benno's chapters, even though they were fairly short, and few in number compared to the others.

It was the history, the two different time periods, that I loved about this book. But the story itself was such a let down to me. The chapters set in 1988 East Berlin are dual narrated by Ellie, the time traveller, and Kai, a Romanichal who is working for the Schopfers - the balloon makers, those who use magic to create balloons to help people get over the Wall - as a Runner, those who help the Passengers get their balloon and get over. Kai bumps into Ellie upon her arrival, and tries to help her, along with the Schopfers, try to work out how to get her back home, and why she came in the went back in time in the first place. I can tell you very little about either character, it's all about what's happening now. For Kai, I kind of understood; he lives a dangerous life, and is doing it to keep his little sister, Sabina, who has magic, safe from those who want to use her. He doesn't really have much time for the things he enjoys, and even if he did, he lives in East Berlin, where you do all you can not to draw attention to yourself. Ellie, on the other hand, a girl from our time, I would have expected to know more about than that she doesn't like clubbing. I can tell you that she's Jewish (as is Locke, making this book #OwnVoices), that she hates that practising her faith in East Berlin is illegal, and how she has to do so in secret, that her grandfather is a German Jew who who was around during WWII, and who hates everything about Germany... but I can't tell you anything much about her as a person. What she likes, what she doesn't like. Nothing. Because of this, not really getting to know Ellie or Kai, I didn't feel any connection to them, so I didn't really care about them. As I said, it was terrible to watch them live in the world they lived in, and that bothered me, but I didn't really care about them as people. There is also a romance between the two of them, but how that came about, I really don't see. Suddenly they were attracted to each other out of nowhere, it seemed. And granted, they spent more time together than we actually get to see, but with both having pretty much no personality, I just couldn't see it. So I didn't believe it. It just really didn't work for me.

Then there's the fantasy side to the story. I have so many questions, and no answers. So people who have magic can create magic by writing. How do they have magic? How do they know they have magic? Without writing, how does the magic manifest? And how does writing mathematical equations work? Because that's it, writing complicated mathematical equations makes something magic - like balloons. But how? Why? What are the mechanics of this magic? And why balloons? Seriously, no-one ever asks or discusses why balloons are used. Why not shoes or hats or whatever else? Why balloons? Using blood from the Passengers to write the equations onto the balloons means the balloon will only work for that Passenger. Ok, fine - but why? What if you don't use their blood? What does using their blood actually do to the magic? None of these questions are answered! We're just told that some people are magic, and those magic people can create magic balloons, and those magic balloons can help people escape oppression. That is it. We're just expected to accept it and carry on. How am I supposed to believe in what is happening, believe it is possible, if I am not told how or why?

And if not knowing the characters and not understanding how the magic works isn't bad enough, nothing happens for such a long time. Ellie is put in a safe house, and she has to wait until the magic can be worked out to take her back. She has to wait for forged papers before she can leave the house. And when she does, she goes to a rooftop, or a park or occasionally the Schopfers workshop, but nothing is actually happening during this time. Except for that one other time traveller turns up, but he's dead. Which leaves everyone with questions, understandably, and some dread, because more illegal magic, and someone in their midst who is up to no good. But then more nothing. As I said, I really loved the history we're told about, but when most of the book is set inside a safe house, we don't get to see as much of how oppressive things are as you would expect. And then things do start happening, and they happen rather quickly, and things become quite predictable. And once the climax is over, it goes back to nothing. Oh, decisions need to be made, and they will be, and then they are, but they're not acted on for ages, and it's just more nothing until something is worked out, and then it's over.

I just didn't like this book. All the emotion I felt came from the history of the book, but that doesn't save the story. A story with characters I didn't get to know, a romance I didn't feel, magic that wasn't explained, and a plot where nothing happens for far too long. And I feel so disappointed because this book sounded so good and I was so looking forward to reading it! And it's turned out to be such a let down. However, there are people who loved this book, so do read some other reviews before deciding whether or not you will read The Girl with the Red Balloon.

