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.

It took me quite a long time to finish this book. Once I started reading, I was caught up in the story but as soon as I put it down, it would take me days to want to continue reading it. There were certain parts of the story that just did not interest me and actually turned me off to really enjoying it. I did finish and I thought it was okay, but definitely not a fan.
The premise sounded great. The book centers around a mystery involving a tree known as the Bridegroom's Oak. The story involves three different timelines that are all interconnected. There is the story of Sophie and Hanna in 1941, then we meet Jenny, an American girl whose dad moves them to West Berlin during the 1980s. Lastly, we have 2020 with Miles and his friend basically communicating over social media while stuck in a room for months scared to even walk the dog without a mask outside alone. ugh....
That timeline was a downer. Mostly because I felt like the author was using the characters to lecture and promote controversial behavior that we can now look back and see was often overblown. This author is talented, and I look forward to reading more, but this book just didn't do it for me.
I received a complimentary e-book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This historical mystery is a universal story that will appeal to readers of all ages. I loved the multiple timelines and comparisons among the teen characters. It was a brilliant example of how alike we are, despite our differences. The author did an exceptional job of portraying the sacrifices of these characters and the bittersweet nature of the various time periods. This book was a true testament to the power of hope. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves witty banter, romance, and historical grounding.

I was a fan of Bray's "Gemma Doyle" trilogy when I read it; both for the world-building and the intense relationships of the characters that evaded the usual teen troupes. "Under the Same Stars" is based on historical periods that many will compare to the U.S.'s current political climate. The settings may not be as fantastical, but tales and fairy tales still play their part in this novel depicting Hiler's rise, Berlin in the 1980s and COVID-19. With the three timelines in alternating chapters, it's obvious that they are interconnected, but you'll have to wait until the end to find out how (but you might guess beforehand).
Though the beginning is slow-going, I feel the strongest story was of Hana and Sophie in 1940s Germany. Lots of those intense relationships and "tragically romantic" scenes. The Berlin part had its moments (who doesn't like punk?) but just ended, and its picked up thread doesn't make a huge impression. The COVID-19 account resonated the least with me. It was more of a vehicle to to get everything to to end up in the same place, and the characters seemed much less fleshed out.
So, you've got authoritarianism, a country split in two and a pandemic, sprinked in with light touches of LGBTIA+ themes, racism, and art. It's an interesting combination.
#NetGalley

"From New York Times-bestselling author Libba Bray comes an evocative and groundbreaking young adult historical mystery that examines truth, rebellion, reconciliation, and what must be sacrificed for a better world.

It was said that if you write to the Bridegroom's Oak, the love of your life will answer back. Now, the tree is giving up its secrets at last.

In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message waiting for her in the Bridegroom's Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is sending messages too - but not to find love. As World War II unfolds in their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may hold the key to resistance against the Nazis.

In 1980s West Germany, American teen transplant Jenny feels suffocated by her strict parents and is struggling to fit in. Until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl hell-bent on tearing down the wall separating West Germany from East Germany, and meeting Frau Hermann, a kind old lady with secrets of her own.

In Spring 2020, New York City, best friends Miles and Chloe are in the first weeks of COVID lockdown and hating Zoom school, when an unexpected package from Chloe's grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two unidentified teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom's Oak eighty years ago."

The hook is the disappearance for me.

This book is exhibits A-Z why I will ALWAYS read what Ms. Libba Bray writes. True to form, the writing in this was incredibly beautiful, but not enough so that’s it’s alienating for a casual reader. I loved the three timelines and the mystery of how they’re all connected. It’s interesting how the lessons from history are still so relevant in 2025. There are many ways to draw parallels between now and 1941 with the slow rise of fascism, limiting public information, and rewriting history. This book is very important and poignant and sad and beautiful.

