Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray striking and beautiful young adult historical mystery that examines truth, rebellion, reconciliation, and what must be sacrificed for a better world.
A masterfully crafted story that was so hard to put down.

I honesty struggled with the three POV. I found the WWII era more engaging and appreciated the historical aspect of the 80s. However, the COVID point of view felt a little flat. I just had a difficult time engaging and wanting to finish the book. It just turned out to not be my cup of tea, although I know there are many others who would enjoy it.

Under the Same Stars is a timely novel that calls to mind behaviors that are becoming commonplace in America.

Both heartbreaking and hopeful, Under the Same Stars takes readers to three major points in time — 1940s Germany, 1980s Germany and 2020 New York. Though I connected with two timelines better than the third, each one is well-developed and serves the story as a whole.

Author Libba Bray is an expert storyteller. Her writing is a smooth as ever. She drops clues throughout, but keeps readers guessing almost to the end.

Under the Same Stars is not a particularly dynamic read. There are some elements that are, to be sure, but a lot of its power comes in the quieter moments. It’s a good option for fans of Bray’s earlier works.

Review will be posted on 2/5/25
It's 1939 and Hanna and Sophie are two girls living during difficult times. Things are changing in their village with the arrival of Nazis. But like any teenage girls from their village, they look to the Bridgegroom's Oak tree for answers as it has matchmaking abilities. But matchmaking is not what they find there and meanwhile, the Nazis become more overbearing every day. Fast forward to the 1980s in West Berlin. Jenny has moved, along with her family, from the United States to West Berlin due to her father's work. Jenny comes from a preppy Dallas family, so the West Berlin scene is new to her. She befriends Lena, a punk, and Lena challenges her long-held beliefs in almost every area of her life. Lastly, in 2020, there's Miles and Chloe who work on a mystery surrounding Chloe's grandmother's scrapbook. They learn of two girls who disappeared from her grandmother's village and with the help of some internet sleuthing they get some answers. Each story thread has themes of overcoming oppression and ultimately of hope. Libba Bray's Under the Same Stars is a historical mystery that will be sure to keep readers flipping pages.

I have always enjoyed Bray's writing and that is the case here with Under the Same Stars. This is a powerful novel, perfect for fans of Ruta Sepetys, as the story really stays with you. While I love WWII storylines, I am not sure I was in the right frame of mind to appreciate this one. I also struggled with the 2020 plot thread as the pandemic plays a role. Again, I am also not sure I am ready to read about COVID yet - too soon? Nonetheless, Bray's story kept me engaged, despite my issues with the difficult topics as well as some uneven pacing. Having three different points of view can be daunting at times, but overall, she really pulled together a powerful story that tied together the three narratives very well. Under the Same Stars is a GMA YA book club pick and I can see why. It would lend itself to wonderful discussions.

The writing was top notch, but unfortunately, Under the Same Stars didn't really grab my attention as much as I thought it would.

The book has a lot to say about the current climate regarding fascism and doing the right thing under dangerous circumstances. This is definitely an important read and Libba Bray pulls no punches in that regard. All three (well, four-ish if you count Mormor's stories/fables) POVs have something to say in regard to countering oppressive governments and recognizing propaganda for what it is.

But other than that, this book really dragged for me. I didn't care much for the modern day COVID storyline/POV. A lot of it felt like filler (typical teenage dating woes and going through Zoom school) and that really pulled me away from the heart of the story. While all of the storylines tied together, the oomph at the end when I found out the truth didn't really hit as hard because of how much this dragged.

The historical narratives were a lot stronger imo, especially the Nazi Germany storyline. But then again, that might be my own preference for WWII stories. The Cold War Germany storyline was also interesting in its historical context, but like the modern day storyline, a lot of it read like filler (more teenage dating woes, but make it queer and punk).

I appreciate the book for what it tries to say, but ultimately, it all gets bogged down by so much filler that I couldn't wait to finish it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), and NetGalley for this arc.

Libba Bray expertly weaves together narratives of three very different time periods and somehow makes them all incredibly relevant and poignant! Her writing style is will draw you in from the first page. I already can't wait to read this again!

This story was all-encompassing and truly a wonderful tale that takes you through multiple timelines and how the individuals in those eras tackle the continuous fallout and devastation of World War II. I found myself drawn in to the narrative of the WWII era and the 80s punk era moreso than the modern COVID era, but all stories wove together so beautifully that this story will have far-lasting impacts.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I loved the three stories and how they intertwined together. I think this will be my favorite read of 2025 without a doubt. Beautifully written. Beautiful story. I wish I could reread for the first time.

Thanks to @netgalley, @macmillanusa, and @librofm for the combined access to this 2.4.25 release. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this story, which weaves three storylines across time. In one, Hana and Sophie work for the resistance against the Nazis. In the second, Jenny is transplanted from Dallas to West Germany in the 1980s, embracing the punk movement and trying to find herself. In 2020, Miles rides out the Covid pandemic alone, both of his mothers away due to the crisis. He reunites with his best friend digitally, helping her solve a mystery surrounding her aging grandmother. The stories weave together beautifully. I would hand this to readers in grades 9+. #yalit #highschoolreads

Overall I enjoyed the book. It took me a while to get into the three story lines. The Covid one hit a little too close still as my students were teenagers doing online school. The Berlin Wall story line was compelling but it seemed the most detached from the other two as it stood more on its own and didn’t really propel the WWII mystery along. The author does a good job connecting WWII resistance to modern day resistance movements which helps make the WWII story relevant to students today which can be a struggle. Overall it’s a solid YA book.

