Confession, I am a sucker for historical fiction books. When I came across several reviews for the book Lovely War by Julie Berry, I knew I had to read it. As a teen librarian, I am always on the hunt for crossover and under books that would appeal to a wide audience and this one hit on all of my wants. I challenge you to put this book on your to-read pile!
Below is a quick overview of the things that you need to know about this book.
Lovely War By Julie Berry
Release: March 5, 2019
Grades: 7 and up
Pages: 480
About the Book
In New York City on the eve of WWII, the Greek god Hephaestus catches his wife, Aphrodite, with his brother Ares. Hephaestus strings Aphrodite and Ares up in a golden net and puts them on trial. To save herself from the crime of adultery, Aphrodite tells the story of two couples in WWI. Weaving a story that alternates from the past and the present, the goddess's narrative centers on Aubrey, an African American musician; Colette, a Belgian singer; Hazel, a British pianist, and James an aspiring Britsh architect.
The four are brought together by coincidence as they fall in love and discover in the background of war that love doesn't come easily.
Noteworthy Things About This Book
-This book is perfect for fans of Rick Riordan's work. I would especially recommend this book if customers enjoyed the romance between Percy and Annabeth.
-The romance aspect is enough to keep readers of all ages interested, but it doesn't have intimate details to make any readers blush. (I would recommend grades 7+)
-The backdrop of WWI is historically and vividly accurate. It helps raise awareness of racism and sexism in this time period.
-Berry delivers an excellent balance between the romance and horrors of war-making this book appeal to a wide range of readers.
Verdict
Reminiscent of A Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Berry use of unorthodox narrators to offer something new to the WWI historical fiction genre.
This is a must-read for readers young and old.
