School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-For 13-year-old Joan Armitage, World War II has settled like a shroud over her family and community. Joan and her three siblings live alone with their mother after suffering the loss of their father, a merchant naval officer. Despite the ever-present danger of the Blitz, Joan and her school friends continue with their daily lives and adjust to a new normal in which they collect salvage, deal with shrinking food rations, and take cover in air-raid shelters when the German bombers speed by to barrage nearby Liverpool. When a Polish refugee girl arrives at school, Joan becomes embroiled in a covert effort to reunite her with her uncle, a British army deserter. Hughes' own memories of growing up in Liverpool in the 1940s inform Joan's character. The protagonist's authentic humor shines in her wry descriptions of family dynamics and mundane events like school dances against the backdrop of war, capturing the turmoil of Joan's struggle to comprehend the unimaginable while trying to live an ordinary life. Readers will be thoroughly drawn into the lives of the vivid characters, and will become invested in their downfalls and triumphs. VERDICT This must-read novel seamlessly blends history and coming-of-age without being didactic or overly nostalgic. Hand it to middle grade fans of World War II-set fiction.-Tara Kron, Aurora Public Library, Denver © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The "heart-sinking" wail of air-raid sirens, sparse food rations, and the agonizing separation from loved ones permeate this poignant story set in suburban Liverpool during the winter of 1940-1941, when the city was bombarded by Hitler's Luftwaffe. In a preface, Hughes (Hero on a Bicycle) notes that she lived in the same area at the time as a teenager, so "it was very easy for me to imagine" the life of her heroine, 13-year-old Joan Armitage. She makes it easy for readers to do the same. An insightful observer, Joan empathizes with her lonely older sister, whose beau is serving in the Merchant Navy, and her stoic mother, who is still mourning her husband's death at sea years earlier. In a subplot, Joan befriends Ania, a Polish refugee who is scorned by many, and protects the girl's uncle, who deserts the army to find Ania. Amid the turmoil, Joan finds solace in creating art and her steadfast bond with Ania. Avoiding sensationalism, sentimentality, or predictability, Hughes shapes a real and raw novel helmed by a wise and gutsy protagonist. Ages 10-up. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Living on the outskirts of Liverpool in 1940, 13-year-old Joan experiences the terrors of the Blitz, hardships such as food rationing, and the discomfort of watching a slick, unlikable army captain court her widowed mother. School continues as usual, though a new classmate arrives from Poland and, after Joan befriends her, confides her story of fleeing from the Nazis via the Kindertransport. When a stranger is seen lurking in her family's garden at night, the unsettling event reveals a mystery with a surprising twist and a satisfying conclusion. The well-drawn wartime background is a constant presence, affecting many areas of the characters' lives, and drawing readers into their story. Hughes, who was a 13-year-old in a Liverpool suburb during WWII, transports readers to that time and place through vivid details of commonplace sights and activities. Realistically flawed, but consistent and motivated by their individual concerns, the characters set in motion certain subplots that intersect as the story evolves. An eventful historical novel with a distinctive setting.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2017 Booklist