This book was wonderfully written and is one of my top pick of 2025. If you're a fan of historical fiction, mystery, and contemporary fiction, this is a must read. it's been ages since I have read anything by Libba Bray, but this reminded me why I loved her YA books when I was growing up. I loved how she was able to intertwine all of the stories. Personally, the two historical narratives in particular, stood out more than the 2020 storyline. I adored the character development of Sophie and Hanna. The author effectively highlighted how propaganda spread in the 1940s and how swiftly war can overtake reality. Jenny's story from the 1980s was the quintessential coming-of-age tale. The punk scene in West Berlin added an element of intrigue, and I appreciated how the author showcased the stark contrasts between West Berlin and East Berlin, while growing up in the 80's.
While the NYC Covid timeline was my least favorite, it encapsulated the early pandemic period perfectly. Some of the dialogue didn't resonate with me, and Miles and Chloe weren't my favorite characters. However, I did appreciate the strong parallel drawn between Miles and Sophie, despite their experiences being nearly a century apart. This book feels especially politically relevant in today’s world—I can't recommend it highly enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC audiobook!

This was a wonderful and unexpectedly timely story. I really adored how the story unfolded with the three different timelines woven with into a masterfully crafted overlap that keeps you guessing until the end. All three also highlight time periods in history where there was a forced mass upheaval from a young adults point of view as they grapple with carving out who they are and going after the life they want to have instead of the life they are expected to from the society around them. It's a powerful juxtaposition.

The narrators were brilliant at bringing these characters voices to life and greatly enhanced the experience of the story. I highly recommend this book.

If you love Kristin Hannah’s books but want more of a YA historical story from an author that is dipping there foot in the genre, this one is it! I LOVED it!

I loved this blend of YA historical fiction and mystery! The narrators of this audiobook really brought the stories to life!

I loved the parallels between the different timelines and the way they all tied together. The stories from each timeline were so compelling, I couldn't stop listening! This is an important read, it feels especially timely with everything currently going on in the world.

This book had a lot to say about recognizing propaganda for what it is and about what it means to stand up to an oppressive government. I will be getting my teenagers to read this book as I really believe this is the kind of book everyone should read and reflect on.

The Gemma Doyle trilogy is an all time favorite of mine, and I think there’s no doubt that Libba Bray does excellent work in the YA fantasy sphere. Of more mixed results have been her non-fantasy novels, and I think this one is the best of the lot.

This is a beautifully written, three timeline piece of historical fiction, and while it takes a while to make the connections, all three stories are both worthy on their own and enhanced by their relationship with each other.

The links between them are a bit loose, but they do work and I think that semi-tenuous style of connection actually makes them feel more plausible. Bray seems to get the crux of what matters in all three eras, and she’s written a lovable cast of characters in each of them.

The World War II timeline is a bit tough to read at the end, though that again probably makes it more realistic, and the nobility and heroism of it make it less painful, even if anything connected to this era feels extra hard to take at the moment given what’s going on in our world right now.

To that end, one of the things I loved about this book is its profound sense of hope, which I think is something I needed right now, and I loved that Bray zeroed in on the idea that sometimes the way we affect change is going to feel small, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be impactful.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reading copy of Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray. I can't wait to start this book.

This was the perfect mix of historical fiction and mystery. This book takes place over three timelines.

The first 1940’s Hitler’s Germany, shows Sophie and Hanna’s perspective and how two school age youth took part in the resistance against the Nazi’s.

The second is a coming of age story that takes place in 1980’s West Berlin where Jenny is an American tourist learning about the wall and division of West Berlin and East Berlin.

The third takes place in Spring 2020 during the Covid pandemic. While in lockdown Miles and Chloe investigate Chloe’s family history. This leads them to the mystery of two missing teenagers who disappeared 80 years earlier at the Bridegroom’s Oak.

Libba Bray has a way with words and does an excellent job of seamlessly weaving all three timelines. The narrator does a phenomenal job distinguishing between the vast amount of characters and timelines. I truly enjoyed learning how the narratives were interconnected.

I just can not get into this one, and once the topic of covid was introduced, it lost me. The narrator was great though, but even she couldn't save the book for me.

A slow burn plot that I just could not get into. Maybe part of it was that it is a YA book and every aspect had to be explained. With three different timelines there was a lot to get through. Perhaps it wasn't the time in my life to read a literary read. I'll try it again later.

This is a story of love. This is a story of resistance. Brilliantly told by 3 sets of characters in three timelines all telling the story of what happened to three young people who defied the Nazis & then disappeared. What happened to them? You will be desperately turning the pages to find out. Beautiful!

I received an audiobook advance copy of Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray. 3.5 stars.

I think the narration for this book was really well done.

This YA story takes place over 3 time lines.

When I read historical fiction, I typically like WWII, so that story line was really interesting to me and really pulled me in. The character development was well written.

I also enjoyed listening to the 1980's storyline. More well done character development, and I could really feel the emotions portrayed.