I am a huge Libba Bray fan but this book was just not my cup of tea. I don't think the three timeliness worked very cohesively together, but that's more of a personal preference than a knock on the book necessarily. I felt the book was overly heavy handed when it dealt with some themes and could have used a bit more subtlety but being YA I understand the impulse to make them extremely clear. However, I also think writers should have more faith in their readers. I'm the target audience for Libba Bray but not necessarily for WWII historical fiction. I have already recommended the book to people who are more likely to enjoy it. The pacing was off but the characters were strong and, as usual, Ms Bray writes with a lot of empathy and care and sends an important message.

I wept at the ending of this and was very taken by how unfortunately timely this is. (In a way that verges on heavy-handed but it's also like, well....here we are.)

I was not equally engaged with all 3 timelines but I think the 2020 timeline might be more resonant for teens who are the book's intended audience - I thought Miles' anxiety over Covid, activism, and his crush were very well-rendered. And I did love the payoff when the timelines converged.

I feel like no one can do emotional and layered historical fiction quite like Libra Bray. The way she wove the three timelines together. This book is both hopeful and heartbreaking.

Oh, Libba Bray, how I love you. I should preface this review by saying, I could never be impartial when it comes to Libba Bray. Our relationship dates back to me hounding my librarians on when the next Gemma Doyle book was coming out. So I knew I would love Under the Same Stars. And, of course, I did in fact love it.

Under the Same Stars gives us three perspectives, one in modern day America (COVID days), and two in the mid-20th century. Bray paints clear pictures of life at the time and seamlessly weaves the perspectives together.

I tandem read both the audio version and the print version and the audio version just absolutely boosted my reading experience. With fantastic, multi-cast narration, I was able to fully immerse myself in the story and I was so eager to keep reading.

This is the perfect next read for fans of Code Name Verity and Ruta Sepetys.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for the gifted ARC!

I absolutely loved Libba Bray in my younger years, and heard that she had this book coming out and got SO EXCITED! I did struggle while reading this a bit - three timelines can be done well or can fall a little flat pretty easily if there's an imbalance, and I felt that here. I also generally don't love historical fiction or YA reads, but wanted to try this given the author. Unfortunately just not my cup of tea!

I've adored Libba Bray's writing since The Diviners a few years ago (I managed to start reading it right at the start of the pandemic, which was... timely); she has such an amazing ability to combine seemingly unrelated storylines into painfully relevant tales that transcend the time period they are set in. "Under the Same Stars" is another case of this, though I don't know if Bray realized just HOW relevant it would be as she was creating it, set to release at the beginning of February as it is.

"Under the Same Stars" is told in three (seemingly) separate storylines: 1940s Germany at the height of the 3rd Reich's power, 1980s West Berlin where the wall separating the two sides of Germany is leading to an increasingly volatile situation, and 2020 New York City, as the world tries to grapple with a new pandemic and rising racial tensions. But some things transcend time, and decisions made can have an impact far into the future.

It's hard to give more details about any of the storylines without giving away major spoilers and discoveries that are a joy to uncover throughout the course of the book. Each storyline seems entirely unattached from the others, but Bray has such a talent for dropping hints that hit like a punch to the gut. It's a story of how each individual person can stand up against tyranny and fascism and work to right the wrongs of the world around them. It's about the cyclic nature of history, and how the choices one person makes might ring out through history.

Not every storyline is equally powerful, and certain ones absolutely resonated with me more than others: I was particularly invested in the story of Hanna and Sophie in 1940s Germany, while the 1980s Berlin storyline never managed to keep my attention as much as I had hoped. 2020 was an interesting one, because it feels SO close to the present, but it was absolutely necessary to tie everything from the other stories together.

I started with the eARC and just couldn't get hooked, but the audio version is fantastic. The narrators are wonderful, and I really liked the parts that sounded like a recording. I might not have stuck with this book if the audio hadn't been so good!

Ultimately, I don't think each timeline demonstrated the same strength. The chapters set in the 1980s in Berlin were incredible, but I think the Covid chapters needed more depth. I think there is an audience for this one, but I don't think it was as strong as I'd hoped.

What a time for this book to come out. This book had me thinking in all the right ways. I love how it shows three different generations and how each of them had a choice in how they could stand up against what was wrong. The stories in this book are powerful and inspiring. They show that no matter your age you can affect change if you truly want to. Thank you for writing a book that shows younger readers that they hold power, they can be a strong voice in the void and can create change no matter their age.
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this powerful book.

This is a timely, heart wrenching, and moving novel about cycles of resistance and the true bonds of friendship and family (both chosen and birth). Taking place across three time periods/locations—1939-1941 Germany, 1980 West Berlin, and 2020 Brooklyn—we follow Sophie, Jenny, and Miles as they navigate both the mundane realities of being a teen in any time and the specific challenges of their place and time. Woven in are fairy tales that mirror the story and a sense foreboding that these three people may be connected by a terrible crime.

An early contender for my top ten list, despite a few minor quibbles about how the interconnection of these stories plays out and a lack of closure for one part of the story in particular, but overall this was really excellent and incredibly vital and timely for our current political times.

I'd give this 4.5 stars if I could. I wish I could articulate why it's not quiiiiite a 5-star book. There certainly wasn't anything glaringly wrong or problematic for me, but it still felt like something (or, more likely, a handful of small somethings) was missing. I'm already a big fan of Libba Bray, but am pretty sure I would have enjoyed this book regardless.