If a book can make me cry, it's an automatic five-star read. There is so much packed into this story! It is full of endearing characters, and the writing is beautiful. I loved the fairy tale woven throughout and the way the author took the idea of resistance through each of the three intertwining stories. It is an excellent illustration of the fact that we must always be prepared to fight and stand up for a better future. It was incredibly relevant for today and I think teens, especially, will get a lot out of it.

I love the way the stories connected. It's rare, I think, for a story with three different timelines to come together quite so well. I love a story about uncovering family history, and Under the Same Stars did it in a very creative way. The 2020 pandemic storyline was my least favorite for most of the book, but by the end it had redeemed itself. By far, my favorite storyline was the 1940's with Hanna and Sophie. I would have read an entire book just with that, but I'm glad the author wove such an intricate tale for us.

If you enjoy stories about resistance, with dynamic characters, queer rep, and coming-of-age, this is for you. I think you're going to love it.

This was my first Libby Bray book and honestly, I have no idea why I waited so long! Libba Bray is an absolute queen of historical fiction and I loved this book. It was both heartbreaking and wonderful and I loved everything about the story. I particularly loved how the different POVs were woven together with the different timelines.

A must read for historical fiction fans.

Also, this was great as an audiobook. Since a large chunk of the story takes place in non-English speaking settings, I loved listening to the narrators pronounce the names and words correctly.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh Libba, I have loved you since A Great and Terrible BeUty. This was BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN. Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I am working through my backlog, and will be momentarily posting reviews for the stories I have yet to get posted but have finished reading.

I haven't always loved Bray's YA books, so I went into this novel thinking I might not like it. But, whoa, I love this historical fiction book, even with the three timelines. The most modern timeline is 2020 in NYC--it's nuts to see how everyone was so locked down in their own spaces. I was going to travel softball games by May 2020, so the way the people in this novel are holed up in their apartments was odd to read about. The earlier two timelines were the best (to me). 1980 in West Berlin--Jenny gets sucked into punk culture when her dad is moved to Berlin for work. She also falls in love with a girl who isn't the best for her. And then the third timeline is 1939 Germany, when Hanna and Sophie are struggling with being "perfect" German girls in a world that doesn't make sense. I was very happy that each chapter was labeled with time and place, and glad I didn't listen to the audio!
The book is also beautiful with end papers in red of the tree rings. I was concerned when I saw cursive in the book--not all teens can read that, right? Or so the grumpy old folks say?

Libba Bray is one of the best YA authors writing today. Her writing is SMART while still being accessible. Her brilliance is in her unique premises and she always has her finger of the pulse of humanity. I love her writing and this book was no exception. She can do no wrong.

I really enjoyed the dual timelines of this story along with all of the characters. At first I wasn't sure if I would like it but once I got into the story it picked up and hooked me.

This YA historical fiction has three different points of view that intersect and overlap as the story unfolds. This was both a compelling element and sometimes a tedious one (as I tend to prefer some timelines/characters over others and was less interested in reading those.) The author handles each POV excellently, the voices are varied and the language changes to match the time period in a way that's subtle and lovely at the same time. Each story has a similar theme and when we discover how they each connect, it's quite satisfying (though I felt like it took awhile to get there!) If historical fiction with strong themes is your thing, I imagine you'll like this book!

Bray presents this story in three timelines that are all interconnected. There are a lot issues covered here, but what they all share is a tale of resistance and bring true to oneself.

First there’s the best friends Hannah and Sophie who live in Berlin in the early 1940’s. Hannah is adventurous and has an easy manner with everyone she meets. Sophie is quieter, loves fairy tales and words. She is enthralled with the idea of finding romance by sharing messages with unknown suitors using the Bridegroom’s Oak. Legend has it that people leave messages inside the tree and wait for responses from their true love.

The second timeline is set in the Cold War in 1980’s Berlin. Jenny is an American whose father has moved the family to West Berlin for his job. She meets and becomes enthralled with Lena, a punk singer. Wanting to impress the rocker and feeling emotions she has never felt before, Jenny finds a side of herself that she is anxious to explore.

Lastly, Miles and his good friend Chloe are confined to their homes during the pandemic of 2020. They communicate through their phones and computers. Chloe asks Miles to help her solve a mystery. Her ailing grandmother has sent her a package that makes Chloe want to find out more about a mystery from Germany during the 1940’s. It centers around the disappearance of three teens, two girls and a boy. There’s also a connection to a legend of the Bridegroom’s Oak.

Beautifully woven together, the three stories deal with a quest for love, best friends, and standing up for something you believe in. The characters are involved in resistance to the Reich and the strict government control of East Berlin during the Cold War. The contemporary timeline shows the importance of banding together during the isolation. There’s young love and coming of age in which the characters must decide if they will follow the dictates of those in control, or will they stand up for their beliefs.

In the different timelines the teens participate in their own form of protest or resistance, demonstrating their need to be true to themselves. Loyalty to friends is paramount and declaring one’s true feelings bring characters together. Heartfelt and tender, Hannah, Sophie, Jenny, Lena, Miles and Chloe make life choices that change the trajectory of their lives and show their strength of character and commitment to those they care about.

I think this book had a lot of very, very good elements. Libba Bray is a wonderful storyteller who has always managed to weave a tale that is fresh and cutting edge. However, I think Libba’s fatal flaw is that she always bites off just a bit more than she can chew.

