The Rebel Girls of Rome – Jordyn Taylor
A thrilling and empowering historical novel that shines a light on the overlooked women who shaped history. Taylor’s characters are fierce and unforgettable, bringing the past to life with gripping storytelling and meticulous research. A must-read for historical fiction fans who love stories of rebellion and resistance.

Jordyn Taylor has woven together a contemporary story of healing from loss with a historic story of World War II in Italy through a cast of characters who are realistic, courageous, and enthralling.
Through the dual lenses of Lilah, a modern college student, and Bruna, a young Jewish partisan during the Second World War, readers see how family trauma and deep and enduring love bind people across time and space. When Lilah receives an email from an Italian man named Tommaso, she and her grandfather travel to a Italy to track down the truth about Lilah’s family’s history in the Holocaust and the lost heirloom locket that Tommaso discovered in his grandmother’s cupboard. Together, Lilah and Tommaso track down the history that their grandparents have never shared, and in doing so, they open the floodgates of their history. When they find a surprising connection, they find they are linked in ways they never could have imagined.
This story is a page-turner that brings the terror-laced days of the 1940’s into clear focus. Parents, teachers, and librarians should know that LGBTQ+ themes play an integral role in this story, lending added meaning to the book’s title. While these plot lines are well-plotted, they do distract to some degree from the primary story of the Holocaust and the bravery of the Jews who resisted and their friends and neighbors who supported them. This book would be appropriate for additional reading in a WWII unit or in a study of change-makers and rebellion efforts through history.

This book absolutely lived up to the Paper Girls of Paris, and I’m so glad I requested it as soon as I saw it on NetGalley. In similar fashion to Paper Girls, this book has two POVs—one from during WW2, and one from the current times. It was great to see the mystery of how everything happened pan out, as well as the characters from both times.

I’m always a little bit hesitant when it comes to dual POVs like this, but I loved both characters and their stories. I also loved the very sweet romance that bloomed in both times, especially from Bruna’s POV. I think her perspective, as a Jewish queer person during WW2 is not one seen often, especially with the background of Italy and not a more typical country for this era of historical fiction.

I also loved Lilah, and the the other characters from the present times. They all had something to work through caused by the scars from Bruna’s time, but they found their happiness and resolution by the end. Although the premise for bringing them together was their family’s mysterious connection, I loved how Lilah and Tommaso’s relationship really bloomed and they formed their connection, and really found out just how much they had in common.

This is a great book for anyone who loves historical fiction, but also if you want something different from the typical historical fiction books, with just POVs in the past.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A wonderful WWII story full of romance and mystery. A dual time story that brings back Holocaust memories.i loved it!

I absolutely loved The Rebel Girls of Rome! This historical fiction novel pulls you in with its split perspective—one following a young woman searching for the truth about her aunt’s past, and the other bringing that past to life during WWII. The way these two timelines weave together makes for a compelling and emotional read.

One of the things that stood out to me was how immersive the writing is. I felt completely transported, whether I was walking through modern-day Rome or experiencing the fear and resilience of the Jewish community during the war. The book also sheds light on a lesser-known part of WWII history—the Jewish experience in Italy—and the lasting impact on families today. It’s both eye-opening and deeply moving.

If you love historical fiction that’s rich in detail, full of heart, and beautifully written, this is a must-read. Highly recommend! Thank you to netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked that this was a Holocaust book set in Rome, and that the narrator in the historical timeline, Bruna, is both Jewish and queer. The choice to set the story this way made it rather unique in the field of Holocaust YA, and the author clearly did the research as it pertains to the Italian partisan movement. I did, however, find myself wishing as I was reading that this was just a historical novel, and that there wasn't the dual "present" timeline. The historical story was more interesting and compelling than the present day one, and devoting more time to Bruna's story would have allowed for the author to "show" us more, as it stands the pacing is rather odd and some of the most interesting details about the Italian partisan movement are told in info dumps in the present, when I wanted them to be experienced (or experienced in greater detail) in "real time" with Bruna instead. I also wanted more substantive details about Roman Jewish life/history, especially because Roman Jewish culture quite famously has a very interesting history and distinctive traditions, but there wasn't much apart from a passing reference to fried artichokes when Layla in the present day goes to the Roman Jewish quarter. Ultimately this is a quick and engaging read that pulls on some interesting historical threads.

A gripping, dual-POV story about Lilah, an American teen who, with her grandfather, visits Italy to discover their family's story, and Bruna, a young queer Jewish woman living in Rome during the Holocaust. I appreciated that the book revolves around Jewish Holocaust stories that aren't Eastern European, but I also would have loved to see a bit more Jewish history/identity/culture throughout, especially as there is so much Jewish Italian history and culture that could have been integrated into the book.

Some of the pacing felt a bit off to me, particularly the romance set in the present-day—I think the author may have been trying to do too much in a relatively short book. But I largely enjoyed both the historical and contemporary plot lines, and I didn't want to put it down. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.