Unfortunately I DNF'd this book at about 30%.

I could not get into it and I believe the writing style was simply not for me. I was very intrigued by the plot, but even after giving it two tries I could not get myself to want to keep reading.

Perhaps in the future I will give it another try and it will stick but unfortunately, this was not the time for me.

I am familiar with Bruxelles, having grown up less than 2 hours (drive) away, so I was tempted by this historical novel as soon as I saw it on Netgalley. I have no idea who Alice Austen is (it looks like a pseudonym?) and if this is her first published novel, but it had no trouble grabbing my attention.

33 Place Brugmann is an address in central Brussels, a real bourgeois 5 storey high building in reddish bricks (you can search for it on Google maps). The novel is the fictional story of its inhabitants during the Second world War. Belgium was invaded by the Nazis in 1940 and occupied. Life got increasingly difficult with lots of food shortage, persecutions of Jews, Allied bombings. Some parts of the population were supporting the collaborationists, others the resistance, so that distrust and informing were commonplace among neighbors.

On 33 Place Brugmann, a wealthy Jewish family lives on 4th floor, on the same storey as a widowed architect and his daughter. There’s a seamstress living in a maid’s room in the attic, a gruff retired colonel on the 3rd floor, opposite to a nasty, nosy old maid, a middle-class family on the 2nd floor, and a notary and his wife on the ground floor. The story is told by the different residents one by one. We get to see what choices they have to do, what they think of one another, their lives, lies and secrets.

The only reservations I have is first, some parts where characters are dreaming or thinking about metaphors and philosophy points I didn’t fully grasp, and second, that the ending was abrupt and left me wanting for more. This is not a story where every story line will have a nice bow to tie up all questions.

Despite those minor problems, I really appreciated the depth of the characters, the solid writing and the sense of historical setting. I had the opportunity to read this book just before going to Brussels and it was a great reminder of the complexities of war-time history in this urban metropolis.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I received a free copy of this book for review consideration.

33 Place Brugmann follows the lives of the residents of a small apartment building in Belgium before and during the Nazi occupation. Told from the point of view of each of the residents, 33 Place Brugmann is a poignant work that attempts to capture how the lives of ordinary people were inalterably changed by the war. Although I enjoyed it overall, I often found it difficult to keep up with who was who as the points of view kept changing during the book. Definitely an ambitious effort by the author and well worth the read. Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced reader copy of this book.

33 Place Brugmann is a very interesting book about residents of an apartment complex before and during the Nazi- occupation of Belgium during WWII. I’ve read many books about this time period but this story was more intimate as it dealt with specific families, their relationships as neighbors and friends, and how the relationships morphed because of the occupation. By the end, the fate of some characters was certain and others were unclear. The story changes point-of-view for each chapter and the reader is challenged to fit all the pieces together. I liked this unique way of telling the story which grabbed me from the start. The characters have depth and writing is lovely. I recommend this book to readers of historic fiction. Thanks for an advance copy of this book.

I usually always enjoy historical fiction, and this was no exception. I wasn't expecting the love story element but really found that compelling in the face of so much fear and tragedy, which of course I had been expecting.

33 Place Brugman is a debut novel and what a book!
it's a mash up of mystery, history and love story against the backdrop of WWII. The residents of the apartment building reside together during the Nazi occupation. Austen includes multiple personalities and each chapter includes different viewpoints which produce interesting interactions about love, children and family.
It's complex but enjoyable even when the subject is grim. Austen truly demonstrates the importance of different points of view #33placebrugman #aliceausten #groveatlantic

I thought fictional books on the Holocaust were a bit overdone and the market saturated. However, the author went about it in a completely new way. The author followed the residents of one specific apartment building, even if they left and moved to a new country. Instead of having the characters give explicit detail on the Holocaust, it was more grim to see how slowly it took over, and how it affected everyone in different ways, even if their living situation was the same.

The story revolves around 33 Place Brugmann where we follow the residents as the war unfolds around them.
It was slow-paced but well-written. I wish there had been more depth in the introduction of the characters. But all in all, recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction—especially war stories.

