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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
dark
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In school many of us were probably matched up with a pen pal, usually from a different country, in an effort to get to know another culture better. I think the class I was in were matched up with kids from Indonesia (being one of our closest neighbours here in Australia), and I don’t think I got more than one letter back – no surprises there, as my Indonesian was woeful (they had to write to us in English, we had to write to them in Indonesian).
In this book we have a young girl, Charlie Lévy of Paris who, because of her name is accidentally matched up with a boy, Alex Maki from Washington. By the time the error is realised there are no free students left, so they just have to live with it. We start the book with an excited Charlie and a rather rude Alex, annoyed he has to write letters to a girl. Thankfully, we quickly jump ahead a few years to find they’ve become fast friends and have been writing back and forth constantly.
As the book proceeds we see the children start to tell each other of the changes that are happening in their cities as war begins to brew. Charlie is French-Jewish, and Alex is Japanese-American… and when the bombing of Pearl Harbour occurs all Japanese people (even if they were born in America and it’s the only home they know) are round up and shifted to rural camps where they’re fed slop, beaten, and basically blamed for the wrongs another country has inflicted upon America. Their fathers were taken before they’re shipped out, and are taken to another camp entirely, so soon it’s just Alex, his older brother Frank, and their mother who doesn’t know how to cope without her husband. And all Alex has is his friend on the other side of the world who has her own troubles, as her family are told by friends that they need to leave France… ordered to wear yellow stars, and then eventually Charlie’s letters stop altogether.
This book read so real I honestly thought that perhaps Alex Maki was the author’s father or some other relation, who’d passed on the story to Andrew Fukuda. It captured not only the overtly racist things that occur but also the small things that mount up; things you’d only notice as someone who’s experienced this for themselves. The brutality that we see Alex and his peers endure is barbaric – as was everything in that time of war, surely, however I’d never heard that Japanese-American citizens were rounded up and treated this way. It’s horrific.
One of the stronger plots in this book is the bond between Alex and his older brother Frank. They experience life as polar opposites; in school Frank was a sports champion while Alex could barely say a few words to another student. Then, in the camp, Frank is angry and making his anger known whereas Alex tries to do what the American want of him, in hopes it will help their father’s case to get moved into their camp.
And then… Alex enlists in the army. There’s a segregated unit just for Japanese-American men ‘to prove their allegiance’ but Alex also hears that as a personal thank you, those who sign up will have their fathers reunited with the rest of their family. Seeing how much this is hurting his mother Alex feels he has to do it, if it means his father will be reunited with his mother. And hearing this, Frank is pissed, because America just wants to use the Japanese-Americans as cannon fodder and how can Alex do such a thing after how they’ve been treated so unfairly?
Witnessing Alex in the army and fighting in the war is heartbreaking. As Fukuda reveals to the reader how the camps in America were a part of history that really happened, he also shows how the magnificent displays of courage and sheer determination by the segregated Japanese-American troops were erased from the history books and every success was made to sound like it was achieved by ‘true Americans’. If we think the book has been tough and heartbreaking to read so far, the horrors they witness as they fight closer and closer to Hitler are even more anguished.
This is a worthy novel – there is one section towards the end where Alex meets someone pivotal that I didn’t quite find believable (in that at the start of the conversation he tries to get away from it all but then ends by saying how he always expected Alex and is glad to see him? Like, why not quiz Alex first to be sure he’s the person he says he is, and then be glad to see him? It left me feeling disbelief) but other than that, this was a decent read that was hard to put down, I’m glad I requested it to review, glad I’ve read it, and will suggest it on to friends when they’re looking for heartbreaking decent historical fiction.
In this book we have a young girl, Charlie Lévy of Paris who, because of her name is accidentally matched up with a boy, Alex Maki from Washington. By the time the error is realised there are no free students left, so they just have to live with it. We start the book with an excited Charlie and a rather rude Alex, annoyed he has to write letters to a girl. Thankfully, we quickly jump ahead a few years to find they’ve become fast friends and have been writing back and forth constantly.
As the book proceeds we see the children start to tell each other of the changes that are happening in their cities as war begins to brew. Charlie is French-Jewish, and Alex is Japanese-American… and when the bombing of Pearl Harbour occurs all Japanese people (even if they were born in America and it’s the only home they know) are round up and shifted to rural camps where they’re fed slop, beaten, and basically blamed for the wrongs another country has inflicted upon America. Their fathers were taken before they’re shipped out, and are taken to another camp entirely, so soon it’s just Alex, his older brother Frank, and their mother who doesn’t know how to cope without her husband. And all Alex has is his friend on the other side of the world who has her own troubles, as her family are told by friends that they need to leave France… ordered to wear yellow stars, and then eventually Charlie’s letters stop altogether.
