Thanks to HarperTeen and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken by Nita Tyndall follows Charlie Kraus, a teen girl growing up in Germany as World War II begins. She follows her friend Geli to an underground club, and the experience helps her find herself. As time goes on, she faces conflicts with her family and friends, as well as trying to grow up with the War breaking out.

As a book, this is much more focused on the interpersonal conflicts with the war as a backdrop. I don't think that's a bad thing! But you'd have to know the general history of World War II to be able to place what happens. However, this book pulls no punches in terms of the consequences of the war and of speaking up against it.

Mixed in with all of this is Charlie's journey as a queer teenager. She finds herself but must hide her identity to stay safe. It's tough, and I think focusing on this conflict gives us a new perspective.

I really enjoyed Nita Tyndall's first book, Who I Was with Her, so I will be keeping an eye out for more of their work!

3.5 rounding up to a 4

This book was beautifully written and so unique! Historical fiction on WW2 is one of my favourite genres and this was the first book I’ve read about the music and dancing during that time period. I think the fact the characters were teens also gave it more of an emotional impact. You really felt the fun the girls were trying to have while also feeling their fear and confusion.

There was so much I liked about this story but, there was also a few things that didn’t work for me. I felt the ending was quite rushed and I wasn’t quite satisfied on such a big jump between Geli’s last scene to the end of the book. It felt like a big chunk of the story was missing. I also would have loved a little more emotional depth between Charlie and Renate. I was very surprised by that relationship and did not see it coming at all. While I did not like Geli’s character in the slightest I was rooting for her and Charlie so I was definitely thrown for a loop there. Lastly, I struggled with the language a lot. There was a lot of words and terms I wasn’t familiar with and often spent my time googling what it all was. Obviously these words and terms make sense for the setting of the story but I did feel a little lost at times and would have loved some English translations or brackets on the acronyms to help stay into the story.

Overall Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken was a beautiful story and a great YA historical fiction!

I think this is more of a 3.5 star read for me! Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books/ HarperTeen for the e-ARC of this title to read and review. Nita Tyndall's book, Who I Was With You, remains one of my sad-favorites, so I really was looking forward to this new story, Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken. As to be expected from Tyndall, the writing was engaging and kept me curious. I really liked the concept and the look into swingjugend and queer friend circles, and the idea of resistance happening in small but impactful ways- but I think overall I struggled with this one. The first 40% of the book or so, I was really convinced that truly nothing was happening. It felt very slow and... incorrect (?) in my own assumptions, if that's the word? Like I couldn't imagine that nothing would be going on in this time frame beyond this group of kids going to school, going out a bit, and listening to music - even in the years pre-war. And then all of a sudden, EVERYTHING was happening. All WWII stories feel very high stakes to me, and yet this one continuously felt like it was low stakes, despite that definitely not being the case at all?

Something I particularly like about a lot of historical fiction for YA audiences is how major world events unfold alongside everyday happenings and regular moments. It shows us that universal experience of growing up, even when every single generation and historical period has wildly different challenges too. I know that happens in a lot of stories, but I think it's realistic (and okay!) for especially kids and teens to go through friend drama and crushes and school stress even if there's a literal world war unfolding. (My own childhood journals are like this through my own historical events, they're like, "I lost a tooth today! And there was a big horrible hurricane but then I went to Susie's birthday party and the kids were mean.") I do think this book leans a little heavily into that though - I don't really get the sense that most of these characters understand the severity of what is happening around them. There are so many lines that just sound like, "where are our Jewish neighbors?" I suspended my disbelief for a little bit, thinking that's just my retrospective and understanding, but also like, there was plenty genuine fear and terror happening in this moment that something seems off. Also, I don't think our main character Charlie made us readers feel her own sense of safety, security, or family obligations - the characters around her were much more compelling and ultimately why I ended up enjoying this story more towards the end.

Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken by Nita Tyndall

Growing up in Berlin as Hitler rises to power, Charlotte (whose friends call her Charlie) is taught that a woman’s role is “Kinder, Küche, Kirche”: children, kitchen, church. But Charlie longs for a different future for herself and her country, one where she can live and love freely. Charlie sees her best friend, Angelika (Geli) as more than just a friend and she would follow her anywhere. When Geli invites her to attend an underground jazz club, Charlie quickly acquiesces and finds herself amongst others who defy the Nazi party and remain true to themselves. She sees boys dancing with boys and girls dancing with girls. They invite along their friends Renate and Minna and Charlie drifts farther and farther from the teachings of the Nazi party, even as her parents worry for her safety.

The story follows Charlie for several years, features a beautiful picture of the relationship between sisters, and presents some perfectly written tense moments as Charlie comes of age in Nazi Germany. While Tyndall brings us moments of fear, sadness, and grief, they also give us moments of pure queer joy. Charlie faces the same pangs of crushes and first loves that teenagers of all eras and places know so well.

I loved reading something set in Nazi Germany and the portrayals of how different families survived the years of Hitler’s reign, how people resisted in small and large ways, some turning toward each other and others being torn apart. While there is a lot of World War II fiction, it’s a breath of fresh air in the genre to get a story set in an Axis country. Charlie and her family and friends see the destruction of Jewish property, followed by the disappearance of their Jewish friends and neighbors, and live through food rationing and air raids.


I think the comparison to Last Night at the Telegraph Club is apt. Like Malinda Lo, Tyndall has a talent for writing a YA novel that can be enjoyed by adults and teens alike. They have written relatable characters, realistic emotions, and a compelling story.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the ARC.

Set during WWII, a group of friends explore the illegal swing scene of Germany while grappling with queer identity and familial pressure.

There’s something very comforting to me about seeing queer representation in historical fiction. Knowing that queer people have always existed, and that queer joy has always existed. I felt that joy and freedom in this book, even as it was kept secret. The way that queer people recognize each other.

I’m fully in my league of their own era rn, so this book hit even harder, but on top of that, I was forced to watch the movie swing kids in high school and it was a formative influence for my entire class so this book really brought all those feelings to the surface

I have some grievances with the conclusion of this book but overall I thought it was a complicated look into a culture that doesn’t get much attention, and I appreciated that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book in a day and it left me absolutely sobbing at the end. 10 out of 10, would let this book emotionally devastate me again.

One thing that was interesting (and by interesting, I mean terrifying) I noted while reading this book were the easy parallels that could be drawn between events and things taking place in the story and things happening in the news today, which the author alluded to in their introduction.

This book is definitely one that’s going to stay with me, and I can not recommend it enough, especially for those who love WWII historical literature, LGBTQIA+ fiction, and/or stories that may leave you a sobbing mess.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, I love this book so much! The amount of love and pain poured into these pages is insane and I can't wait to read this one again. It's a huge shift from Tyndall's first novel. If you're a fan of queer historical fiction, this is a must read.

I received an eArc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken, Nazi era Berlin feels very small. It's story of a small group of friends going to swing dances. I can't tell if this hurts or helps the book. On the one hand I think it's very realistic but on the other it makes the book feel devoid of action and the world feels underdeveloped because we don't really see the day to day either.

That said, the sweet sapphic romances of the book make it worth the read. It is very reminiscent of the moral of Mother Night: Make love where you can. It's very similar to the Big Lie by Julie Mayhew albeit I found it to be less of a gut punch and have fewer disturbing images.

This was a really engaging read that I finished in less than a day. The strongest part was the characters. It took me a little while to keep track of everyone, but the dynamics across the cast were really compelling. Some characters definitely invite more sympathy than others, but I found them all interesting. The pacing and time jumps felt a bit odd at times - I understand from a narrative perspective why those choices were made, but especially later on, the skips sometimes felt too long. I can see fans of Last Night at the Telegraph Club really enjoying this one.