I really liked this book! It was well written, it kept intertwining the stories of the tenants of this building which is a great writing style that I love. I think it was a great balance of humanity, love, loss, grief, and war, not too much focus on one specific topic. I thought it was well done, I enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and especially the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review of the book!!

During the occupancy of Brussels by Nazi Germany, we are introduced to the various tenants of 33 Place Brugmann, whose stories intertwine and connect while trying to survive the regime. While each narrator details what they are currently facing, whether it is famine, illegal art dealings, or in the midst of war, the plot remains tragic and heartbreaking. Unfortunately, the book was hard to get through, both in its context and pace. I appreciate the telling of each narrative, but I found it very difficult to keep reading and wanted to give up on several occasions. I wish the author would've shared each characters' perspective longer than 10-15 pages at a time so that the plot would follow more seamlessly. 2/5 for this one, as I do believe the subject matter is of great importance but the read overall wasn't enough to keep me wanting to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to preview this ARC.

I think the biggest success of this story is how almost exhaustively the author created a little microcosm of the war-afflicted human world within 33 Brugmann Place. That she could cover nearly all aspects of humankind from the kind, compassionate ones to the cruel selfish warmongers and the layers in between, even those who undergo positive changes, in a 350+-word novel is highly, highly commendable. Alice Austen goes right into my list of top authors to look out for when her next book comes out.

I don't think I didn't like any of the characters in the book including the negative shaded ones. I believe the credit for this goes to the author who went deep into everyone’s psyche to understand them well before portraying their feelings and thoughts. That it is historical fiction makes it even more delightful as we get nuggets of golden information from that era seamlessly woven into the narrative.

I loved the interesting tidbit about Cadbury’s changing their formula because of war rationing and how the character in question changes from being a typical Belgian chocolate snob to embracing what the company was willing to offer in the name of chocolate! A happy smile despite the grim situation.

Another incident that touched my heart was when one of the characters was a prisoner of war and made friends with the enemy guard because of their shared love for books and reading. Such instances are irrefutable proof that the human heart can always overcome war even if the consequences are horrible and inhuman. We learn to overcome the consequences too.

Descriptions of the smells of burning flesh of amputated infected body parts in incinerators were gut-wrenching yet not overly dramatic. It was magically matter-of-fact!

Another interesting aspect of men that sort of startled me was when a character said “The point of marriage is to have children,” and like the lady in question, I too thought, “Even in the midst of war, men (unsure if this still holds now) want progeny to take their genes forward! Again, the writing wasn’t judgmental, merely stating the facts through another character.

Such and more episodes, ideas, dialogues, and thought processes in the book made me a huge fan of Alice Austen, and as I said before, she is going right on top of my to-be-read author list!

The ending was also great, I thought. It told me friends meet, lovers marry, unfulfilled love continues to be so, children are born, people die, war happens, artists create, art is lost sometimes saved, and yet life goes on as seemingly unremarkable as ever. It’s only when we stop to think we see that ordinary human life is filled with literary greatness warmly beckoning writers like Alice Austen!

An incredible and heartbreaking tale about perhaps one of the most atrocious times in human history. I'm no stranger when it comes to consuming war-related content; I have watched a lot of movies on the topic but never a book and specifically one that focuses mostly on the lives of ordinary people behind the trenches. I thoroughly enjoyed the so many different perspectives that we get to read in the book which is a testament of the author's skill.
I recommend this to anyone who likes to read about human condition and the many different approaches to atrocity, grief and survival.

This is the story of the residents of 33 Place Brugmann starting pre-Nazi occupation and moves through to about half way through WWII. It is such a unique way to approach WWII because it is told from the perspective of a diverse group of people that live in the same building. While some readers may find the change in perspective is disruptive to the plot line, I think like it added to it. I felt like I was always moving and catching up with everyone, and I enjoyed that. It was like I was traveling the continent and seeing the effects of the war through different perspectives. I think it kept the story from getting too stale. The end was a bit abrupt. While the fate of some characters was made clear, the ending of others was a bit muddled. I really wanted to know more so I hope that a prologue will be included to fix that. I also think that there's a couple of characters included in the story that by the end became "obsolete". They didn't seem to drive the plot line one way or another.

