11/04/2024
Three generations of teens find themselves while fighting for change in this inspiring historical mystery from Bray (the Diviners series). It’s 1939 in Kleinwald, Germany, and best friends Hanna and Sophie would rather fantasize about an ancient mythical entity’s purported matchmaking abilities than pay attention to world events—until Hitler invades Poland. In 1980, aspiring photographer Jenny and her preppy conservative family relocate from Dallas to West Berlin, where Jenny meets Lena, a queer German punk rocker who lives in a squat and vows to show smitten, closeted Jenny the “real” Berlin. And in 2020 Brooklyn, while navigating lockdown and learning about social justice movements, Miles agrees to help best friend (and secret crush) Chloe investigate a package from Chloe’s grandmother containing mini-cassettes and a scrapbook featuring two Kleinwald teens who disappeared in 1941. Bray’s intimate third-person narrative kaleidoscopes back and forth in time, interweaving the three story lines and highlighting their internal resonance. Though the setup is occasionally awkward, nuanced, gratifying character arcs and a harrowing, emotionally charged third act send this lengthy novel out on a high note. The cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 12–up. Agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary. (Feb.)
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
“The legendary Libba Bray writes punk rock journeys across wide swaths of dark history and deep into the wonder of the human soul. She is one of our most original minds and Under the Same Stars will leave you shattered and wildly hopeful.” — E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud
"Libba Bray is magic. [Her] gorgeous prose and propulsive plotting draw the reader into the lives of young people who are fighting for their communities and themselves and you'll want to fight right alongside them. . . . stirring and absolutely unforgettable." —Samira Ahmed, New York Times-bestselling author of Internment and Hollow Fires
"Under the Same Stars is both a sweeping and epic tale of young people in three very different eras grappling with what it means to fight injustice. It is a stark reminder that the past is prologue. It’s also a Libba Bray book, meaning it’s full of banter, romance, humor and a little bit of magic."
—Gayle Forman, author of Not Nothing and After Life
"Immersive... Bray emphasizes how much we’re connected, offering a powerful depiction of transformative storytelling as an act of resistance and a harbinger of the future... a breathtaking journey that will leave a lasting impression on readers’ minds and hearts." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Masterful, heart-wrenching...Readers will come away motivated to be fully present, completely themselves, and to believe that courageous action matters. Because we all—past, present, and future—live under the same stars." —Booklist, starred review
"A moving love letter to courage, connection, and the long fight against oppression." —School Library Journal
"[An] inspiring historical mystery... Bray’s intimate third-person narrative kaleidoscopes back and forth in time, interweaving the three story lines and highlighting their internal resonance." —Publishers Weekly
"The three timelines are beautifully woven together, layered with secret loves, deep betrayals, and painful regrets, all threaded by the persistent theme that resistance to oppression looks different in different times but is always defined by a search for justice." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
02/01/2025
Gr 9 Up—Three generations are connected by a tragic event in Nazi Germany. In 1939, Hanna and Sophie are two typical teenage girls searching for love. They send letters to the Bridegroom's Oak, a tree believed to possess magical matchmaking powers. Initially, they ignore the presence of Nazi soldiers in their village, but the brutal beatings and rising extremism soon become impossible to overlook. In 1980, Jenny moves from Dallas to West Berlin with her parents. There, she meets Lena, a member of the city's punk scene, who introduces Jenny to a world far removed from her parents' ritzy apartment. Lena also forces Jenny to confront long-avoided questions about her sexuality. In 2020 New York City, Miles and Chloe find themselves separated by the pandemic. Together, they begin researching a mystery mentioned by Chloe's grandmother—the disappearance of two girls, Hanna and Sophie, from their German village decades earlier. Their internet sleuthing reveals more than their online classes ever could, teaching them about the various forms of resistance and the price many paid to fight tyranny. Their discoveries unfold against the backdrop of rising anti-AAPI violence and the murder of George Floyd. While the long chapters and multiple points of view make it challenging to follow the narrative, the story remains a powerful testament to hope and resistance. Miles, who is white and Filipino, has two moms, while Chloe is white. VERDICT A moving love letter to courage, connection, and the long fight against oppression.—Cathy DeCampli
A trio of narrators portray teens from different eras and settings. January LaVoy transitions smoothly from the accented dialogue of Hanna and Sophie, two Polish teens, to an unstressed voicing of their risk-taking amid Hitler's threats in 1939. Jeremy Carlisle Parker transitions listeners to 1980 West Berlin, where Jenny adjusts to her family's move from Dallas. Parker also portrays passionate, German-accented Lena, a queer punk rocker, whom Jenny comes to love. In addition, Parker delivers the softer storytelling tones of an older German woman. Major Curda communicates the growth of Brooklynite Miles, who solves the mysterious disappearances of two girls sixty years earlier. The trio heighten their narrations as the story's tension increases and connections become clear. Libba Bray cheerily reads her Author Note. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine
★ 2024-11-09
Three groups of teens are connected by a painful, decades-old mystery.
In 1940s Germany, best friends Sophie and Hanna believe in the magic of the Bridegroom’s Oak, which is said to help people find true love. Hopeless romantic Sophie, in particular, takes comfort in the protection of the Dodauer Forest where the oak grows—until World War II becomes a violent reality that tests not only the girls’ friendship but also their conceptions of duty and justice. In 1980s West Berlin, preppy American transplant Jenny is a fish out of water—until she meets German punk Lena, who urges her to rebel against society’s expectations. And in 2020 Brooklyn, Miles is trying to adjust to the radical changes brought on by Covid-19. When his best friend, Chloe, is gifted with her grandmother’s scrapbook, the pair uncover a trail of secrets linked to long-ago disappearances. Bray’s immersive third-person narrative seamlessly navigates past and present, weaving together themes of power, remorse, forgiveness, and hope. She crafts her characters with detailed precision; their emotions feel as alive as each well-rendered historical setting. Through the lens of these young people’s lives, Bray emphasizes how much we’re connected, offering a powerful depiction of transformative storytelling as an act of resistance and a harbinger of the future. Most characters are white; Miles is Filipino and white.
A breathtaking journey that will leave a lasting impression on readers’ minds and hearts.(Historical mystery. 13-18)