This is generally an excellent novel. The center of this book is an apartment building in Brussels, Belgium, during WWII. As the Nazis advance, a Jewish family disappears in the middle of the night. Some residents join the resistance; some become tattle-tells.

The characters are richly drawn and interesting. The Jewish family stays in the narrative from their new home in Scotland, and surprises of their time in the apartment building remain. My only gripe with this book is that it had a few too many characters, and it was hard to keep up with all of them.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and recommend it.

Though the concept of this book is fascinating, I found myself struggling to stay engaged as the pace was very slow and I was struggling to keep up with the characters. I have no doubts that this is a moving literary accomplishment, but it doesn’t seem that i am the best audience for it.

This is a complex and deeply literary novel set in Brussels during the Nazi occupation. The setting is a large house and the multiple characters live in the different apartments in that house. A very unique idea! It takes quite a while to get one’s head around who is who, and the multiple POVs, but it is worth the effort so stick with it! I did find it continued a little too long and found myself reading other novels in between but always went back to ‘33 Place Brugmann’ (great title) to see what was now happening to these complex characters. Charlotte was the central character and an amazing one; beautifully made real and like many of the characters a person it was easy to emphathize with. If you love history and beautiful writing and darkness, it is very worth reading. An amazing work for a debut novelist. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance digital ARC. Although for me it was perhaps a 4/5 it really does deserve a 5, so that is what I am rating it.

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me. I liked the concept a lot: following the different residents, and different perspectives of one apartment building in Belgium on the eve of Nazi occupation. But I found that I was having a hard time keeping all the characters straight, which always distracts me in a book, and I wasn't feeling deeply compelled by any individual character, although each did seem interesting.

Perhaps if I tried this at a different time I would become engrossed, and based on the reviews and descriptions I feel as though I should have liked this book more. For fans of WWII fiction, especially getting a different perspective–not as many in the genre take place in Belgium–this is worth a try.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic and Net Galley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I dnf this, I only read to 50%. It was not for me as I did not get invessted in any of the characters and grew a bit tried of picking up this book and having to dubble check which POV I was reading at the time of putting it down.
It does a realatively good job at trying to cover multiple pov's of ww2 and the german occupation but I found the writing style having me more stuck in the characters head then showing me what is happening.

Historical Fiction | Adult
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In this first novel by playwright Austen, we learn all about the lives of a dozen or so residents of a four-storey apartment building in Brussels. It opens in August 1939, and spans about four years, covering most of the Second World War. The building’s occupants are a panoply of characters, from thoughtful architect François Sauvin to aging busybody Miss Hobert to Maya, a Russian refugee and seamstress who lives in an attic room. In addition to Nazi sympathizer Mr. Everard and his family, there are Jews (the Raphaëls, who have already fled the coming threat when the novel opens), resistance members, and even, for a short time, escaping airmen whose planes were downed by Germans, but who managed to evade capture. It’s the story of their wartime lives, told in multiple voices, in roughly chronological order. But it’s also a cautionary tale for our times, drawing a clear comparison between our current politics and the rise of Nazism. And if you doubt me, consider this thought from an escaping Jewish character:
<i>Hitler has an idea, and that idea has caught fire. It’s not a good idea. It’s not a clear idea. It’s not factual. It is an idea that creates a picture that has very little to do with reality and nothing whatsoever to do with logic.</i>
And just a few pages later: <i>That one man has caused this worldwide catastrophe. It still astounds.</i>
I know Austen wrote the book months before the orange menace took office, but it still resonates as a lament that we have not learned from the pages of history. The Belgian setting seems quite well drawn, and the characters’ voices are unique and authentic. I quite enjoyed it, and draw some solace from the ingenuity of those characters determined to prevent evil from triumphing. My thanks to Grover Press for the advance reading copy provided digitally through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

33 Place Brugman is the story of ordinary Belgians during the German occupation. It follows various of the occupants over a short period of time at the beginning of the war.

Francois and Charlotte Sauvin are a creative father and daughter, Agathe Hobert is a single woman seemingly disappointed by life and her neighbours, the Raphaels are a Jewish family whose son Julian is in love with Charlotte, the Debaerre's are parents to son, Dirk, a young man whose allegiances are questionable, Colonel Warlemont is an ex-serviceman and widower, Masha Balyayeva is a refugee and seamstress and the Everards are husband Jan, a notary, his wife Annick and two children.

The story follows all the neighbours which, until you've sorted out the relationships, can be a little confusing but it doesn't take long to figure out exactly what motivates each character.

The story feels both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time but I've always imagined that people living in occupied countries were all capable of doing exceptional things (good and bad) during that time. Who of us actually knows how we will react under this type of duress.

There are strange, dreamlike but beautiful scenes and then horrifying sections of narrative that are claustrophobic and disturbing. It's a very well written novel.

I'd definitely recommend this novel. It was an interesting and engaging read.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the advance review copy.

really interesting and informative look at this time period from a different perspective. The residents each shared a different story but the entire book was realistic about the sacrifices and challenges that they faced. Thanks #NetGalley #GrovePress

3.5 Stars!

33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen follows the lives and goings on of several residents of the same building during WWII. I thought the premise was incredibly interesting! I’ve read dozens of books set during this time period, but I don’t think a single one has followed so many people all living in one central location. Upon starting, I was very quickly caught up in the story, and I connected with a couple of the characters almost immediately.