This book read so real I honestly thought that perhaps Alex Maki was the author’s father or some other relation, who’d passed on the story to Andrew Fukuda. It captured not only the overtly racist things that occur but also the small things that mount up; things you’d only notice as someone who’s experienced this for themselves. The brutality that we see Alex and his peers endure is barbaric – as was everything in that time of war, surely, however I’d never heard that Japanese-American citizens were rounded up and treated this way. It’s horrific.
One of the stronger plots in this book is the bond between Alex and his older brother Frank. They experience life as polar opposites; in school Frank was a sports champion while Alex could barely say a few words to another student. Then, in the camp, Frank is angry and making his anger known whereas Alex tries to do what the American want of him, in hopes it will help their father’s case to get moved into their camp.
And then… Alex enlists in the army. There’s a segregated unit just for Japanese-American men ‘to prove their allegiance’ but Alex also hears that as a personal thank you, those who sign up will have their fathers reunited with the rest of their family. Seeing how much this is hurting his mother Alex feels he has to do it, if it means his father will be reunited with his mother. And hearing this, Frank is pissed, because America just wants to use the Japanese-Americans as cannon fodder and how can Alex do such a thing after how they’ve been treated so unfairly?
Witnessing Alex in the army and fighting in the war is heartbreaking. As Fukuda reveals to the reader how the camps in America were a part of history that really happened, he also shows how the magnificent displays of courage and sheer determination by the segregated Japanese-American troops were erased from the history books and every success was made to sound like it was achieved by ‘true Americans’. If we think the book has been tough and heartbreaking to read so far, the horrors they witness as they fight closer and closer to Hitler are even more anguished.
This is a worthy novel – there is one section towards the end where Alex meets someone pivotal that I didn’t quite find believable (in that at the start of the conversation he tries to get away from it all but then ends by saying how he always expected Alex and is glad to see him? Like, why not quiz Alex first to be sure he’s the person he says he is, and then be glad to see him? It left me feeling disbelief) but other than that, this was a decent read that was hard to put down, I’m glad I requested it to review, glad I’ve read it, and will suggest it on to friends when they’re looking for heartbreaking decent historical fiction.
**Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for giving me a digital advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review
I really enjoyed reading this novel! It was a new take on World War II historical fiction novels that I normally read. This book’s premise is about a Japanese-American boy named Alex who lives in Washington, and occurs immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. This novel shone a light on internment camps in America during World War II. I liked the format of how the novel was told in bits and pieces of letters sent between Alex and Charlie. . I thought that the pace of the novel was a bit slow to start, however Fukuda did an excellent job at describing the youthfulness between Alex and Charlie.The only reason why this book wasn’t a 5/5 was because of the hallucinations that Alex experienced. He saw Charlie in the internment camp in America when she wasn’t there.
I have posted a full review of this novel on my blog kaitlynscupoftea.home.blog
I really enjoyed reading this novel! It was a new take on World War II historical fiction novels that I normally read. This book’s premise is about a Japanese-American boy named Alex who lives in Washington, and occurs immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. This novel shone a light on internment camps in America during World War II. I liked the format of how the novel was told in bits and pieces of letters sent between Alex and Charlie. . I thought that the pace of the novel was a bit slow to start, however Fukuda did an excellent job at describing the youthfulness between Alex and Charlie.The only reason why this book wasn’t a 5/5 was because of the hallucinations that Alex experienced. He saw Charlie in the internment camp in America when she wasn’t there.
I have posted a full review of this novel on my blog kaitlynscupoftea.home.blog
Harrowingly beautiful, brutal, full of life and death, friendship and love and brotherhood, The Light Between Us was a substantial read that brought tears to my eyes. The injustice and cruelty at the hands of humans to other humans—the switch from kind to cruel in the throes of war and fear really jar ones fate—that no one should be put to test. Loved the comradery that fuelled the search of one man’s quest for someone lost to war!
Special thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for this review copy.
Don’t forget to grab yourselves a copy in January of next year.
Special thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for this review copy.
Don’t forget to grab yourselves a copy in January of next year.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow. This book left me shattered by the time I finished. The devastating journey that Alex went on and the bravery he showed during the novel (all for a female pen pal that he never met in real life) - I’m just heartbroken for him. Charlie’s written words and spirit helped Alex to never give up and this was something that was evident throughout the entire story. I loved the relationship between both Alex and Charlie through their letters, as their was humor, sarcasm, and truths that only they could share with one another. I am glad to have read this book, as it was something I’ve had in my Libby checkout shelf for some time, but just never found the right time until recently to pick it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Blood, War
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism
I cried like a baby. This is the best book I've ever read in my entire life.
