One of my favorite genres to read is historical fiction, specifically World War II novels (check out my previous review of Until Leaves Fall in Paris), so I was excited to get to be a part of the ARC team for The Stars We Hold by Melissa Armstrong. I’ve never read a World War II story like The Stars We Hold, which takes place in 1945 Yugoslavia, and found myself wanting to learn more about this side of the war.

Review

The Stars We Hold follows the story of Nada as she tries to rescue her mother and sisters from the Ustaše, a fascist regime set on eliminating Yugoslavia’s Serbs. Nada’s best friend, Ester, accompanies her, and early on in the story, they run into Henrik, a boy who grew up with Nada and Ester but left to join the Partizan resistance. Henrik has changed, however—rather than help the girls, he seems to be thwarting their plans. The novel’s twists kept me on the edge of my seat and uncertain if Nada would find her family.

The beginning of the story drew me in, as it begins with Nada’s mother and sisters’ capture. The novel is not too fast paced but held my interest. I like how the author tells the story from both Nada and Henrik’s points of view and the way that she includes some flashbacks to Nada and Henrik’s childhood.

“Madness already clung to [Nada] like a demon of torture, handfeeding her nightmares until she woke drenched in sweat, whispering fear into her mind until her body quaked, touching her with blackened fingers until apprehension skittered along her skin. Adding even more to that unstable heft on her shoulders sounded like a fate worse than death” (30).

Nada’s character is especially well-written; the author conveys Nada’s emotions and the trauma of all that she has been through effectively. However, Ester is my favorite character, even though she does not develop as Nada does. Ester and Nada complement each other well, and I enjoyed the contrast between them. At one point, Nada calls Ester her “compass,” a description I found fitting, as Ester is the one who keeps everything on course (232). Like Nada, I found Ester to be the moral compass of the story. Ester is Jewish, and her faith, while not explicit, is evident. The characters face many difficult decisions of war, and Ester struggles to discern what the correct response is. At one point, Ester states, “Either I do what’s necessary to save my parents and lose a part of myself, or I don’t, and carry the guilt of that choice…How do I know which is the right choice to make?” (260). While The Stars We Hold is not a Christian novel, I found myself wondering how I should respond as a Christian to the choices that Ester and Nada face. The novel leaves Ester’s question unanswered and for the reader to consider.

The descriptions of the violence that Nada encounters are disturbing but not too graphic. I was mostly satisfied with the ending, though I would like to know what happens next (perhaps that’s left for a sequel?) or have the ending circle back to some of the events from the beginning. The novel does contain some profane language but not so much that it detracts from the story. It also contains one scene between Nada and Henrik that is a bit more descriptive than I would like.

The romance between Nada and Henrik makes the novel a little more geared towards girls than boys. I recommend The Stars We Hold to adults ages eighteen and up, especially if you enjoy reading about World War II. The Stars We Hold becomes available tomorrow, but you can preorder it now.

Kathryn Dover lives in South Carolina with her family including five cats, a dog, three fish, and many house plants. She recently graduated from Presbyterian College with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and was a valedictorian of the Class of 2024. She’s not sure what she wants to do as a career, only that she wants to write, but is trusting that God has a plan for her life to use her in a powerful way. In her free time, she enjoys reading, photography, playing with her pets, and growing plants.