This was an eye-opening, moving story about a young Japanese man during World War II and the Japanese internment in the US. After being relocated to Manzanar War Relocation Camp from Bainbridge Island, Washington, Alex Maki joins the all Japanese battalion in an effort to save his father and his friend, Charlie, who he has been pen pals with since 1935. The book explores life in a Japanese internment camp and on the battlefield, fighting in the wake of American prejudice toward the Japanese. Interspersed with letters between Alex and Charlie, the book is a moving testament to friendships that cross oceans.

If you are on the hunt for a heart-wrenching historical fiction based on World War II then look no further. This follows a Japanese-American young boy living in America at the beginning of the second world war and he is assigned a pen pal named Charlie, who is a young Jewish girl living in Paris. It starts off with their initial letters and then you get to experience their maturation and development alongside the tragic events of war.
It's heart-breaking and so terribly sad - a beautifully written book for sure.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it reminded me that children all over the world were affected by the war. It started really well but did lack pace in the middle

A moving tale of friendship, love, trials and hope.
I loved reading the letters between Alex and Charlie over the years. Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

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

I was so excited when I got the notification that I would be reviewing this book. I was completely hooked from the synopsis and I couldn’t wait to dive in. This book is so full of emotions. I felt absolutely everything. I felt sadness, anger, happiness, bewilderment, and embarrassment. Even though it was an emotional read, it wasn't overly sentimental.

I read a ton of historical fiction and I will almost always pick up anything written about WWII but this one grabbed my attention in such a way that to be honest, I just cannot explain. It was so raw and heartbreaking in such an organic way. My one complaint (usually) with historical fiction is the lack of research on the authors part, but Andrew Fukuda did such a beautiful job

Alex and Charley’s story made my heart ache for them. They made me laugh and cry. I worried for them. I hurt for them. I wanted to know everything about them. I rather enjoyed reading this from Alex’s perspective. I feel that the story really couldn’t have been as compelling if it had been from Charley’s perspective. Even though you only really hear from Charley when you are reading the letters from her to Alex, you really get to know her deeply as a character.

The ending was completely unexpected but it was still an amazing read and I feel it should be on everyone's TBR list!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Andrew Fukuda, and Macmillian-Tor Forge for letting me review this wonderful story. It broke my heart, but I still really enjoyed it.

Any YA book about WWII always catches my attention and this was no different. I went into this book with high hopes but did not finish it.
The writing and characters were well-developed but I could not connect with them. This book was also very similar to a book I read earlier this year, same plot and situation, same location and events.
Maybe I will pick it up again later with a fresh mind but until then, I need to give this book a rest.

Rating: 2 Stars
Content: DNF/no rating

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.

This book was SO absolutely amazing that I could not put it down once I started it. Truly an epic story, one that will be with me for a long time. Alex is a Japanese American living in Washington state in 1935 when, at the age of 10, he is assigned a pen pal in Paris who turns out to be a Jewish French girl named Charley. Initially he is not thrilled that she is a girl but eventually, they get used to each other and write constantly, for many years. Alex and Charley get very close, best friends and even closer, and then WW II starts. They try to keep up communications but they become few and far between when Alex is sent to a Japanese containment camp and eventually Charley goes in to hiding. They never forget or give up ion each other as the years pass and thy continue to love each other even though they lose touch. Their story is beautiful, thought-provoking, sad and amazing all at once. DO not miss this this book. You will NOT regret it. I loved it SO much. One of my favorite historical fiction books ever. Thanks to NG for the ARC!!

A beautiful story that manages to be both earnest and tough without getting overly sentimental. The story opens with Alex, a young Japanese-American boy living in Bainbridge Island in the 1930/40's, getting slightly miffed when he finds out that his assigned penpal, Charlie, is not in-fact a boy, but a young Jewish girl living in Paris. Although reluctant at first, Alex and Charlie begin a correspondence that lasts years. This part of the book was so affecting as Fukuda really captured the youthful ardency of two nerdy and sensitive kids who are on the cusp of adulthood in the midst of the turmoil of a world at war. Equally, their words carry a solemn urgency as Alex and his family are sent to live in an internment camp and Charlie feels the inevitable presence of the German occupation and specter of what that means for her and her family.

