While this book isn't without its flaws, I really enjoyed the bones of the story. The magic system was unique and (for the most part) well explained. The characters felt real, they had distinct voices and personalities, and I enjoyed the three different perspectives. I do wish Mitzi had been more involved though, because she was the most interesting character to me. 

My major issue with this book though was the time-travel aspect. The author provides a lot of info on how it works, but it didn't make a lot of sense to me. Especially with regards to the balloons not being able to travel back in time, but then having to find a loophole because clearly they can, Ellie traveled back in time! It just felt a little messy and given how central the balloons were to the plot, I wish it had been cleaner. 

I also didn't really care much about Kai and Ellie's romance, but that's more of a personal thing. I don't think every YA novels needs a romance plot just for the sake of having one, and I think in this case it felt a little forced to me. 

All that said, I really did like this book. The history and scenery of East Berlin before the fall of the Berlin Wall are captured fantastically, and I enjoyed the friendships between Mitzi and Kai, and Mitzi and Ellie. Benno's chapters set in WWII are also excellent, and I liked that the characters, even the villains, are well fleshed out with flaws but also good traits. I would read the next book in this series.

I love time travel novels, and I was so excited to read a book about time travel to a place in the more recent past. I’ve never read a novel set in East Berlin, and the setting and plot were so novel and original. I loved the magic system of the balloons that a secret society used to send people over the Berlin Wall, and how Ellie’s arrival was such a mystery. I really, really enjoyed the plot and the overall story of this book. Ellie was my favorite kind of main character who has SO MUCH character growth throughout the novel. There’s also a really interesting and heartbreaking story in Ellie’s past about how her grandfather was a Holocaust survivor because of these magical balloons. There were so many beautiful quotes in the writing and I definitely got use out of the highlighting function on my kindle. Even though Ellie is a girl in the modern world who has had a fairly easy life, she becomes a character with a lot of heart and willingness to sacrifice what it takes to help others. I was also really intrigued by the characters she falls in with once she’s in East Berlin, even though it took me awhile to keep them all straight. They’re a great diverse group with Jewish, Romani, and queer characters. The one thing I did not like in the book was the romance. I saw it coming, so I can’t say it came from nowhere, but it just fell flat. The characters seem to just end up together because they were a single guy and a single girl and I didn’t see any chemistry between them, which means that a lot of the later emotional points in the book didn’t have as much as an impact for me. I definitely want to read the other books in this series, but I’m hoping the romance gets better. 4/5 stars.

The Girl with the Red Balloon is a welcome addition to YA literature, and it worthy of being in the same category as "The Book Thief" and "Shades of Grey." However, unlike the former, the Girl with the Red Balloon blends history and fantasy in order to tell a story that is indeed well-needed. 

The book has three main characters, Ellie, Kai and Benno. I found most of the characters, with the exception of Benno, very well-developed. I can't say that I have a favourite but I do believe that readers will see aspects on themselves reflected on the page. I only wish we had seem more of Mitzi. With respect to Benno, I wish there were more of his story given how central he is to the plot.

The writer uses a triple narrative storyline in order to develop the plot and it definitely worked in a non-distracting way. The triple narrative is engaging and looking back, I do believe the story would have been less interesting if only told from the perspective of the main character. It is worth mentioning that there is a bit of romance. It is, however, extremely mild and does not detract from the plot in anyway. Again, it seems like a tool used for advancing the story as it difficult to conceptualise the story developing along purely platonic lines. 

Locke's writing style is very engaging. The writing felt very personal and it was easy to be fully immersed in the story. Although I found the plot engaging, The Girl with the Red Balloon falls into the same trap that that other time-trail books often do, that is readers have no idea what's going on on the other side. Although it is addressed on page I wish that readers would have been privy to developments in the original timeline. The pacing of the story was also very strong, while there was a bit of a lull towards the middle of the book, the latter half was very engaging and I found myself skipping ahead to find out what was happening. Locke does a great job of building anticipation in that regard. One minor point to note was that the resolution of the plot does come way into the latter half and could be considered a bit rushed. 