Overall I enjoyed the reading. I enjoyed the different perspectives, I think that kept me coming back. I was also happy to see the author make use of the word "pusillanimous" I feel like the word just isn't used enough.

Thank you NetGalley & Grove Press for this ARC.

#netgalley #33PlaceBrugmann

This book was a different take on WWII. It explores deep stories, emotions, love, friendship and loyalty of the people who love at 33 place brugmann.

Told in each residents POV with the war and occupation of Brussels in the background, this was a fairly slow paced read. It took me sometime to keep track of the storyline.

This book was good but not a standout.

#netgalley #33PlaceBrugmann

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen is an extraordinarily accomplished debut novel that masterfully intertwines love, mystery, and philosophical musings. Set in a Beaux Arts apartment building in Brussels on the eve of the Nazi occupation in 1939, the story captures the lives of its residents as they face the impending threat and the choices it forces upon them.

The narrative is told through the singular voices of the building’s inhabitants, each chapter offering a unique perspective that enriches the overall tapestry of the story. At the heart of the novel is Charlotte Sauvin, an art student and daughter of a prominent architect, whose keen observations of her neighbors and the building itself provide a poignant lens through which the unfolding drama is viewed.

Austen’s writing is lyrical and precise, capturing the essence of each character and their internal struggles. The residents of 33 Place Brugmann are vividly drawn, from the enigmatic Julian Raphaël, the eldest son of an art collector, to Masha, the seamstress entangled in a dangerous affair. Each character’s journey is marked by the tension between submission and resistance, revealing their true selves in the face of adversity.

The setting of pre-occupation Brussels is brought to life with rich detail, creating an atmospheric backdrop that heightens the sense of urgency and danger. Austen’s exploration of themes such as courage, love, and the role of art in times of crisis adds depth to the narrative, making it not just a historical novel but a profound reflection on human resilience.

For readers who appreciate historical fiction with a strong emotional core and complex characters, 33 Place Brugmann is a must-read. This debut novel is a testament to her storytelling prowess and promises great things for her future works.

A World War II story told through the eyes of the residents in an apartment complex in Brussels. The premise had me wanting to read but after a quarter the way through, I had lost interest. There wasn’t really anything to keep me reading. I did continue however only out of respect for the author.

This simply wasn’t for me but others who like World War II stories should try it.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

Unfortunately, I ended up not finishing the book. I appreciate receiving it through NetGalley, so thank you for that opportunity.

While I enjoyed the beginning and was engaged during the first third, my interest waned as the story progressed. Despite my efforts to continue, I struggled to stay invested. I found the plot lacking in intrigue and couldn’t connect with the characters, which ultimately led to my decision to stop reading.

A poignant portrait of life in Brussels during the second World War, told from the perspectives of residents of 33 Place Brugmann. We follow the residents in their everyday life as individuals, and gradually uncover the connections they have with each other. The war's brutalities are discussed and not sugarcoated, but the book is not merely a melancholic rendition of life in wartime. Art, artists, and philosophies are discussed and related to the story. Humanity and empathy can be found.

Austen's writing style is wonderful and adapts beautifully to every different character. Each character's emotions, thought processes and developments can be truly felt by the reader, giving the story extra depth.

The ending of the book felt somewhat abrupt, maybe because I was so invested in the story that I subconsciously was not ready for it to be over. We're left wondering what happened to some of the characters, yet the book is suggestive of some of their fates.

I'm looking forward to the publication of this book and hope Austen will write many more.

Unfortunately not for me. In a world with SO many books being published, I just don't see this as a must in our collection.

Set in Brussels during WWII, 8 families live in an apartment building and follow the activities of their neighbors. The war affects everyone differently and some families are impacted more. The main character is Charlotte, a young woman who is color blind. It’s a slow start reading getting to know all the characters, but very good as the book progresses. The ending is unexpected. There are so many WWII historical novels and this book has a different location and different angle . Very good.