CW: off-page deaths (including family members), antisemitism and antisemitic violence, ableism, sexism, infidelity, underage drinking, referenced threat of sexual violence

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The book definitely had some engaging writing and was a fast read; unfortunately, there were too many characters that felt flat for me to care, and the characters I did like (Renate & Minna) weren’t in the book enough. There was such a long period of time covered in the book, yet I felt like I didn’t properly see development or any nuance for characters, despite the heavy subject matter. It was at least a quick read but that’s really all I have to say about it.

Yup, I cried, but no one is surprised.

Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken is a story of resistance and making joy during dark times, as well as family and love. It is a story that examines when safety stops being enough and it’s time to resist and push back against harmful regimes. It is also the story of a group of friends navigating their friendship and society when it’s not safe to be Jewish, it’s not safe to be queer, it’s not safe to be disabled.

Even though it was the ending that really got me crying, this still feels like a book of hope and resistance. Set during the lead up to and beginning of World War II in Germany, it shows regular citizens trying to survive and help those they love survive, and having to make difficult choices on what survival can look like. I also really enjoyed the messy aspects of their friendships and so many of Charlie’s experiences with Geli of getting close and then having new distance felt familiar, even as reasonings and motivations don’t match my experiences. I adored the development between Charlie and Renate, the way their friendship gradually shifted and developed into romantic feelings. And the ways they support one another and keep hope alive for one another is so deftly done.

Overall, this is a fantastic book and Tyndall once again shows their ability at crafting an emotional, moving story. If you liked Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club, this book has similar vibes in storytelling and with the historical setting. Definitely recommend picking this up!

[CannonballRead will post Oct 10]

I think there are going to be readers out there who LOVE it for the pining, and the tragic love, and the lipstick (there was so much lipstick).

As a major history dork and a major lesbian I couldn’t get wait to get my hands on Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken. I was getting some Last Night at The Telegraph Club vibes after reading the synopsis and as one of my favorite books I’ve read, I was so excited to receive this book from Netgalley. But perhaps my anticipation and going in with expectations was a mistake because by the end of book I was sorely disappointed.

I didn’t expect to be so bored while reading it. As a person who knows history and understands the stakes of this actual point in history, I could barely keep myself from dnfing the book out of utter disinterest halfway through. My interest in the setting wasn’t nearly enough to carry the un-impactful characters, lack of emotion, and the nonexistent development of the endgame romantic relationship. In fact, the characters had such a little impact that the only one I remember by name was Geli, because I found her so unlikeable. The end relationship between [redacted] and [redacted] felt like it came out of left field and was not fleshed out at all.

Overall, I think it was a fair try, but it just didn’t hit the mark.

I really enjoyed Tyndall's second YA release, Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken. It had complex characters, an interesting plot and well-researched. However, I did feel that the author could have elaborated more on how Jews at the time were affected by the rise of Nazism in the late 30s. However, I do appreciate that Charlie eventually realizes that things really are unsafe for Jews, including for her friend Minna. I would recommend it to teens interested in learning more about this awful time in history. Lastly, I found the relationships between the girls interesting but a bit confusing.

I got sapphic Jojo Rabbit vibes from this book, and I am not complaining. It was a narrative telling of a young woman in the lead-up and during World War II. I'm in love with books that center queer stories that aren't necessarily about them being queer. The book would be different if they weren't queer, however the way their queer identities were portrayed through both the clubs and Charlie's relationships.
I loved exploring Charlie's relationships through this book. Too often in queer books, the person that "made them" queer is the person they end up with. In Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken, she has multiple relationships that change her as a person and help her grow. Her relationship with her family was also realistic and could still be seen in today's family. Specifically, her relationship with her younger sister and how she was so desperate to protect her, but at the end of the day she just wanted her younger sister. Her parents weren't perfect, but also were trying to protect her which resulted in honestly, teenage-typical fights and acting out.
As a history person, I love reading and learning about normal everyday lives during historical events. Seeing these girls experience Kristallnacht, air raids, and the start of the war was interesting and kept me engaged throughout the book.
The only complaint I have with the book is the ending felt a little rushed. Everything was thrown into a package and wrapped up with a bow. I would've liked a scene of the girls at the end of the war instead of reflection.