Thank you to Albert Whitman via NetGalley for the eProof.

The premise of this book is what drew me in originally. I mean there are time-traveling balloons, how does that not hook you? I'm such a sucker for books that involve time-traveling. I expected this book to lean more on the adventurous side, but it was one that was all about the characters. For once, I was not mad about it.

Even though this book is only 256 pages, it tackles a variety of tough topics such as antisemitism, racism, genocide, what it's like to live in totalitarian regime, and more. I applaud the book for not only tackling these subjects, but also not romanticizing them. It treats the situation our characters find themselves in in a very real, dark way. I think the reason it is able to do this so well is because of the character development.

This is a very character driven book. It is told in three different perspectives: Ellie, our accidental time-traveler; Kai, the Romani boy she meets upon arriving in East Berlin; and Benno, a Jewish teenage boy living in Germany during the Holocaust. All three story-lines interconnect to create a full picture. There is also Mitzi, who doesn't get her own POV, but is definitely an integral part of the stories.  I loved all four of our main characters, and really felt like I knew them inside and out by the end of the story. The different perspectives allowed you to see the character from all angles.

Character driven books are very hit or miss with me, as I definitely prefer books with intricate plots. However, I didn't mind the slow plot as much here, because I found the characters so interesting. Part of the reason why they were so interesting was because they all came from different walks of life. Ellie is a Jewish teenage girl who accidentally travels back in time thanks to a red balloon and finds herself in a place where practicing her religion is illegal. Kai is a Romani teen from London, who moves to East Berlin to protect his sister. Mitzi is a German teenage girl who was kicked out of her house, because she is a lesbian. Then there's Benno who is a Jewish teenager that we watch live through the Holocaust. Each of them share the similarity of being forced to survive in a world that does not accept them. Not only are their backgrounds and stories intriguing, but their personalities just leap off the page. It's hard not to fall in love with them.

Another thing that I really loved in this book, was it's theme of faith. You don't often read about YA characters who are religious or see religion talked about. I liked that it was a part of the conversation here. Both Ellie and Benno are Jewish, and each have a different relationship with their own religion. It was interesting to read about each of their own views on religion and how they differed. I should mention that none of this came across as preachy.

Some other things I loved, was exploring East Berlin through the lens of our characters. Since this is a multi-perspective story, you got to see East Berlin from different perspectives which was cool. The romance in this book was also very solid. I was definitely swooning over our male lead. I also really enjoyed the writing style. There were a few issues I had with the book though.

The biggest problem I had was with the plot. As I stated before, the plot was a little slow for me. I didn't mind it so much, because the characters were so solid. However, the mystery plot line could have been much stronger. I thought that it needed more tension and could have been executed better. The reveal was surprising, but could have been much more shocking had the whole plot line been better developed. I was underwhelmed by the plot for the most part, which was a little disappointing because of the premise.

I will say, that there is a moment where the stakes are raised in an extremely effective way. However, it was only one moment. I wish that the rest of the whole mystery plot line was handled as well as that moment.

I also wanted to know more about the magic system. While it did make sense, I just wanted more information on everything and see it happen more on the page. I wanted to learn more about the inner workings of the balloon factory, the magic system, and basically everything. There are definitely some unanswered questions at the end of the book, and I hope we get an answer one way or another.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Girl with the Red Balloon. I absolutely adored the characters, and liked that the book went to some dark places without holding back. I finished the book only wanting more, especially with that ending. I hope we eventually finds out what happens next! If you enjoy character driven novels, I definitely recommend picking it up!

I love historical fiction and fantasy so this sounded great. Unfortunately the style and approach was off-putting and I just couldn't get into it. Perhaps the style will mesh better for other readers, but it didn't work for me.

This book took awhile for me to get into. I don't know if it was the writing style, or Ellie's narration, but after I got into the story, I was drawn into the story.

The story is told in three POV's: Ellie, Kai, and Benno. Honestly, I probably liked Kai's the least. His seemed more like info dumps, and not things that actually moved the plot along. I think I liked Benno's the best, although his were also the saddest.