Setting is a huge part of this book and it's very difficult to imagine this story in a setting other than Berlin. Locke manages to weave together a tale that relies as much on setting, politics and history as it does on characters and plot. This is truly a commendable feat. 

In summary, The Girl with the Red Balloon was an enjoyable read. I would recommend to teens who are interested in history, specifically European history.

I admit I started reading this story without knowing exactly what to expect. I'm finding that I do like historical fiction more and more and knew this wasn't quite like most I'd find but the description intrigued me and so I read. The more I read, the more I found I loved the story and what may have seemed fairly simple ended up being much more intricate than I expected in such a wonderful way. I do hope the author continues the series, although it's also left in a wonderful spot as well. Although if the series continues, I'll definitely be following it!

In 1942, a boy escapes from Chelmno concentration camp holding onto a red balloon.

In 2017, the granddaughter of that boy grabs the string of a red ballon and is transported back to Berlin, Germany, 1988.

I’m not a big fan of time travel books in general, and I wasn’t really impressed by The Girl With the Red Balloon’s take on it in particular. I found the plot a little aimless and the twist a little obvious. That’s not to say the plot was bad — it wasn’t, and there were exciting parts — I just wasn’t reading it for the plot, not really. I found myself reading it for the writing and the representation.

So on that note, let’s talk about writing and Jewishness.

I didn’t find the style to be absolutely perfect, but it was beautiful and it ended up growing on me a lot. I have so many gorgeous quotes highlighted in my reading app, and the style definitely made what would have been a tedious plot (to me) enjoyable. I really love Kai and Ellie and Mitzi, and their friendships and romances and personalities. (The romance plot actually deserves a bigger mention — Kai is my new book boyfriend)

But the thing that got the most emotional reaction from me was Ellie and her grandfather, who has his own subplot, being Jewish. It’s not extremely common to find Jewish representation in books, and it’s decidedly uncommon for it to be Jewish representation I actually relate to. But I loved that Ellie was determined to celebrate Shabbat, even stuck in 1988, and how her stubborn commitment was echoed in the story of her grandfather illegally taking part in religious ceremonies (like Passover, specifically) in the ghetto. Despite being mostly a story about the perseverance of ordinary people during dangerous times of history, The Girl With the Red Balloon was also a story of Jewish perseverance at all times, no matter what.

And that’s why this book gets five stars. So maybe it wasn’t an absolute favorite and I shouldn’t rate it quite so high, but I’m indulging myself. It was beautifully written and personally important to me, and anyone who actually likes time travel will undoubtedly enjoy it even more. Five stars. Fight me.

THis book was very well written and I enjoyed it! At some points I heard "99 Red Balloons" in my head because of the red balloon used as time travel devices instead of Tardus. I do like the characters especially Mitsy since she did went from being fearful to brave after being around ELlie the entire book. Awesome work!

This was pretty good! The Jewish presentation was great and the themes explored were thoughtful and well-done. This is such an engaging premise and Locke handled the time-travel component gracefully. For me, it took a little while to get into it and the writing style was just a bit bland, but the overall concept and story made up for that for me. I will definitely look for the sequel!

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I first received The Girl with the Red Balloon, but it was a delightfully unexpected find. I loved how hopeful it is, and the vivid red imagery is reminiscent of the scene in Schindler’s List with the little girl’s red coat. I loved Locke’s unique and creative use of a red balloon as a symbol of hope. (At the same time, I almost wish I could see the looks of confusion/bewilderment on the Stazi’s (police) faces when they see random red balloons.)

I love how Locke uses storytelling in the form of Ellie’s grandfather, who shares the story of how he was rescued from a terrible fate during the Holocaust by a girl with a red balloon. And as far as Ellie knows, it is a story… until things happen and she realizes that her grandfather’s stories were so much more than fable and myth. I’ll admit that I was very curious to see how everything tied in together, and it did. Marvelously so.

I am quite curious to see how the sequel is going to go, with the way this book ended. But nonetheless, this is a solid story from Locke with promises of a stellar sequel.