The novel gets darker in mood when Alex decides to join a segregated army company - in large part to make a hail-mary effort to find Charlie. There is much brutality and much heartfelt feeling of camaraderie. Fukuda does an excellent job of conveying the racism toward the Japanese-American troops and the fact that much of their most heroic efforts were erased from the narrative of the American war effort. He clearly drew on real-life events which makes it all the more poignant.

The book is heartbreaking, like war is heartbreaking, It also is truly beautiful and heartfelt in many parts. It's good storytelling. I recommend a read.

Thank you netgally and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

This book was received as an ARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge - Tor Teen in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Surprisingly I really enjoyed this book and the message it sent throughout. For the YFiction category, this book has a very different vibe compared to other historical fiction novels. I loved the language used by Fukuda keeping the characters in teenage years using teenage language especially the conversation between Alex and Charlie. I loved how at first they resented the idea of becoming pen pals but later as they wrote to each other they developed a strong bond of friendship that became life or death for them literally. A lot of schools should add this book to their reading curriculum and have discussions with them because the book is powerful in its theme. The book talks about a powerful historical event while blending it with a powerful message that benefits everyone no matter the cost.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at the library and when the book is release pass it on to our English and History teachers. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I have read numerous books about WWII, but this is the first one that has included the Japanese-Americans that were placed in internment camps in this country. I was totally blown away by this author's ability to grab my heart and wring out every emotion possible. You see, I knew what America did to our own countrymen, but Mr. Fukada told this story in such a way that I felt shame, sadness, embarrassment, anger, and bewilderment, The story of Alex and Charlie at times made me laugh and cry , and sometimes all in one paragraph. Wonderful book, wonderful story, wonderful author. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

Alex is an American-Japanese, Charlie is a French Jew. Before the war Charlie and Alex became Pen pals.. Over the years the two developed a firm, close friendship despite never meeting.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour, the Japanese American were frowned upon and all had to leave their homes. They lived in a small room but were able to work for money.

However the time came when Japanese-American soldiers were needed to help in the war and it doesn't take much persuasion from Alex to join.

His older brother Frank calls him an idiot but Alex was promised his father would be released. Plus he hadn't heard from Charlie for a while, she was in trouble and he needed to find her.

The story is told from Alex's perspective. Apart from when we read Charlie's and Alex's letter to each other.
It's a great story of one man's quest to meet the girl he loves and the one he's been writing too for years.

Some parts are true, whilst some are not. Andrew was inspired to make and Charlie pen-pals when he found out that Anne Frank had an American Pen-pal.

The ending was not the ending I expected. However all in all it is a good book. Which is well researched and written. The author provides lot of details and there is a lot of action too.

Harrowingly beautiful, brutal, full of life and death, friendship and love and brotherhood, The Light Between Us was a substantial read that brought tears to my eyes. The injustice and cruelty at the hands of humans to other humans—the switch from kind to cruel in the throes of war and fear really jar ones fate—that no one should be put to test. Loved the comradery that fuelled the search of one man’s quest for someone lost to war!

Special thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for this review copy.

Don’t forget to grab yourselves a copy in January of next year.

This was a spellbinding, heart wrenching book. Alex and Charlie are wonderful and unique characters that I loved. I felt like I was right there beside them the whole time, laughing at their letters and then crying as theirs lives plummeted into hell. The setting of this book, during WWII, was unique due to the fact it was not just about the act of fighting. While much of Charlie’s story was left to the imagination you still feel the anguish and pain you know she faced every day. The author wove the two characters and their storylines together quietly and with such skill that you were experiencing both at the same time. I absolutely loved this book. I would love t read more books by this author as their is great talent behind this book.

I love how this book takes two elements of World War 2, one well-known and the other lesser-known, and draws the parallels between them with the two main characters. The vivid descriptions are sure to make my classroom boys more enthusiastic about reading this book, while the underlying long story will hold the attention of my girls. Admittedly, it did not end the way I had so hoped...but that just makes it seem more like a real story than a Hollywood movie...and real life isn't always pretty. We'll definitely be adapting this one for use with a novel study!