I can't believe I never gave this a review. This book was so good. The growth and development of the main character was phenomenal. I've read a lot of books that take place during WWII, but never any that focused on internment camps, which is clearly a mistake I have made because the stories that can come out of them are extraordinary.
I am stunned at the ability to retain hope throughout this whole book. Alex Maki, through a course of fate, develops a pen pal relationship with Charlie Levy, and their relationship develops into something more through the medium of letters. At least, it could be something more. I am amazed at the ability of the author to evolve their relationship from pen pals to friendship, which is clearly shown in the intimacy of the letters. It's not romantic intimacy per say, but they have created the ability to confide in one another with their concerns and worries, especially with the events that both are going through and which are so inextricably linked through the war. The character arc of Alex Maki is wonderful - from a small boy who adores his brother and misses his father, to a man and a soldier who is propelled by love and loyalty to Europe for the search of this girl he knows and loves. I could hardly believe that the character who returns from the war is the same character at the beginning of the story.
I also liked the interesting parallel between Alex and his older brother, Frank. Alex idolises his brother, and while certainly Frank can be a bit volatile, he chooses to chase those emotions in a way that does not serve the way he wants them to. Alex, on the other hand, watches as his brother delves down this path, and ultimately chooses to chase his emotions in another way. When Alex eventually leaves the camp for training, it is more than a physical separation. They also emotionally separate as well, and they are clearly on two different paths. When Alex does eventually return, you can clearly tell the difference in the influence of these paths, and it is evident that Alex has surpassed his brother, in a sense.
We do stop hearing from Charlie, and are led to believe the worst of things. Despite Alex's efforts, they are never united. Despite this tragedy, I am not upset about this ending. If they did eventually meet up, the story would then be about Alex chasing his love and that love can cure all, even through the Holocaust and internment. Because they didn't meet, it changes the meaning of the story. Even though his mission failed, we get to see this beautiful growth of a character from child to adult and what that can look like for different people. The Alex that emerges at the end of the book has gone through so much, and that's the real heart of the story. When he returns home and is reunited with his family, he is changed. So while yes, it is sad that he and Charlie never get to meet in person, I don't mind. And hey, maybe later in life he'll find out that Charlie survived, and fate will come into their hands once again.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am stunned at the ability to retain hope throughout this whole book. Alex Maki, through a course of fate, develops a pen pal relationship with Charlie Levy, and their relationship develops into something more through the medium of letters. At least, it could be something more. I am amazed at the ability of the author to evolve their relationship from pen pals to friendship, which is clearly shown in the intimacy of the letters. It's not romantic intimacy per say, but they have created the ability to confide in one another with their concerns and worries, especially with the events that both are going through and which are so inextricably linked through the war. The character arc of Alex Maki is wonderful - from a small boy who adores his brother and misses his father, to a man and a soldier who is propelled by love and loyalty to Europe for the search of this girl he knows and loves. I could hardly believe that the character who returns from the war is the same character at the beginning of the story.
I also liked the interesting parallel between Alex and his older brother, Frank. Alex idolises his brother, and while certainly Frank can be a bit volatile, he chooses to chase those emotions in a way that does not serve the way he wants them to. Alex, on the other hand, watches as his brother delves down this path, and ultimately chooses to chase his emotions in another way. When Alex eventually leaves the camp for training, it is more than a physical separation. They also emotionally separate as well, and they are clearly on two different paths. When Alex does eventually return, you can clearly tell the difference in the influence of these paths, and it is evident that Alex has surpassed his brother, in a sense.
We do stop hearing from Charlie, and are led to believe the worst of things. Despite Alex's efforts, they are never united. Despite this tragedy, I am not upset about this ending. If they did eventually meet up, the story would then be about Alex chasing his love and that love can cure all, even through the Holocaust and internment. Because they didn't meet, it changes the meaning of the story. Even though his mission failed, we get to see this beautiful growth of a character from child to adult and what that can look like for different people. The Alex that emerges at the end of the book has gone through so much, and that's the real heart of the story. When he returns home and is reunited with his family, he is changed. So while yes, it is sad that he and Charlie never get to meet in person, I don't mind. And hey, maybe later in life he'll find out that Charlie survived, and fate will come into their hands once again.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated