My opinion on this book is extremely mixed and it is because I despise an element, a genre, in literature.

I hate magical realism.

I am noticing this a trend with many authors these days, adding a supernatural element/character that plays a huge role in advancing the protagonist's story. I don't get it. It adds a whole inauthenticity to a story.

And for me personally, The Night War did not <spoiler> need the addition of Catherine De Medici's ghost </spoiler>. Sure, it helped Miriam ultimately discover truths about people (all generations have had battles with war, money, and power), truths about herself (being brave to do the hard thing).....but couldn't that have been done with a human person? I get it, setting the novel against a historically accurate backdrop (a Jewish underground railroad if you will)....but no.

Sigh. Y'all I love historical fiction. I love WWII fiction. Especially in a time where anti-Semitism is at an all time high....I love books that honor the brave Jewish people. And I also love Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Fighting Words was a masterfully brilliant book people!).

But this one......sigh......I'm very mixed on my feelings.

Miri is a Jew living in Paris is 1942 when the French police round up all the Jews. With the help of her neighbor, Miri and her neighbor's baby daughter, Nora, escape and are rescued on the street by a French nun. The French nun then sends the girls into the country, hoping they will be save from the Nazis. Miri is still fearful and distrustful of the nuns. Soon she becomes involved in more than a twelve year old girl should be.

This story about a Jewish girl living in Paris in 1942 who finds safety in a convent has an interesting storyline that should grab readers. However there is a ghost element that seemed odd and the story wraps up way too quickly and neatly. For those who know little about the round up of Jews in Paris, this is a good entry point.

While I could see that this book was painstakingly researched and lovingly crafted, I just couldn't get past the supernatural/fantasy element that is introduced into the story. Also, the ending felt very rushed and also overly optimistic.

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley does such a great job of teaching us another story of times of war in such an engaging way! There are so many stories of WWII but this again shows how everyday heroes saved so many lives!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This is the 4th book I've read by this author. I really enjoyed the storyline and thes of this book. However, the ending fell very flat and rushed.

I loved "The War That Saved My Life" and "The War I Finally Won". They were excellent books that I would not hesitate to recommend to people looking for good historical fiction for middle graders. Even as an adult who has read a plethora of World War 2 historical fiction books [some amazing, some not so much], I found these to be historically accurate, well-written, educating and both entertaining and thought-provoking. So when I saw a new book was coming out by this author, I was really excited to be able to get an ARC for it.

Unfortunately, this book just didn't work for me. I found much of it to be unbelievable [especially with Miri's naiveté; they escaped Germany after the Kristallnacht, and while life was better in Paris after that, Miri was old enough to know what was going on and to be ready for anything. She would not have been as naive as the writer makes her out to be. A lot of my issues with this book stems from that - I have read enough nonfiction books, memoirs from that time, and naivete was not something they had the luxury to be], and the "twist" of the story just was...I don't even know how to put it. It just didn't work for me. At all. I just felt that the author was trying to put a happy twist on a horrific time and it rang false throughout the whole book. I am very disappointed and would possibly still recommend this book, but in my opinion, there are better books out there that tell this type of story in a much better [and more believable] way.

Thank you to NetGalley, and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Dial Books for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

All the stars!!! When I first started this book, I was not in the mood for another WWII fiction book, but I couldn’t stop reading. Miriam lives in occupied Paris and when the Nazis round up all of the Jews suddenly, a nun helps her escape with her neighbor's baby, Nora. Miriam and Nora are hidden and transported to the countryside where they are separated. Nora is placed with a family and Miriam, who must now go by Marie, is sent to stay in a convent. She doesn’t know if her parents are dead or alive, but she promised Nora’s mother that she would take her to Zurich. Marie must hide that she is Jewish, but a few sympathetic nuns know. The convent is near the border of Vichy, which is not occupied by Germans and Marie is recruited to help Jews cross into safety. Even though Nora is safe and well cared for, Marie is still determined to get them both to Zurich. Kimberly Brubaker Bradley has once again written a war novel perfect for middle grades. It discusses the injustice of war in an age appropriate manner and the story is a great read for all ages.

I really love Brubaker Bradley's style of historical fiction. Her characters feel real, and it is very clearly and beautifully researched. The only thing stopping this book from getting a five-star rating was the fantasy element that I don't think should have been confirmed. I would have liked it if it had been more of, "Did we just see what we think we saw?" Overall, quite well done. I'd love to see more historical fiction from other time periods from this author.

A historical fiction about the power of courage and choosing to do what is right through extraordinary trials, The Night War was easy to pick up and hard to put down.
Miriam is a resourceful and relatable protagonist, the reader is kept in step with her journey as her understanding of the world and her place in it changes. Perhaps my biggest complaint is that the story ended when it did, everything was wrapped up nicely in an epilogue but there was so much more of the journey I would have wished to see.

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is the master of middle grade trauma.

Following a Jewish girl escaping Paris with her toddler neighbor, this ghostly tale is all about bravery and survival.

I would recommend it for fifth-grade and up as the the themes are more appropriate for this age.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dial Group, and Penguin Young Readers Group for the eARC.

Another powerful story from WWII that isn't often highlighted. Many know the story of Jews in Eastern Europe, but few know of those in Western Europe. In 1942, French police rounded up 13,000 Jews and deported them them to Auschwitz. This became known as the V'el d'Hiv and it is where The Night War begins.

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley creates in the character of Miriam a girl torn between right and wrong, protector and protected. Her guilt for things that she had no control over was palpable at times. Like many of Bradley's characters, she is thrown into adulthood too early but also struggles allowing anyone to take care of her. She has the innocence of a child to think that her actions have a greater impact than they actually do and suffers from a great deal of guilt.

Miriam's family fled Germany after Kristallnacht and never dreamed that they wouldn't be safe in France. Unfortunately, as we know now, there was no safety. She manages to flee the roundup but is also placed in charge of a friend's toddler. In order to survive, she winds up being taken in by a Catholic boarding school, but faces many challenges still. As per other titles by Bradley, she grows greatly through the experience.

More and more I'm thrilled by the parts of history that we are able to learn about due to historical fiction. This is an important part of Jewish and world history and the story is beautifully done. A great addition for children ages 10+ though background information might be necessary, especially for younger readers.

The short chapters and suspenseful situations kept me racing through this one!

Miri is sheltered in a Catholic boarding school after escaping from the Nazis, but her mind is focused on saving her sister and finding her family.

Middle grade historical fiction with some paranormal twists

This one or The War That Saved My Life by the same author are great places to start if you want to try middle grade!

4.5 stars

Loved this middle grade historical fiction! A great intro into WW2 occupied France and a glimpse of the French resistance before it really took off. Definitely appropriate for the targeted age range. It touches on subjects of trust, social awareness, prejudice, propaganda, helping those in need, right v wrong, bravery, courage, differing religious beliefs.

Miriam is a 12 year old German Jew who fled to Paris with her parents after kristallnacht. Living in what is known today as the Jewish quarter in Paris with other immigrants, Miriam is separated from her family during a roundup of Parisian Jews. When given the choice to escape and save not only her own life, but the life of her friend’s daughter, a toddler, she flees the roundup. Will she be able to keep herself and Nora safe? Who can she trust?

Miriam beautifully portrays bravery and brilliance. Her character grows with the storyline as she is trusted by adults to take on more than she should, as many her age did during that time. She must learn who to trust among her peers, elders, and even a new and unlikely friend she meets along the way.

I think it is suitable for children aged 10+ and would recommend a parent buddy read since there are a lot of themes surrounding right and wrong, differing religions beliefs, what if neither choice you’re presented seems like the right one, interpreting history, etc.

CW: war themes, Jewish round up in Paris, historical examples of similar prejudices and injustice

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley writes real girls experiencing actual challenges with genuinely brave responses (as in, they're scared and they mess up and they learn). Tenderly written with just the right amount of suspense, this historical fiction is sure to connect with readers of all ages. The end is a little abrupt, but perhaps the story will continue with a sequel. The epilogue answers a few questions, but not many. I guess I just want to spend more time with the main character and see how she and her friends fare through the end of the war.

Set against the backdrop of the Nazi occupation of France in WW2, this historical novel follows Miriam, a young girl on her own and in hiding, no idea whether her family is alive or not. Hidden in a convent in the French countryside, near the Vichy border, she is still not out of danger. Nazi soldiers are all over town, and stationed at Chenonceau Castle. Even in the convent she is not safe, among the other girls she must hide that she is Jewish. When the opportunity to help others comes up, she doesn't hesitate to jump in, even though it could mean her own life. This novel went in a direction that I wasn't expecting and at first, I didn't love it, but by the end it made sense and wrapped up the novel nicely. Another great historical fiction novel!

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is an author that I have read and will continue to read.
The Night War was excellently paced and in my opinion will easily appeal to the target audience. With its short chapters, I was interested and engaged in the story, curious to find out what was going to happen next.
As an adult reader, I was also impressed with the fact that I knew little of the historical content surrounding the plot. The time period of WW2 is one that is currently oft written about. However, the castle that is the center of this story, was unknown to me, and I found myself furiously googling to see and learn more.
While I did overall enjoy this story, and would recommend it, it was a three star read for me. There were several major elements of the story that I questioned. Discerning parents may want to preview before handing over to young ones.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to preview this book!

Such an interesting story about a time period that is incredibly engaging for middle grade readers! This is a time period that students have a voracious appetite for and Kimberly Brubaker Bradley knows how to reel readers in to her stories by making us feel like we are right there with the characters during their experiences. Everytime I had to put this book down to get ready for work or do some other adult task that had to be done, I was so disappointed to have to stop. In fact, I read past my bedtime last night because I didn’t want to stop again.

Definitely one I’d recommend!

With the help of her own quick wits and a friendly nun, Miri escapes a Nazi round up of Jews in WW2 Paris with her neighbor's daughter Nora. She is taken for refuge into the country, where she finds herself separated from Nora. Nora is taken in by a French couple, while she is placed into a French Catholic boarding school. Unsure of who she can trust, and worried about the fate of her parents and neighbors, Miri settles in under her new name Marie. When a nun is injured, Miri takes her place in smuggling people over the border into Vichy France. But she is always looking for a way to find Nora and escape over the border herself.
Miri has to learn to look deep within herself for courage. She also needs to learn that she is not responsible for what happened to her friends and family. There was nothing she could have done - the situation was simply too big. Everyone told her to be brave and I think she was.
I enjoyed this book. It is a different look at WW2 than her other WW2 books which are set in Great Britain. I loved those books, and gave them 5 stars. I think this is a good solid 4 star read. I received this book from Netgalley and Dial Books. I received no compensation for my review, which reflects my honest opinion.

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is gifted at writing WWII historical fiction for middle graders. I love suggesting The War That Saved my Life and The War I finally Won to our middle school students. The Night War is another good entry, however, the Holocaust is a highly sensitive and shattering time of genocide in the history of the Jewish people. I would have liked an author’s note, at least, explaining the author’s research and collaboration with people whose families survived the Holocaust. Perhaps that will be part of the final version.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.