I liked our characters, but still felt meh. I didn't feel that I really connected with any of them. I think they could have been written to be a bit more complex. There seemed to be a lot more telling than showing. I wasn't really drawn into the story through the characters, if that makes sense.

The plot had me intrigued and is what kept me interested throughout the story. The magic system of the balloons, although at times a bit confusing, kept me intrigued. I wouldn't say this was so suspenseful or anything, but I liked it.

In general, I felt a little mediocre about this book as a whole. It definitely has captured my interest, so I will probably pick up the second one. It has potential, and I'm curious to see if that potential is fulfilled.

Ellie grew up hearing stories from her grandfather (who’s a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust & WWII) about how he was saved from a death camp by a girl with a red balloon. So when Ellie visits Germany, as part of a school trip, she sees a red balloon and decides to take a picture with it! What she doesn’t know is, that this balloon is magical, and it transports her back in time to East Germany, where red balloons are used to save people like Ellie’s grandfather, and take them over the Berlin Wall.

Back in 1988 East Berlin, there’s a “secret society” that uses magic and red balloons to transfer people to the west, where they can be safe. I LOVED the concept, it’s simple yet there’s so much behind it! I would have loved to read more about how this started or at least more information to understand it. It seems that Ellie understood this better than me! She starts to adapt quickly when she travels back in time! As an outsider (American from the future), Ellie was constantly in hiding and in danger. She starts to work on her German to try to blend in, but we all know that isn’t as easy as it sounds…

THERE’S ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK AND IT KILLS ME TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS! I don’t want to talk about it or get too mucho into it because I don’t want to spoil it, but I think the romance is what hurt me the most through the story. It’s just so sweet, kind, friendly, and real! I want to protect them. *cries*

The topics in the story are so important and relevant to all time periods! You’ll find racism, war, genocide, the holocaust, and a loooot more. I loved the mix between magic, science and math to explain how the balloons and time-travel is caused.

Another thing I loved about this book is that it shows us that ONE person and/or ONE decision can change the course of history. Magic or no magic, we have the power to change the world. I believe this is an important message we need to send, especially with everything that’s going on in the world right now… we shouldn’t give up. We have the power to change things, even if it takes time to do so.

An important part of the story –for me- is how Ellie has to deal with “restraining herself” from affecting the future. She wants to help, she wants to be useful, and she knows that the Berlin Wall is going to fall, but she also sees that all of these people are suffering and she wishes she could do something about it! Ellie is such a vulnerable yet strong character. I could relate to her so much!

It’s such an interesting, beautiful, and somehow… it’s also a dark story. I NEVER felt like I was reading a historical fiction book.

I don’t think there’s words to describe how beautiful this story is. I know I said this before, but I REALLY am not a fan of historical fiction, so yeah, picking up this book was a bit of a challenge (initially) for me. But just know that this story reads like a magical -time travel- contemporary with historical elements. It reads so different from what I’ve tried before, and it’s definitely on the heavier side of what YA fiction is, which I also enjoyed. So if -like me- you are not a fan of the historical genre, this book is a great place to start!

Overall Rating: 4.0 stars

Unfortunately the reviewer was unable to finish this book. However, NetGalley requires a star rating, which isn't fair when a reviewer doesn't have one, so I've had to put 3 stars.

The Girl with the Red Balloon quickly became one of my favorites of the year. Yes, there are so many things in here that are painful to read, several that made me cry, many that brought hope and a better understanding of Berlin, The Holocaust, and everything that can be too difficult to read but must be read pertaining to that time and the years after.

 This novel was so well written and was made even more memorable and I became emotionally invested with all the characters that filled the pages. Kai is the brooding guy (for good reason) who loves with a passion, knowing that every single moment is precious and every minute could be his last. There was Ellie who learned and grew so much more after having traveling back into that time, the hardest thing she's ever had to do. 

