2020s

Under the Same Stars / Libba Bray

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
Under the Same Stars
By: Libba Bray, January LaVoy (Narrator), Jeremy Carlisle Park (Narrator), Major Curda (Narrator)
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 480
Published: February 4, 2025
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Dates Read: June 13, 2025 - June 16, 2025
Format: Library Book / Audiobook / eBook

The Bridegroom Oak is a magical tree where if you leave a note for the love of your life in its knot, your love will answer back.

In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message in the Bridegroom Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is also sending messages, but not to leave in the Oak’s knot. As WWII rolls into their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may very well be a key to resistance against the Nazis.

In 1980s West Germany, American teen Jenny feels out of place until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl who hates the government. She also befriends Frau Hermann, an old lady downstairs who most people call her a witch, but Jenny finds her to be kind.

In Spring 2020 New York City, Miles and Chloe are struggling with virtual senior year when an unexpected package from Chloe’s grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom Oak over eighty years ago.

I love how connected everything was in this book with how Libba Bray was able to highlight both current and past forms of fascism in history and oppressive governments while also showing characters trying to do the right thing, even under dangerous circumstances.

I wasn’t as into the Covid storyline as the others, but I honestly think it’s because that’s probably still, “too soon” for me – maybe in another ten (or twenty) years I would be more invested. The historical narratives were a lot stronger for me, and I cared about the characters a lot more. All three of the narratives were connected of course, but I really really enjoyed the WWII storyline the most.

Overall, though this is marketed as being Young Adult, I can see adults enjoying it as well (even with the teenage angst a bit). Bray has amazingly strong prose that she showcases in all three narratives.

*Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Day / Michael Cunningham

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
Day

By: Michael Cunningham

Genre: Fiction, Literary

Number of Pages: 273

Published: November 14, 2023

Publisher: Random House

Dates Read: January 29, 2024 - January 30, 2024

Format: Library Book / Audiobook

A literary fiction novel about a family on April 5 before Covid-19, the spring during the Covid-19 lockdown, and right after the world starts opening back up.

I struggled with caring for the family on this one. The only one I really cared about was the little girl, and even she didn’t seem like she would be real to me.

This is the first book of Michael Cunningham’s that I’ve read and I’m not saying he can’t write. In fact, he wrote these days in such detail, I felt like I was really watching the family while I read them. But, it was just something that was missing for me to actually care about the characters.

Maybe it’s still weird for me to read books about the pandemic quite yet.

This book wasn’t 100% for me, but it’s still good. And I feel like those who like reading about family dynamics and such will greatly enjoy this.

*Thank you Random House and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Throwback / Maruene Goo

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
Throwback
By: Maurene Goo
Genre: YA
Number of Pages: 368
Published: April 11, 2023
Publisher: Zando Young Readers
Dates Read: April 4, 2023 - April 12, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook / Library Book / Hardcover

Samantha Kang has never gotten along with her mother, Priscilla, they’re just too different. After a huge fight between them, Sam gets left in a parking lot and has to use a rideshare app to get to school. She gets there, but instead of her time, it’s now 1995… and Priscilla is a 17-year-old senior.

Now, Gen Z Sam has to fit into an analog world. The fashion she gets, but everything else is baffling; what’s with the casual racism and misogyny? And what is “microfiche?” Also – why does Sam feel like she would actually be friends with Priscilla??

Will Sam be able to figure out what she needs to fix in order to get back to her own time? And what about these feelings she’s getting for a boy in 1995?

So, I have a soft spot for time traveling; it’s not something I gravitate towards per say, but if the book catches my eye and I see it has time traveling in it, then I’ll most certainly read it. Add to the fact this one was set in the 90’s and I was most definitely going to read it.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Sam and her mother and the exploration we get to have with it in this novel. As someone who is pretty close with her own mom, I think it would be so fun to go back in time and be friends with her in high school (though she would have been in the early 80’s).

Though this is a YA book, I can see both teenagers and adults enjoying it – especially the adults that grew up in the 90’s, but the culture shock from Sam can be enjoyed by both. Those who have a complicated relationship with their mothers could also enjoy this.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this time traveling, throwback to the 90’s novel and can’t wait to put it in the hands of a few friends of mine.

*Thank you Zando Young Readers and Edelweiss+ for a digital advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review