Note: This e-ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. But thank you Albert Whitman & Co!!!

Although my favorite subject in school was never social studies, historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read. As an avid reader, I consume stories, and history is just that: stories. I love delving into the personal lives of those in a certain part of history. I have never been a "general overview" person. Give me the details; it makes things so much more intimate and fascinating. Now, coupled with fantasy, which tends to emphasize a story's themes? That was exactly what made the synopsis of The Girl With the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke so appealing to me.

Basically, on a school field trip in Germany, Ellie Baum accidentally time-travels to the year 1988, the time of the Berlin Wall. She runs into Kai and Mitzi, who are a part of the underground dealings of the red balloons that bring passengers over the Wall, and learns that time travel—although her grandfather's stories about magic are true—is an anomaly. They offer her shelter until the magic-wielding Schöpfers find a way to send her back, but soon, more time-travelers from modern times turn up... dead.

The story is an interesting mix of Ruta Sepetys's historical fiction and William Ritter's historical fantasy series Jackaby. While the story has a solemn background like that which is present in Sepetys's novels, it also has a unworldly feel with the intervention of fantasy in a setting other than that of our time. But it's not just the idea of the story that's beautiful. The execution is stellar as well.

Some stories hardly benefit from the inclusion of more than one narrator, but The Girl With the Red Balloon's three narrators, being from different time periods, all contribute perspective and emotional depth. In addition, I absolutely adore the sense of connection and friendship among the Ellie, Mitzi, and Kai trio. They're each out-of-place in a different way, and it's difficult not to root for them when they're trying so hard to make do with what they've got. Ellie has to adapt to being in another country and another time, Kai is a Romani separated from other Romanis with only a sister he dearly loves and protects, and Mitzi is a lesbian who can't return to her own family. Kai and Mitzi may have their own problems, but they are such characters. Kai is hilarious and witty, and Mitzi, after warming up to Ellie, is like the outgoing best friend everyone wants.

Unfortunately, the romance doesn't do too much for me personally. It moves quickly, considering the circumstances. Ellie is quick to trust and rarely thinks about her family and friends back home. That is not to say that I don't like Ellie and Kai together. Their banter is great, and the writing had me shipping them at especially the end. Here's an example of one of the many spectacular bits in this work:

I wanted to tell him that people would write books about boys like him one day, boys who lived in fairy tales and changed the course of human history and human imagination.
That line grabbed me right by the heart and clenched it. I seriously cannot stress enough how, if I had to describe this book in one word, it would be "beautiful." The writing immerses you in this grim world with vivid imagery and similes, and reading about it is anything but painful.

"You're never given anything more than you can handle, Benno," she told me as we took our bags to the trains.
In conclusion, I am not only suggesting this book; I hope for readers to become as hyped about the debut of the novel as I am anticipating The Balloonmakers #2. The story has a plot that is almost fairy-tale like while touching on issues of both the past and present, something truly unique. I rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Growing up Ellie has heard the story of her grandfather's amazing escape from a WWII Nazi death camp numerous times; the red balloon that seemingly magicked him to safety was nothing short of a miracle. When she sees a red balloon on her class trip in 1988, she grabs it for a photo op and finds herself pulled back in time to months before the fall of the Berlin Wall. There Ellie, who is Jewish, befriends Kai, a Romani, and Mitzi, who is gay, who use magic red balloons to rescue people in East Berlin as part of an underground resistance movement. A blend of historical fiction and mystery, with a touch of magic creates a must read story.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This has a clever and interesting setup, but the prose in between tended to meander, and so did my mind. The magic system was not as tightly constructed as I would have liked, but the flashbacks were very well rendered.

I will review this book on release date but I can say that if you are a teen that loves History just like I do, totally give this a read.

The Girl with the Red Balloon blew me out of the water with its twist on West Berlin in 1988, where magic red balloons help people escape over the wall. I was captivated with the vivid aspects of time travel and the way it was explained in this novel. Everything in the novel was connected in a loop and was tied together with a nice red bow at the end.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I couldn't get invested in the characters or plot, but would still recommend it to anyone into time travel based novels with a bit of history thrown in!