The interwoven timelines and characters made this a bit hard to follow at times. The pov switches made some parts of the story seem disjointed and stuttered. I found myself caring more about one timeline than the other, and therefore sort of skimming through the one I didn’t like as much.

Technically speaking, wonderfully written and fantastic plot. Just not a true home run for me

I want to start off by saying I love Libba Bray’s writing. So much of her prose is just gorgeous. But this one got away from me. There are many poignant and compelling story plots throughout. Maybe too much. I had to push my way through much of the novel, and even found myself skimming in parts. I read a good amount of WW2 historical fiction. Yet when you try to overstate your case it can feel like preaching to the choir. I would still recommend this book. If you enjoy YA maybe you will find the multiple story lines move the plot forward. For me, it stopped the action many times. Yet Libba is a brilliant story teller no matter what,she writes. So read on!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow. Just wow. This book was so BEAUTIFULLY done and written. From page one, I was pulled in and there wasn't a timeline I disliked or didn't care about. The author did such a great job making sure each timeline was important, well paced, and original. The blend between historical fiction, mystery, and contemporary fiction, was top tier.

My heart was tense during most of this book because every timeline was emotionally gripping; Sophie and Hanna in 1940s Germany, Jenny in 1980s West Germany, and Miles and Chloe during Spring 2020, in the middle of the covid lockdown. Each one so different and yet with several similarities. Seemingly all unrelated and yet I loved who the author connected them in the end. That was one of my favorite parts of this reading experience, trying to connect all the timelines, trying to see how they fit.

I just loved it. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

Let's start with pros:

-Engaging characters and dynamics. None of the section felt like they were not fully immersed in the time frame given.
-Truly mysteries through-story. If the 1940s section was weak, they'd all be weak but it ended up being very well done and wrapped up exactly when it needed to.

Cons:
-Honestly, not many. The pacing was some times a bit random and I think the 2020 section may have been the weakest but it is also the section that lacks the most historical research simply because it JUST happened so perhaps the future will reflect kinder on that section.

This book was so well done, I found myself flying through it to get to the next section, if only to read the section I just finished. Every time line had it's own unique and engaging elements and they were all so submersive that nothing felt like an after thought. Libba Bray does it again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Libba Bray does it again with a complex yet compelling book full of intrigue and love. Bouncing across 4 POVs if you include the fairytale being told throughout, across 3 time periods, she manages to keep you fully engaged and intrigued by the mystery of what happened to two young women who disappeared during WW2 Germany, and how a young woman who finds friends in a group of punk squatter musicians in Berlin in 1980, and a high school boy and his best friend in Brooklyn in 2020 are connected to those 2 young women. Equally heartfelt and inspiring.

Libba Bray creates the most interesting characters, and January LaVoy's performance of those characters is breathtaking. I was nervous about this story having a storyline in WWII, as there are already so many WWII narratives. With the inclusion of the 1980's Berlin and 2020's NYC storylines, we were drawn really moving parallels between the past and the present, and each story kept moving at a really fast pace that made you want to get back to that narrative to see what would happen next.

There were some assumptions the reader can make based on the way the storylines interact, but Bray had me on the edge of my seat toward the end of the 1980's narrative chanting 'it's a teen novel, they're going to be fine' while I was driving my car and listening to the audiobook.

I'm always happy to read a new story from Libba Bray (or revisit an old one, for that matter), so thanks to NetGalley for an advanced audio copy. All opinions are my own.

I don't often enjoy novels that take place over various timelines, but this one did not disappoint. I've been a fan of the author for a while and really enjoyed this historical fiction. I did find that it took me a while to get into the story, but once I was hooked, I was hooked. I think this is an important novel to have in libraries, especially considering the world we currently are living in.

Under the Same Stars is an emotional and timely book for today's young readers. The characters in Libba Bray's book are all grappling with how to resist various injustices in their lives. Hopefully this will give readers hope and encouragement that to fight for the future is always right.

Honestly, when I read the description, I didn't think the three-part storyline was going to work. But I am pleasantly surprised that it totally did! I'm usually not a fan of any kind of historical fiction, but Libba Bray really centered the threads of humanity that run throughout generations and across time, space, and circumstance.

Beautiful!

I loved this book. I enjoyed the weaving of timelines and stories through different decades of history. It's too mature for the school I work at, but I'm adding it to my grown up suggestions. Historical fiction is my favorite and I liked the multiple layers of history contained in this book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray.

This was such a well crafted historical piece of fiction, cut into three timelines, all holding still so much relevancy today.

You really have no idea when you start this story about two girls who buy into the folklore of Bridegroom's Oak, that you are about to experience so many rich worlds, full of heartbreak, romance, and discovery. This is so well written and well researched. The author moves effortlessly between stories, helping each build on each other without ever letting the reader feel burdened with too many details.

If you love historical fiction, especially revolving around WWII, I highly recommend this read.

I know the cover says Libba Bray wrote this, but it doesn't feel like she did. Don't get me wrong, it's very well written and a lesser skilled author couldn't pull off three timelines as well as Bray does, but it's missing all the hallmarks you expect from a Libba Bray book. Fans of her previous work will notice the lack of her wacky humor (Going Bovine, Beauty Queens) or smartly magical characters (The Diviners series) but the social commentary is front and center.

This book is a call to arms when I needed a place to retreat from the world. She's showing us just how important it is and has been to stand up to Fascism at a time when my country seems to be heading that very direction. This would have been a five star book in my heart had I been in a different mental space when I read it.

YA book suitable for YA to adults.