However, as much as I enjoyed the earlier storylines, the 2020 storyline is too recent for my liking. I'm not ready to read COVID19 fiction yet. Unfortunately it took a while to finish the book because if I left off during the 2020 story, I wasn't pulled to get back to it.

Overall though, this book is really well done. The mystery and history of it are intriguing. Perfectly written for YA category.

This book was so good. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was wonderful. It kept me engaged and changed my perspective. Our times are becoming eerily close to what happened with Sophie & Hanna in 1940's Germany. I enjoyed learning more about Berlin in the 1980's and following Miles & Sophie during COVID in 2020. I kept wondering if the stories would connect and I was not disappointed at the end. I shed so many tears. This is a book I will remember for a long time. It's a must read.
We must be present in this life and fight for what's right.

I love Libba Bray's writing, and getting to read another one of her books was a treat!

I loved the commentary on right vs wrong, and how people make assumptions about others. It was a little hard to listen to how the Jewish individuals were treated during WW2, but I knew that going in.

I love how all the character are unique and have their own voices. Each story is compelling in it's own right, and each character has their own flaws and twists.

The ending made me sob.

So historical fiction is a new genre for me. This book set the bar high. I loved the time switches and trying to figure out how it was going to come together! Very well written.

I picked up this book because I loved Libba Bray’s books as a kid, and her adult novel didn’t disappoint! I liked the different perspectives and how they all weaved together to tell a similar story.

DNF@60%

I spent the last couple of days contemplating whether I should DNF this book or not and I couldn't really re-pick it up. This started so strong and I was so excited for it however it began dragging out around the 30% mark. I had so many topics that I was not comfortable with so for my own mental health and time I had to let it go

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Thank you so much Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC it was much needed to get me out of my slump 💕

This book was heartwrenching, raw, honest, and powerful. It deals with three difficult periods of time in history: WWII Germany under Nazi occupation, 1980s Germany during the Berlin Wall with East and West Berlin, and 2020 New York during the COVID pandemic and the murder of George Floyd. The characters are well written and nuanced, and the storylines are all connected and come together to form a beautiful tale of courage, fighting back against oppression, and the power of love. It will make you stop and think, and I believe it’s an important read. The cast did an amazing job with the audio, and I highly recommend listening to it if you get a chance!!
🌳
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Spice level: 🌶️
🌳
Read if you like:
▫️historical fiction meets mystery
▫️1940s Germany and 1980s Germany
▫️multiple POV
▫️social reform and resistance
🌳
Thank you to Fierce Reads, Macmillan Children’s, Macmillan Audio, Libra Bray, and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC. I received advanced copies for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

An impressive look at three generations of rebels working to make the world better. A really great audiobook

Under the Same Stars and Libba Bray have left me completely speechless. Libba has created a unique lens in which to explore transformative historical events and the multi-generational impact they have. Libba’s signature take on magic is ever present as she interweaves the importance of words, fairy tales, mythology, stories, and storytelling into her narrative about World War II, the Berlin wall, and the COVID pandemic.

As with other Libba Bray novels, I knew that our three story lines would eventually merge to reveal how all of the characters and their actions were interconnected. This reveal was organic and added meaningful depth and layers to the relationships that had already been established in their own separate timelines.

All of the narrators in the audio book version are absolutely phenomenal and bring life to the intricate characters that Libba created on the page. The nuance, tone, and inflection of their voices help paint the vivid picture of self-discovery, love, and resistance which are the themes within Under the Same Stars.

Under the Same Stars tells three different stories in three different times, but they are all tied together by Sophie and Hanna when they go missing in 1941.
In 1941 Germany, we find Sophie and Hanna, both writing letters, but for different reasons. They think they may know where the key to the resistance is. In the 1980s West Germany, we find Jenny and Lena. They are part of a rock band that wants the wall torn down. In 2020 NYC, we find Miles and Chloe going through the shutdown from COVID-19. Chloe receives a package from her grandma that leads both Chloe and Miles to investigate a case from the 1940s. The case? Two girls went missing in Germany.

Obviously, this will come with some trigger warnings. If you can’t read things about WWII era Germany, Berlin Wall era Germany, or COVID-19, don’t read this book. But, if you like any of these eras or historical fiction, I highly recommend this book. It was very well written and the importance of history repeating itself if you let it is prominent.

“Nothing ever happens in a vacuum. No incident is isolated. The past is with us always. This is the lesson of history and why it is important not to forget. We are always in a conversation with history.”

I listened to the audio version of this. Fair warning, it’s a long one. I listened to it on 2x speed and sometimes wanted to increase the speed. I enjoyed listening to it though. The narrators kept me interested and I liked that there were different narrators for the different timelines.

Absolutely stunning narrative that had me completely gripped. I'm both hopeful and heartbroken at this book. The character arcs, the interwoven stories, the prose, everything about this book was beautifully tragic. It's a book I think everyone should be reading.