spellbindingtomes's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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bessadams's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

"would you like to marry me? I'm in love with you, so I thought I'd ask." 

an icon

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hannahbailey's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I had already watched the movie years ago which put me off reading for a while, but flew through this!

It feels weird to describe a novel that mentions concentration camps as cosy, but it was?! Thanks to the epistolary format and the post-war setting, readers are set quite a distance away from any action/horror described, although it still deals with the atrocities sensitively and in keeping with true accounts of the time. 

I think the cosiness and gentleness can be explained by the post-war present tense in which most of the letters are written. The pace of life in Guernsey is much slower, and the novel mostly consists of lovely characters doing or saying lovely things as they try to heal from the Second World War. And there is the lovely found family trope!

It's sweet and comforting, perhaps a little saccharine at times, but that's hard to avoid when writing 1940s middle-class characters who find each other absolutely splendid company indeed, what what. That said, it handles the darker topics well as characters recount the Nazi occupation of Guernsey and the suffering of ordinary people, brave people and everybody in-between.

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prairieraven's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Nice book to read set just after WW2. Written as a series of letters to different characters. Mentions briefly living conditions were like under the occupation, some mentions of violent measures and what happened in concentration camps. However all the stories woven in are gorgeous examples of resiliency, community, romance and friendship. 

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alexisgarcia's review against another edition

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inspiring sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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georgiaabigail's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75


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rybass08's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is such an inspiration! I loved how the story is told through letters and writings from each of the characters. My favorite genre is historical fiction but this book was on another level. 
The underlying romance was a perfect touch! 

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kaanda's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0


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kris_tea516's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Book 25 of 52 for 2024

I saw the movie a few years ago for this book. I had no idea until a couple of months ago that it was a book. I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it after watching the movie but it had been a few years & I wasn’t sure how much I really remembered. Well, I have to say I’m so happy I reread it. It’s such a wonderful story & it is done so well. I highly recommend the audiobook because each wonderful character’s letter is read by a different actor. This book is the definition of “cozy” read but it also deals with very difficult things from history (Holocaust, WWII) & how complicated the relationships between the Germans & British had been. It also shows how reading can change your life in ways you might never expect. It left me wanting to read even more books & appreciate genres I might never think about. 

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koplomps's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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