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by: Millie Bobby Brown
Recommended Age: YA (12+ years and above)
Lexile: 800L
Content Warning(s): death/grief, medical trauma, violence, war
Book Summary
"It’s 1942, and air raid sirens continue to wail around London. Eighteen-year-old Nellie Morris counts every day lucky that she emerges from the underground shelters unharmed, her loving family still surrounding her.
After a chance encounter with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby, Nellie becomes enchanted with the idea of a broader world. Just when Nellie begins to embrace an exciting new life with Ray, a terrible incident occurs during an air raid one evening, tearing Nellie’s world is torn apart. But just when it seems all hope is lost, Nellie finds that, against all odds, love and happiness can triumph."
My Thoughts
I will admit that my primary motivation for reading this was because of the author. To put it simply, I read Nineteen Steps because I wanted to see if Millie Bobby Brown's creative talent extended to writing. However, it turns out that Nineteen Steps was ghostwritten by Kathleen McGurl, who was not credited anywhere in this novel, which I found strange.
I must say that the writing did not meet my high expectations, especially considering the acting talent Millie possesses or the fact that her ghostwriter has written many acclaimed books of their own. If you decide to read this novel, know that you should approach this novel more for the content and learning you will gain rather than expecting polished, prolific writing.
Even though I have read several novels set in World War II, I was unaware of the 1943 Bethnal Green Tube disaster, despite it being considered the largest loss of civilian life in the UK during the war. Withstanding the fact that Nineteen Steps was ghostwritten, I admire Millie's intention to preserve a part of her family history and educate others about this lesser-known (but not less important) disaster.
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