I did have a few complaints. Number one being that the pacing was just a little too slow for me. Additionally, there were a couple of characters I didn’t care about as much as others, so their POVs were a little rough for me, and I wanted a little bit more from the ending. These are all very much “me” issues though, and not every book is going to be perfect for every person.

Alice Austen is a very gifted author, and I would gladly read something else by her in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic, and Alice Austen for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5 stars


This character-driven novel boasts complex and compelling characters with richly layered motivations, making them relatable and human.


However, the pacing is slow and the narrative can feel disjointed at times, which made it hard for me to fully immerse myself in the story. Despite this, the characters' struggles and relationships kept me invested.

'33 Place Brugmann' by Alice Austen is a work of historical fiction following the residents of a building in Brussels in the years leading up to and during WWII. Each character has their own experience and motivation, and Austen effortlessly illustrates a broad array of experiences in the pre-war years and the beginning of Nazi occupation.

Austen builds compelling characters, with complex motivations. It takes some time to get into the book simply because you have to meet everyone, but once I was in, I was invested in each of their stories. This is a timely read, with lessons and challenges we would all do well to consider.

Thank you to Alice Austen and Grove Atlantic | Grove Press for the ARC of '33 Place Brugmann' in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly had a really hard time getting into this book, I kept hoping it would pick up but it was so slow and I had a hard time following along with all the different characters in the book. I normally really enjoy this genre so I really did try to enjoy it. If it weren’t for Netgalley I don’t think this would be a book I would pick for myself.

I thought this was overall okay. The pace of the story was slow, wish it had eventually picked up. The format felt a bit disjointed. I struggled focusing at times. I didn't feel like I connected with the characters.

A hyper focused take on WWII historical fiction, this novel follows the residents of a single apartment building in Belgium throughout the war. The character development in 33 Place Brugmann was excellent, and even though I’m usually more of a plot driven reader, so much of the plot was motivated by the choices each character made as they aimed to survive this horrific time period. Did they become Nazi informants to save their own skin? Would they join the resistance, fall in love, start a family, find their lost loved ones?

I loved how zoomed in the storytelling was, and found it to be unlike any of the WWII historical fiction I’ve read before. It wasn't surprising that author Alice Austen is a playwright/screenwriter/director because there were theatrical elements to her writing that lent itself to a very visual reading experience, which I deeply enjoyed. I'd recommend this for fans of intimate, introspective novels of historical fiction.

33 Place Brugmann is a skillfully written and intellectually stimulating work of historical fiction centring around the residents of a small, elegant apartment building in Brussels in the time leading up to and during World War II. Austen’s novel presents the German occupation of Brussels, antisemitism and the plight of Jews (focusing on one cultured Jewish family in particular) within that city, the operations of the resistance network that returned downed airmen to England, and the importance of art to civilization (one character is intimately involved in the transporting of the treasures of Britain’s National Gallery to mines in Wales, where they’re protected from bombing). Philosophy (Wittgenstein), mathematics (especially risk, chance, probability), and love also figure in this rich and sophisticated creation.

Initially, I found the novel fragmented and rather slow going due to the presentation of multiple points of view, but I’m glad I held on. It’s an ambitious work, perhaps too much so. I don’t feel I grasped much of the Wittgenstein at all (or the author’s inclusion of so many abstruse passages from the philosopher’s Tractatus). Furthermore, the central character, the completely colourblind ethereal young artist Charlotte, did not convince, a major flaw in the work in my view.

In the end, though, I felt rewarded and changed by reading this. With its mixture of realistic and surreal elements and its European flavour, I can imagine it as the basis for a motion picture. This is unusual historical fiction. It won’t be for everyone, but I do recommend it.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an advance reading copy of the book.

1939 Brussels and on the eve of occupation, the lives of those in the Beaux Arts building are going to be changed forever, and not for the better.

Starting with Nazi occupation, looming threats, the solidifying of previous unheard of atrocities, the rationing and the build up of mistrust amongst neighbours, friends all with the aim of turning in someone you didn’t like, didn’t trust was becoming commonplace. At the same time resistance to the occupiers was very real, and hiding national treasures was very much the goal of many.

The story builds up within these eight apartments from betrayal to resilience and the determination to survive.

Emotional reading but any story set in this era was hard reading.

The apartment building at Place Brugmann is a clever premise for a war novel. Housing a spectrum of characters, each with their individual ideologies, social levels and morals, lead to a wide variety of viewpoints and storylines. These threads were not always easy to follow, and I found it a little difficult to always remember whose viewpoint was whose, but generally the writing is excellent and once the threads came together the ending was satisfying. This novel humanises the small decisions people make during difficult times and how these can impact the lives of others. Alice Austen will be an interesting author to watch. 3.5 stars

My thanks to Grove Atlantic House and Netgalley for an advance review copy.

Not for me. I found the pacing of the story to be too slow and couldn’t connect with any of the characters. I normally love books from this time period, but this is me didn’t grab my attention.

I loved so much of this and yet it was all so heartbreakingly tragic. A wonderful view of WW2 that we often don't see.

I was honestly having a very hard time following along with this book since the ARC formatting was throwing me off. The spacing and lack of chapters and paragraphs so it just made it a bit harder. It felt slow going and the storyline was from various perspectives which made it hard to follow along. Again I think this is due to the format I received it in. I think I will try the audiobook and update my review then.