I have read nearly every one of Libba Bray's books and have loved them all. This is no exception. Three distinct stories -- one about two girls growing up in Nazi Germany, one about two girls living in West Berlin in the 1980s, and one about a girl and a boy in 2020 who are connected to both of the earlier stories. All the stories are tied together through a magical/mystical fairy tale. This is a book about family, duty, love, and the power of the human spirit to adapt and survive. The strength of this story is in the characters. Each is distinct and fully formed and each character elicits an emotional connection from readers. Sophie and Hanna get caught up in the dilemma between duty and obligation to an immoral cause and doing the right thing. Their moral conflict is touching and the aftermath of their decisions are heartbreaking. In 1980s West Berlin, Jenny and Lena are caught in similar dilemma -- follow the rules, listen to your parents, or follow your heart -- again their choices have heartbreaking consequences. In 2020, Miles and Chloe are trying to navigate Covid lockdowns and Chloe's grandmother's serious illness to solve the mystery of two missing girls and how that might be connected to Chloe's grandmother. By the end, all is clear, the connections are made, and I was in a puddle of tears -- of sorrow, relief, and joy. This is my idea of a perfect story -- humorous at times, heartbreakingly sad at others, and ultimately satisfying. NOTE -- Libba Bray is known as an author of "young adult" books. Her books may be about teenagers and have teen appeal, but this book is rich enough in prose and emotion to be an "adult" book. Highly recommended for teens and adults. ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT -- There is some profanity and mild sexual content here and a definite LGBTQA theme. This could get this banned from many school libraries in today's climate. That would be a travesty.

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 get everything 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, sprinkled in with light touches of LGBTIA+ themes, racism, and art. It's an interesting combination.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me an early copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own. “𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚.” I was so completely entranced by this story right from the start. And by the end, I was an absolute sopping mess. 😭 The story revolves around the mysterious disappearance of Sophie and Hanna on winter solstice, 1941. This disappearance is the connection between the three separate timelines of the book, but they are also connected by a lot of the same themes. Along with the WWII storyline leading up to the centralized disappearance, we get two other storylines: In 1980s West Berlin, Jenny has just moved to Germany from America with her family. While there, she meets punk rocker, Lena, who opens her eyes to the world, and to herself. In Spring 2020, Miles is living alone in his apartment, taking part in online school, and online everything. With his friend Chloe, they work to unravel a mystery left to Chloe by her Grandmother. I really enjoyed each timeline. I felt like we really got to know all the main characters, and see how they explored love and resistance in their own times. I thought the timelines and layout of the story worked really well; I was so engrossed throughout no matter which timeline we were in. Overall I really enjoyed listening to this YA Historical Mystery with themes of resistance and love in the face of injustice, and it definitely had me feeling all the feels. Audiobook notes: So fabulously well done! All three narrators were fantastic, and the production was so good! The accents, the cut scenes to the fantastical story woven throughout, I really loved it, and highly recommend the audiobook! What this book is giving: ✅ YA Historical Mystery ✅ 3 Timelines ✅ WWII Germany ✅ 1980s West Berlin ✅ 2020 Brooklyn COVID Lockdown ✅ Missing Girls Mystery ✅ Resistance