If those two leading characters weren't enough to make this novel a fave, there is also Mitzi who is the toughest person they could have fighting by their side, as well as Kai's sister Sabina who is very important to the future of those within these pages. None of them have an easy life, far from it, but they stay strong because they have each other and the hope that magic will change things, hopefully for the better for many.

That's where the red balloons come in and everything they meant to the story. Magic exists in this universe, where there is more hope than ever imaginable. It's how Ellie finds herself in the past, going through the fears and worries that many had to endure and painfully leave that world with. This isn't a fairy-tale story though, of salvation and peace, it is only partial truths and that was intensely painful to read, but I left me feeling more blessed and thankful for what I have now. 

Even with several of those pages that I couldn't find solace within, even with the heartbreaking recounting of Benno's (another important character to the story) life, throughout those harrowing years of his existence, I appreciated everything that was said and shown. Something like this should never be forgotten, their hardships, their lives, it should be remembered, so that we as a whole never allow something as gruesomely brutal to happen again in any lifetime. 

This novel makes you have all feels possible, of love, sadness, of joy, and wonder, of hope, and so many more. Magic though, as distressing as this book could be, gave it that enchanting vibe that allowed hope that should have been, a way to be free from such an appalling way of life that should never have happened. Even though there wasn't many happily ever afters at the end of this world, it was more truthful and full of meaningful moments. More appreciation for it than if it had been left perfectly wrapped with a pretty bow on top. I'm absolutely adding a copy to my shelves. 

***I received this copy from Albert Whitman Company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***

It is  a tale where magic and realism meet and create a great story of hope. The time travel component is executed really well and I can’t wait for the next book. There is a romance going on and I appreciate that it was not much of the focus. All in all, a bit dark than I expected yet an enthralling read.

"We are strange, sometimes, in the ways we choose to bear witness"

* * * *
4 / 5 

I wouldn't call myself a history nerd, but I would like to think that I have a reasonable understanding of a good chunk of European history. The Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall, however, have drifted under my radar - possibly because I've never been to Berlin but also perhaps because it's so recent, more recent than I had thought, such that it is less likely to become a dinner conversation and is more of a hushed memory. The Girl With The Red Balloon is a beautifully written and magical (in more ways than one) novel that I implore you to read.

"A new language forming from her mouth, even as her hands wrote out an equally strange one and made magic of it"

It's actually quite a short novel, yet it packs an emotional punch and spans three time periods. We have Ellie Baum, a sixteen year old girl who lives in the present, or at least she did; on a school trip to Berlin, Ellie grabs hold of a red balloon in order to pose in a photograph for her grandad who claims that a balloon helped him escape the concentration camps during WWII, and is transported to East Berlin, 1988. There she meets Kai and Mitzi, who recognise the balloon she is holding and get her somewhere safe; after all, East Berlin at night with rudimentary German at best and no papers is a dangerous place. 

Kai and Mitzi are Runners. They work for two, for want of a better word, magicians who crafts balloons with mathematics and blood that can carry people over the wall. Runners keep the passengers safe beforehand and essentially do all of the grunt work, but something is going wrong: time travellers are turning up dead, red balloons clutched in hand, and Kai's sure he's being watched. This main story is interrupted and bound together by a story set in 1941, that of a young Jewish boy called Benno in Lodz Ghetto. The plot itself is captivating, winding together stories of hope, of history, of magic, of death, of racism (Kai is a dark-skinned Roma), of sexuality (Mitzi is gay), and of family. 

"Magic and balloons," I whispered, shivering from the cold and the dark. "And Walls and time"
Kai's voice was low and sad. "The things that get us out and the things that keep us in" 

The characters are also fantastic and the three voices of the book, Ellie, Kai, and Benno, are all easily distinguishable. Understandably, Ellie spends a fair amount of the start of the book in states of shock and making a few stupid decisions, but she is a soft, loving girl who I was fond of. Kai is driven by a desire to protect his younger sister, Sabina, who is being hunted by various people because of the magic in her veins. Then we have Mitzi, who I really wish we had more of. I was sensitive to and moved by Benno's story and saw how it was necessary to the narrative, but I did find it disrupted the flow, to flick between 1941 and 1988 constantly, and I think I would have rather the book focused specifically on the Berlin Wall by replacing Benno's narrative with bits by Mitzi. My other complaint is that I thought that the ending was a bit of a cop-out: if we had had another couple of chapters, the book could have well been wrapped up as an amazing stand-alone. 

