Member Reviews
This heroine, Ada, is an interesting one. She battles the “dragons of maths” while trying to live through Britain during treacherous days of World War II. She is instantly likable as she quickly explains the difficulties she and her brother face as orphans during a struggling time. The characters are realistic and relatable.
I read this book ages ago and loved it. It is a great story. I did order it for my library at the time.
Lovely book! It was great to finish the story and find out more about what happens. The characters continue to learn and grow.
Rarely does a sequel surpass the first book - The War I Finally Won continues the story from The War that Saved My Life. Both titles have fully realized characters, and both have compelling stories of fortitude through adversity. This sequel somehow manages to be even better than the first , and that is really saying something. Both titles are well worth reading, as historical fiction or just as good stories.
A great sequel. I still liked the first book better, but book two had a great story with a lot of heart and character growth.
I always worry about sequels to books I loved, but this one did not disappoint. You can't help but fall in love with these characters and their struggles. I would love to hear about them again.
Great book for kids. Love the setting - the characters and the care with which it was written. I really love the writing style of this author. There are some many books written today from a realistic fiction setting but I love the World War setting for kids today to imagine what it was like in those times.
I plan on offering this book to as many kids as I can!
I was unable to read this book on Netgalley, but able to read it when it was donated to my library. It’s a wonderful sequel to The War that Saved My Life. Characters are well developed and the writing is top notch. Thank you for a wonderful ending to a much loved story.
Fabulous! An absolutely perfect sequel to an equally wonderful beginning (The War I Finally Won). I recommend this constantly to our middle school readers, and in almost every case, they report it was one of their favorite books ever.
What an incredible middle grade book. This sequel is very worthy of the The War That Saved My Life as the author offers nuance and emotional depth that is uncanny of childrens' books, and I really loved that. This book offers well-developed and perceptive characters, settings, and morals, and I would highly recommend it for young and older readers alike.
I loved The War That Saved My Life and this picks up right where it finished. The War That Saved My Life is a hard act to follow but this book does it.
I LOVED this book and have been recommending it like crazy, both on my blog and my podcast, What Should I Read Next, including here on this post about my favorite books of the year: https://modernmrsdarcy.com/favorite-books-2017/
When the first book in a series is spectacular, it’s hard to picture its sequel living up to it. The War I Finally Won is the rare exception. I truly loved the pair of these books for unforgettable character development. It deserves more than 5 stars! Well done!!
I thought there was no way the sequel could be as good as The War that Saved Me, but it was! Because of her appalling childhood, a girl struggles with to trust her guardian and accept her love, in the midst of World War II, in which many others are suffering around her. A wonderful book. Read it.
Often sequels disappoint but not in this case. Brubaker Bradley has captured the story, fleshed it out, and made the characters richer than ever. My students have it on a waiting list! Another?
I had my reviewer, Sonya VanderVeen Feddema, cover this title:
In this sequel to the juvenile novel The War That Saved My Life, 11-year-old Ada is finally able to walk properly after surgery on her clubfoot. Though healed physically, her psychological scars continue to define and limit her. Ada’s abusive mother had kept her trapped in their London apartment, refusing to allow her to go to school or to interact with anyone in their neighborhood. Ada had escaped the apartment with her younger brother, Jamie, and had been evacuated from London to the countryside because Hitler’s forces were bombing the city.
Now, as they live with their guardian Susan, a loving mother figure, the war with its deprivations and terrors continue to influence their daily lives. When a 16-year-old German Jewish girl named Ruth moves in with them, tensions escalate, and Ada’s fears and distrust intensify. Who is this girl? A spy? Will she hurt them?
As the girls get to know each other, Ada begins to understand that some wars are fought first of all in the human heart and are won only when trust and love are given room to grow and flourish.
This beautifully written novel gives young readers a picture of life in England during World War II. It sensitively portrays Ada’s internal conflicts about spirituality and religion, her valiant struggles to overcome her fears, and the brave choices she makes to help the people whom she has finally come to love and trust. Ages 8 and up. (Dial Books)
Another heartwarming story that picks up after Ada has surgery to correct her clubfoot. As she navigates life during the War and with a new found independence, she grows as a young girl. A great sequel to The War That Saved My Life that examines how kindness can change someone's life.
I just finished binge-reading this beautiful, multi-faceted book set in WWII England. The changes in various characters from the first book to this sequel were amazing to witness. I was moved by the impact of the war on the children -- displacement, rations, blackouts, and more -- but I really appreciate how the author handles these effects of war gently enough for young readers.
The War that Saved My Life was one of the best books I read in 2017 - I was worried that the sequel would not live up to the first book - WOW, I was wrong... The War I Finally Won was as good if not BETTER than the first! I thoroughly enjoyed it!
A courageous girl Ada continues her story after having her clubfoot fixed surgically. Her mother stills sees her as "damaged" so she and her brother James go to live with a guardian.. She must decide to find her place as the war continues.