Holding Up the Universe vs. Girl in the Blue Coat

I absolutely loved Girl in the Blue Coat. This one gets my vote for sure. I enjoyed reading from an eighteen year old girl's perspective, especially in the midst of WWII. I thought it was neat to get an inside look at Hanneke's life working in the black market. It also made me realize, think about and appreciate the more intricate details of things that were happening during this time period; for example, parents giving up their babies to families that could provide a safer home, even if that meant possibly never seeing each other again after the war. I felt nervous for Hanneke throughout the story and sad for her when she spoke of Sebastian. I also loved the ending; I found it to be the best ending to a book that I have read in a long time.

I have already recommended this book to one of my students who is an avid reader, takes an interest in WWII (she loved reading Wolf by Wolf), and who is a bit of an "old soul" herself. This was a few days ago and she is already halfway done reading. I think there are many other students who would love to read this book as well. I felt so many different emotions while reading; relief, nervousness, happiness, and grief, to name a few. I would highly recommend Girl in the Blue Coat to both students and adults who take an interest in this time period. This read was a nice change from the teenage romance novels I typically read. Although I love a good teenage romance novel (big John Green fan!) especially ones that alternate between two characters, Girl in the Blue Coat was a refreshing switch.