Libba Bray masterfully weaves together three historical stories into a surreal novel with a poignant message for today’s generation. While reading this novel between December 2024 and January 2025, there were several moments when I considered taking a break for my own mental health. However, I persevered and ultimately loved the book, thanks to the hope the author managed to infuse into the narrative despite the heavy reality of the characters’ lives.

Three interwoven stories set in 1941 (Germany), 1980 (Berlin), and 2020 (NYC) along with a fairy tale. I probably liked the Berlin story the best because it felt the freshest to me. Overall this was an ambitious, long novel that some will love but it was just okay to me.

DNF. I like the *idea* here. But a few chapters in, I could already feel my brain melting because of how much the book was trying to do. So many characters to remember, and as soon as I get used to one set, I’m jerked away to the next few! This just feels clumsily put together, and would have been more impactful with a more narrow focus.

Did not really work for me in the way I expected. I think that I went into this novel with way too hgh of expectations. The covid narrative felt forced and didn't really function with the author's bigger intention with the text. I felt most invested in Jenny's narrative. I enjoyed the author's prupose to encourage social change and activism.

Under the Same Stars follows 3 characters in 3 different time periods: WW2 in Germany, West Berlin, and 2020 in America. The story was engaging, I wanted to see what became of the characters and how the story unraveled. I liked the characters and how the perspectives allowed you to get to know all of them.

The writing itself was good, however I thought the writing about the teenagers in 2020 was a bit stereotypical if not trite and honestly cringy.

I would recommend to any one who wants a captivating read but for sure not the best book Ive read in the WW 2 realm.

I’m a long-time fan of Libba Bray’s work, of the way she’s able to shift between fantasy and historical fiction, incisive cultural and societal commentary and truly hilarious comedy, gorgeous romance and thrilling action. When I saw a promo for her new YA novel Under the Same Stars, I requested it without even reading the synopsis. It was the right decision.

Under the Same Stars is historical fiction that weaves between three time periods, three protagonists. First is Sophie, a teenager in 1940s Germany. Sophie and her best friend Hanna are more focused on love and friendship than on the war that increasingly encroaches on their village. They write romantic letters to mysterious pen pals, leaving their notes in the Bridegroom’s Oak that lies in the nearby forest, checking back frequently for responses. Soon, though, they are unable to deny the threats among them and have to decide how they will react to the injustice they see.

The second story takes place in West Germany in 1980. The Berlin Wall runs through the city where Jenny Campbell and her family move because of her father’s promotion. Jenny hasn’t been satisfied with herself or her life for a while, but this major change opens up possibilities for her as she happens upon the underground punk scene and, in particular, Lena, who seems to embody all that Jenny wants for herself. As Jenny is drawn into Lena’s world—and drawn to Lena herself—she struggles with the expectations of her parents, her vision for herself, and the demands of her new friends in the face of the wall that looms over them all.

Finally, there’s Miles in New York City, at the beginning of the COVID lockdown, during Miles’s senior year of high school. Miles is living alone—one of his mothers was traveling when the lockdown happened, and the other is a nurse who is self-isolating to keep Miles safe. Miles is even more lonely because he and his best friend Chloe hadn’t talked for months, and now the lockdown makes it seem as if they’ll never talk again…until she reaches out for her help unraveling a mystery.

Chloe’s grandmother suffered from a stroke and is now in an assisted living home, unable to communicate. But she sent a mysterious package to Chloe with details about her youth in Germany. Miles has taken three years of Germany and, like Chloe, is a huge fan of an investigative podcast, which has inspired Chloe to look into her grandmother’s history . . . with Miles’s help.

From here, Bray orchestrates a gorgeous balancing act, one that navigates each teenager’s coming of age, the upheaval of their unique eras, and the decisions they must make for who they want to be in the changing worlds around them.

Because there’s always just a little magic in Bray’s books, there’s also a beautiful fairytale that is told and re-told through the novel, transforming as truths emerge and come into focus.

Under the Same Stars is a stunning novel that shows, through these characters, how important it has always been to stand up for what is right and to take hold of who they truly are.