(Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction, Greek Mythology)

Lovely War is a beautifully crafted novel, perfect for those who love Greek mythology, romance, and historical fiction. This book is written by Julie Berry, who has written other novels and books for teens and young adults, as well as picture books for kids.

The beginning of this book begins with Aphrodite, in World War II. She tells the story of two couples, both of whom she is jealous of. Beginning with Hazel, a pianist from London, Aphrodite narrates the love that blooms between Hazel and a British soldier, James Alderidge.

When Hazel and James first met, they felt as if they had known each other for years. They felt as if they could know each other for years. They wanted to know each other for years. But then James is sucked into the war, and Hazel feels she must do her part while James is in battle. Hazel meets Colette Fournier, a Belgium girl, an incredible singer, whose beau is dead, and still is wounded from the memory, even four years later.

After volunteering together to do war work, the girls meet Aubrey Edwards, an African-American soldier, a master pianist, and the king of jazz. He and Colette find that love (or possibly Aphrodite) sneaks up on each other, and Colette, feels conflicted about offending her previous love’s memory and wanting to be with Aubrey.

After James is wounded, he loses contact with Hazel, who is unsuspecting of his injury. Colette hasn’t heard from Aubrey, and is concerned that he might have been killed. After some persuasion, James reunites with Hazel, thinking that he is unworthy after killing Germans. Aubrey reconnects with Colette, who, begins to perform with Aubrey’s band as their lead singer.

In the end, after Hazel and James and Aubrey and Colette get married, the families’ love show that humans’ love is much more perfect than a Greek god’s.

Lovely War is perfect for teens 15+. There is (obviously) romance in this book, but it is a sweet, tender romance which everybody loves. :) This novel, set in World War II, is not graphic or dark, but they’re all in a war, so it’s obviously going to have some sadness and deaths.

Okay, so this review was hard to write because I hate spoilers for books, and so I tried super hard not to spoil anything. If you’re confused about the book, then read it. Julie Berry is much more talented at weaving those many tales together into one. ;)