This was so unique, and an absolute blast. I love time travel, and the red balloons were a fascinating piece of worldbuilding! The three POVs were solid and mostly well-meshed, the Benno chapters did pull me out of the main story a bit. However, but I thought they were extremely poignant on their own. Kai's POV was my favorite, but I enjoyed Ellie's chapters too. I loved that Ellie was brought back to the 80's, and the tension regarding the East Berlin conflict was really interesting to explore with these characters. I did struggle a bit with Ellie's motivations at the end, but overall I found this very emotional and compelling. 

(And can we have a sequel about Mitzi, pretty please?!?)

"The Girl with the Red Balloon" is a beautiful book: openly, unapologetically Jewish, with a level of honesty and truth that I so rarely see in fiction. And it's a hopeful, optimistic story--it's not a tragedy, despite the Holocaust setting.

It is happy, and hopeful, and omg I love it so much. 

The Holocaust was, unfortunately, only barely covered by my school education. It's something I'm trying to fix now, and while I didn't go into this expecting an education, I was really pleasantly surprised by the amount of cultural and historical knowledge shared in its pages.

My four favourite characters were:
Mitzi, the unapologetic teal-hair-don't-care lesbian trying to fix her country from the inside.
Felix, suave AF and here to make you life easier. Will hide all the bodies for you.
Ella, the cinnamon bun stuck in the middle of a war. Cares so much about people. Please protect her.
Kai, the grumpypants who wants to be everyone's friend. So good, so pure.

The research that's gone into this is fantastic, and I'm so glad to see a story like this out there in the world. Highly recommended reading.

<i>Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a review copy.</i>

The Girl with the Red Balloon is a YA urban fantasy time travelling novel set in Berlin. Well, I don't know about you, but I'm sold based on that concept alone.

Ellie Baum, an American Jewish teenager, visits 21st century Berlin on a school trip, excited but slightly apprehensive as she recalls her grandfather's Holocaust-formed apprehensions about the German people. She spots a floating red balloon, and, recalling grandpa's description of beautiful days as "balloon days", asks her friend to take a photo of her as she grabs it... and, touching it, is pulled into night-time 1980s East Berlin. There, she meets a gypsy boy, a lesbian counterculture girl, and a conspiracy to smuggle persecuted people out of East Germany by means of magical balloons. Time-travel, it turns out, had not been a part of the plan.

The book is rich in atmosphere and detail - clearly, Katherine Locke has visited Berlin, and read up about history. It's also obvious that she knows a little German (but isn't at native-speaker-level), as she sprinkles German words and phrases into the book. The latter works up to a point: for any non-German-speakers, it undoubtedly adds to the richness of the details. To native speakers, her choice of words jars a bit, especially the repeated use of "Schöpfers", meaning "makers". Unfortunately, "Schöpfer" is used almost exclusively to refer to God as the creator. Similarly, her attempt at a compound noun is a bit befuddled.

When it comes to describing East Germany (and, in flashbacks to history, Jewish ghettos and concentration camps), the story feels grim and very claustrophobic. There's no way around the grimness for the scenes set in the Holocaust, but my impression is that the grimness of the DDR may well be overplayed in the novel. Germany is an odd case - because it reunited the communist, dictatorship East with the liberal democratic West, the transition was different from other countries. Because of the WW2 history, (West) Germany has a very self-conscious approach to looking at its history - so there are museums and memorials and movies about the horrors of the DDR. Other 'East European' countries also transitioned from Communist dictatorships to democracies, but didn't necessarily put the same amount of money, effort and cultural navel-gazing into looking at their past regimes. The result is perhaps a distortion of perception: Life in East Germany was no walk in the park, but it wasn't more terrible than life in any other country behind the Iron Curtain.