TLDR; sapphic older JoJo Rabbit with a heavy focus on both platonic and romantic relationships.

Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken is the story of Charlie, a teenager during WWII, and how she and her friends navigate life as it changes around them in Berlin, Germany. The writing was beautiful and overall I really liked most of the main characters (including Charlie, her little sister Greta, her best friends Minna and Renate, and her parents). The story is told in first-person, from Charlie's point of view, but I wish we had gotten viewpoints from some of the other characters (at least her sister, Greta, and her best friend/crush, Geli). I feel like this would have rounded out these relationships a little more.

I saw another reviewer critiquing the book's focus on how difficult and dangerous it was for the swingjugend (Swing Youth) to be partying and dancing to illegal music (American jazz). The reviewer's point was essentially that they had a hard time feeling sorry for the characters because they were still living decent lives while their Jewish friends and neighbors were being rounded up and sent to camps to face indescribable horrors. I think this is an unfair assessment for a few reasons:

1. I *hate* when people begin to compare human experiences, particularly negative ones. Yes, the Jewish people had it MUCH worse in WWII than the non-Jewish left behind in Germany. But that doesn't negate the fact that many of those people also suffered. Many German people were starved and scared, had to deal with air raids, and had to be very cautious about saying anything negative (or perceived as negative) about the Nazi Party. Additionally, this book isn't *just* about dancing teenagers, it's about LGBTQ+ people and how dangerous it was for them at this time as well. I feel like this is a perspective we haven't seen much in literature about WWII, and is a welcome addition to the narrative. Because queer people certainly existed at this time, they were also forced to wear marks on their clothing, and they were also rounded up and sent to concentration camps.

2. Most people around the world, including Germans themselves, knew very little about what was actually going on in concentration camps. They knew Jewish people were being demonized, and they knew many of them were being relocated, but they had no idea the levels of torture and murder being used on them. It's unfair to expect the characters to truly understand the depth of what they were going through versus what Jewish people were going through.

3. The main character (Charlie) herself voices the exact sentiment brought up by this reviewer; at one point she thinks about if she has the right to feel scared of her circumstances or feel nervous about what she is doing (attending the forbidden dances) because she is still relatively safe and has been able to stay in her home, while her friend Jewish friend Minna (and Minna's family) had to flee and Charlie doesn't know if they are safe.

Overall, this is a beautifully written, heart-wrenching book. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC for review.

The cover is dumb but the book is great! I have read a lot of WWII books but this was a new perspective. I really felt Charlie’s need to have Geli return her adoration and the dumb choices one can make for someone you love. Charlie did seem a little oblivious of the suffering of Jews and also that other characters could have inner lives but the plot depended on that ignorance. It was so well written and I loved it. I wished some of the German had been translated (there are a few German lines sprinkled throughout) but that is such a small quibble. Highly recommended. I am not sure if this is supposed to be YA. I think it is suitable for both teens and adults.

after reading two of nita tyndall's books, ive decided that they just arent for me. something about the pacing is off, and i always find it difficult to connect to the characters.

This was one of my most anticipated 2022 releases, but it ended up just not working for me. I felt like Tyndall tried to cover too much time over the course of the book, and I didn't really like Charlie a ton - probably because I really didn't like Geli and she was so fixated on her. I think Kip Wilson's 2022 release did a much better job of writing about being a queer young adult at this time in Germany.

Thank you, HarperCollins Children's Books. for allowing me to read Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken early!

In their sophomore young adult novel, Nita Tyndall bring us back in time, to a pre-World War II Berlin and its electric underground realities. Ravishing, rebellious protagonists, a terrifying era and an incredible tale of braveness and queerness make Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken one the best novel I've had the pleasure to read.