Overall, I highly recommend The Girl With The Red Balloon to those who might not normally read historical books, to those, like me, who want to explore a slightly different area of German history, and to those that love an inventive, magical plot.

The premise of this book was really intriguing to me, and it is also set in a time and place that I'm not too farmilliar so that was another selling point. 

  I loved everything about this novel, so it's hard for me to narrow down a few points to talk about, but I'll try my best:)

  The characters were definitely near the top of my favourites list. Ellie, Kai, and Mitzi were so well developed and unique and their character development was amazing. 

  Overall the writing itself was amazing. Katherine was able to paint scenes and a Magic system so well in my mind that I felt like I was there and experiencing things for myself. 

  The ballon makers and runners, as well as the backstory about a character who I won't name were done so intricately and well. The Magic system and the way the councils are run was really well thought out, and I appreciate how much work Kathrine put into it, as well as the amount of research she must have put into all the details of this novel!

  That's all I can say for now without spoiling anything, so I hope you all enjoyed this review!

For Ellie Baum, being in Berlin on a school trip is little unsettling:  she’s grown up listening to tales from her grandfather, who escaped from a death camp in 1942. She loves her grandfather, but his stories don’t always make sense. Like the ones of the balloons carrying people to safety. She’s heard his stories, she just doesn’t believe them. Until she catches the string of a red balloon, and ends up in East Berlin in 1988, before the Berlin Wall fell.

Stranded in the midst of an oppressive regime, Ellie meets Kai, one of the Runners who help balloon passengers escape over the wall. But no one knows what happened to Ellie’s balloon; they just know its real Passenger is dead. With the help of Kai and Mitzi, Ellie must unravel the mystery of her time travel if she’s ever to return to her own time. But someone want to use time travel to change history. And that person doesn’t care who has to die to do so.

At first, I wasn’t too sure about this book and Ellie herself, but I ended up really loving it. This is such a unique concept, and I’ve personally not read much—if anything—set in East Berlin while the Wall was still up. The tale of Ellie’s grandfather is just as enthralling as Ellie’s is, and Kai and Mitzi are so intriguing I wanted to know much more about them. A very compelling book, set in a bleak time in history.

The Girl with the Red Balloon is Katherine Locke’s first YA novel.

(Galley provided by AW Teen via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Actual rating: 4.5/5

Whether or not Ellie was meant to be there at that time and place remains to be seen. It could have been an amazing coincidence that she traveled to Germany to be just in time to be there when the red balloon ‘malfunctioned’ and propelled itself down to the future. 

The story eventually revealed why Ellie was whisked back in time and why it was possible; still the timing itself. For all we know, Ellie could not have go with her class on their field trip.

Ellie, Kai, and Mitzi may have been the main characters but I really didn’t see much in them, no matter how heart-tugging their individual narratives supposed to be. Or how there was much fluff between Ellie and Kai even though it made me giggly. There are three I would love their stories to be expanded:

1. I was more interested in Ashasher’s story, not only for the feathers around his head but he had this air about him that reminded me of a cross more serious and broody Howl and an eccentric monk in one of those training montages. What’s your story, you feathered Gandalf?

2. The glimpses of Benno’s, Ellie’s grandfather, life before, during and after his life at the concentration camps were intriguing and insightful. I would love to read more about him.

3. And I couldn’t forget about Felix. He might have had some hidden agenda, working for the higher-ups and all; he might be a right bastard; but he might play an anti-hero role in a book to come. *crosses fingers*

The risk with writing historical fiction and time travel, combined, is to find a way that the characters, whether or not they’re special snowflakes, don’t get to mess with history and time. There’s so much one can do about time travel, special powers, and destiny until you spit on common sense and just put in a ‘Duh, it’s because of magic.’