In terms of freedoms, living in the DDR probably wasn't worse than life today in Egypt or Cuba. In some areas of life, I suspect the likes of Egypt and Cuba today are less accommodating than the DDR had been. For example, I was a bit surprised that Mitzi, the lesbian, feared persecution, or that a pregnant woman out of wedlock would have been in terrible trouble: the DDR had a reputation for being ahead of West Germany in women's equality & sexual promiscuity / sex-positiveness. For example, the DDR 'legalised' homosexuality in 1957, 12 years before West Germany did. (In West Germany, the supreme court re-iterated in 1957 that homosexuality was obscene, and 50,000 men were arrested before it was legalised in 1975). As for racism, while it's never gone, the prejudice against Jews and gypsies that appear in the book strike me as unlikely in 1980s Germany (West or East). At times, Katherine Locke's DDR feels like it hasn't changed much from Nazi Germany, and that is, in my opinion, an exaggeration,

That said, Ellie being an English-speaker behind the Iron Curtain, she has to spend much of her time in hiding, forcing a claustrophobic tension into the story that feels warranted and authentic. Perhaps East Germany feels extra grim partially because of the culture shock and contrast she experiences.

While much of this review details the aspects of the novel that made me bristle a little, I would nonetheless recommend it. It's a good, exciting story, with shedloads of atmosphere and enough authenticity for most readers. If you were alive during the Cold War, or if you're a German native, you might find some things to quibble over, but if neither of those statements applies I suspect you'll enjoy the setting, atmosphere, detail and tension of the book.

Magical and heartbreaking. I loved the relationships, especially Kai because he would do anything to protect his little sister and it showed in great detail how much these people struggled and how important this event in time was so important.

The following will be posted on my blog, The Crown of Books on July 1st, 2017 around 10AM EST.

"If you give a girl a red balloon, she'll believe in magic and memory. If you give a girl a red balloon, she'll never want to let go."
When I first came across this book, I thought it was just another time-traveling story. After getting the full idea, I realized that it was not just a time-traveling story. It is a time-traveling story involved with magic and I knew that it was going to be different. This was definitely going to be interesting.

"If you give a girl a magic balloon, she'll become something else."
In The Girl with the Red Balloon,  sixteen-year-old Ellie is on a trip in Germany with a group of students and her best friend. When she notices a red balloon, a memory comes to her about a discussion she had with her grandfather and asks for a picture with the balloon to send to him. When she takes a hold onto the balloon, she disappears and reappears in 1988 East Berlin.

"If you give a girl a magic balloon, she will burn down the world."

One of the first things that I was impressed was the diversity in the book. There's Jewish characters, Romani characters, and even a queer character. Along with all the diversity, there is plenty of POV's as well. In the story, there are three characters who have their own POV's. Of course, Ellie is one of the main POV's. The other two belong to a Jewish character and a Romani character. You'll quickly notice that between the other two characters, the time periods are different. One is set in 1988 and the other is set in the early 1900's.

"If you give a girl a magic balloon, she'll rage against the machine."

When I first came across the different time periods, I was sort of confused on what the purpose was. There didn't seem to have an overall connection other than the magic that was involved in both time periods. Later on the story, more clues started dropping but some you do not realize until much later in the book. What is the connection exactly? I'll leave that for you to find out. All I can tell you that it is a good one. Almost sort of like a twist.

"If you give a girl a magic balloon, she'll never want to let go."

 The Girl with the Red Balloon is great story and magical. There is not much that I found wrong with the story and I just thought everything was right. Nothing was to much or to little, just perfect. I can pretty much guarantee anyone that they'll like this book if they like anything among time travel, magic, and/or some historical fiction. Pick up this book. It'll be a good one. Also, this book is both a part of a series and is a standalone. The author explained that the next book takes place in the same universe but it is not a sequel and it only features one minor character. Therefore, this book also a standalone.

This book hit me hard, it's such an emotional story, it made such an impact on me, It had an absolutely amazing author who wrote a beautifully woven plot. like non other. I'm not normally someone who reads a little of time travel books because they usually leave me confused but this one was the exact the opposite, this is one everyone should read.