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I‘ve never known much about the Chernobyl accident other than it happened, so this book really opened my eyes to what went on in the aftermath. It‘s the stories of two girls who-yes have life as they know it destroyed-but come together and make new-and in one case better-lives for themselves. I quite liked the characters and the plot. I‘m glad that the Rifka twist at the end wasn‘t that big of a deal because I saw it coming a mile away. 4.5⭐️

What a great story about two young girls and their experience with the Chernobyl explosion. I honestly did not know what to expect out of this one, but I highly recommend this read. Yes, it is a children's book, but I learned a lot and I am currently looking into the disaster.

Two young girls flee Chernobyl and find their stories entwined with the story of a young girl fleeing Kiev during WWII. The WWII story should have been a book in itself and just told by the grandmother to the girls in this story instead of using flashbacks. True friendship and family love and abuse are examined under the gaze of suspicious neighbors and a claustrophobic political environment. A pretty stressful tale but good.

I love #historicalfiction especially when it‘s a less popular topic such as the Chernobyl explosion.

TW: anti-Semitism, emotional and physical child abuse

I legit have a talent for finding middle grade books that make me cry. This is not the easiest read by any means but it's so good. I love the parallels of the stories and how everything goes together. I adore the two girls and I MAY have burst out into tears for the entire last 1/3 (especially when "Blackbird Girls" was explained).
Rep: Jewish and Muslim

Anne Blankman out here consistently writing historical fiction content for me