The Girl with the Red Balloon tells of a historical/time-travel story that knows the intricacies of time. It does not put out an MC who is essential to be in that particular time to influence big events but, instead, focuses on what it sets out to do: telling the tale of the girl with the red balloon and setting the domain of the balloonmakers.

And the author writes in beautiful prose.

.The premise of the balloons drew me in, but the relationships between the characters kept me glued to the book. I'm sucker for found family in fiction, and the relationship between Ellie, Kai, and Mitzi both warmed my heart and made me want more at the same time.

Through magic, the story shines a light on a part of history that I wasn't as familiar with as I had thought. The specifics of that time of history and what it meant for the people there is often a small footnote in the memory of people today. I admire how the book connects different parts of history and the people from those moments to each other.
 
The magic structure in the story does take a little time to get used to, but it's well worth it once the foundation is laid. It's unique and original in a way that few books I've read recently have been

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Give me a time travel book and I am there. <i>The Girl with the Red Balloon</i> delivers and I can't recommend it more.

[NOTE: I am not Jewish, so I cannot speak to the Jewish representation. I was recommended the book because of its positive Jewish rep, so I hope I wasn't steered in the wrong direction.]

I haven't seen a book written about the Cold War, specifically about the Berlin Wall. My knowledge is limited to "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" and the graffiti seen on the West Berlin's side of the Wall. I don't know if this is one of the many faults of the American educations system or my own lack of research. Even more so, I didn't realize the parallels between the division between West and East Berlin and the Holocaust. I don't know if this is an extra layer to the story added by the author or if it's something that is discussed regularly and common knowledge outside the U.S.

The time travel aspect of the book was A+. I loved the connection between physics and magic and how the two come together. The use of a red balloon as the savior device is brilliant. It's such a mundane object, but I imagine myself finding red balloons alluring in the future because of this story.

There isn't a lot of action, more sitting around and taking in everyday life. In any other book, I would have found this boring, but I found it intriguing here. It may have been my lack of historical knowledge of this era (which I mentioned above), but I wanted to know more about what everyday life was like and what laws were present then.

My absolute favorite part of this book is the main characters. We have Ellie, a Jewish American student in Berlin for a class trip; Kai, a Romani Runner who is doing this job as a way to help his sister; and Mitzi, a queer German who wants to help her home, but you can tell she has complicated feelings about it. I adore them all so much and I was (unfortunately) surprised there wasn't a cat fight of some kind between Ellie and Mitzi. Instead, we have a rather deep conversation between them and their ancestors' roles in the Holocaust. The fact that Katherine Locke has a Romani individual made my day. It's difficult to find Romani characters who are treated with respect and I adored Kai and his characterization. Also, I have a lot of love for his inclusion in the group since it's rarely noted how Romani people were targeted during the Holocaust.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and can't wait for its sequel to see what happens next.

I had only heard good things about this book and several people I trust couldn't stop gushing about it. Sadly I was disappointed. 

l liked Ellie well enough. She was sort of bland and I struggled to connect to her. I didn't see any of the extraordinary, amazing, and brave traits that everyone else saw. Kai and Mitzi were both intriguing, but also sort of meh. There is a third POV and once I figured out who it was and how it tied together, I skipped most of those chapters because it didn't bring anything to the story for me. 

Plot wise, I was just so bored. There wasn't any real build up or tension. It all felt repetitive. I get that due to the time period, there wasn't going to be frivolity and there were pockets of joy and sweetness. I think that's what kept me reading.

Overall, I liked the idea of it, but something just didn't work. I had to force myself to continue because I was hoping for a twist or a spark that would captivate me. Oh and I absolutely hated the ending. 

Judging by the high reviews, I'm in the minority, and it just wasn't for me. 

**Huge thanks to Albert Whitman & Company for providing the arc free of charge**