This engaging novel, set right before the fall of the Berlin Wall, tells the story of a young American boy whose parents abruptly decide to move the family to East Germany in 1989. Noah joins forces with his new neighbor Cloud-Claudia in this story of walls and intrigue.

4-1/2 stars

I did stay up later than I’d wanted in order to finish it. It was a hard book to put down and an easy one to pick up to read.

I highly and equally recommend this book for boys and for girls. I think it’s an especially good story for readers ages 9-11, but I think the story can be enjoyed by all ages 7 and up.

It’s a great historical fiction book for kids and includes some fascinating real history, including a few tidbits new to me or not remembered by me. I do vividly remember that time and its event(s). The reader is given dates at various times in the mostly fictional story so the reader will know (or can learn) that much of the story takes place in East Berlin when the Berlin Wall is up but in the year it will come down.

This is a lovely friendship story between a boy (Wallfish) and a girl (Cloud) and I do appreciate how the relationship develops and how it’s powerful and influential on both children, and I applaud the believability of the account. (I was the “new” kid several times between the ages of 5 and 11. I could identify with Wallfish about some things, even though our circumstances were completely different. Ditto identifying about some things about Cloud, and also about the whole honesty vs. secrets aspect of the story.)

This is a perfect book for kids who stutter of have anything about themselves that makes them feel self-conscious.

I like that some of the adults as well as some of the kids are more fleshed out than in some children’s books. Most of them seemed like real people.

I really liked it but it’s quite a 5 star book for me. I enjoyed the end sections that continues to follow one important part of the story. I felt a bit frustrated with the relationship between the boy and his parents. I didn’t like the mystery that sort of remained. I read reviews at bit too revealing before I read the book (I strongly recommend that potential readers try avoid all spoilers!) though I luckily didn’t remember much, and what I did remember I wasn’t sure whether or not a certain thing was part of the story. It was fun to guess exactly what was going on. It wasn’t that hard to figure out most of what was mysterious but it was still fun. I would have had a blast trying to figure out things had I read it at ages 9-11. Also, was Wallfish a bit too perfect?: So easily adaptable, so brave, so selfless, etc. I did admire and believe his loyalty and how he handles himself and the circumstances into which he’s thrust and much else about him. I’m glad that he wasn’t depicted as perfect at least.

Some quotes that I liked:

“Names are like codes, yes? Like magic codes. They have everything that ever happened to you squeezed tightly inside them.”

“First of all, people are always pretending to be what they are,” said his father. “That’s basically a philosophical question. Part of being something is pretending to be it.”

And from the author’s note at the end of the book:

“Truth and fiction are tangled together in everything human beings do and in every story they tell. Whenever a book claims to be telling the truth, it is wise (as Noah’s mother says at one point) to keep asking questions.” ( )

Review from Nov 2016/Goodreads
**I received an e ARC copy from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.**

Jonah Brown, formerly known as Noah Keller from small-town Virginia, is one day picked up from school, given a new name, birthday, and a new past he knows nothing about as he is whisked away to a new home in East Berlin, behind the harrowing Iron Curtain so his mom can continue her research. Jonah's lonely new life is filled with uncertainty and secrets, and with every answer he receives, more questions just pile up. Questions he can't even ask out loud. When he makes friends with Claudia (Cloud), the girl who lives in his apartment building, even their friendship and imaginary world they create aren't really safe.

I personally, LOVED this novel. Ms. Nesbet offers an authentic rare window, rich in detail into everyday life of the 1989 German Democratic Republic (East Germany), the former Soviet state cut off from the western world by the Berlin Wall and enforced by strict border patrol. Her character development is delicately complex and understated. The inclusion of the omniscient narrator was a nice touch to the story -- the secret files filled in the knowledge gaps of the fictional story with the true historical events and sites.

There are many things I really enjoyed about the book -- the subject matter, the beautiful friendship between Jonah and Claudia (I couldn't help but think of "Bridge to Terabithia" at some points!!) and the incredible attention to details, setting, and historical precision. Her knowledge was really reflected (as I found out afterwards, she visited East Berlin the same year of her story). The dual narrator perspectives also a notable technique -- I think it worked well for this story. Lastly, there is the timeliness and relevance to today. If you're an American in 2016 and pay attention to current events, walls unquestioningly will come to your mind as you read this story of the Berlin Wall that split up families, friends, and made them seem worlds apart within the same city. And walls are still to this day, motivated by the same things as decades ago. Perhaps if nothing else, we can all learn from past mistakes in hopes of a better future by reading this book.

Solid storyline, good writing, interesting historical fiction, important message and a timeless tale of friendship. So why not 5 stars? For minor flaws -- mostly just uneven pacing and there were certain aspects to Jonah's character I wish had been fleshed out a little more. I also feel there is some question as to who will read this book. It's a must-read for historical fiction fans. I think with some selling, it will go over best with middle school-aged kids and adults. For other ages though, it's going to be a tougher sell. High school kids probably won't go for it due to the very young protagonist, and though completely suitable for 4th-5th Graders, older children with more knowledge of the Cold War are more likely to appreciate it. It's definitely thrilling in parts, though I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it a historical "thriller" (at least in a child's eyes). The beginning and end are fast-paced, but there's a pretty big slow down in the middle that didn't bother me at all personally, but it might lose some kids, depending on attention spans and interest in the subject.

Overall, a timely and important addition to the world of middle grade historical fiction. ( )

Though I loved the characters of Cloud and Wallfish and their loyal friendship, I found Wallfish's parents unrealistic in the ways they spoke to their son and kept so many secrets from him. I understand the author was trying to reveal that period in history around the Berlin Wall, but I wish she'd chosen a different way to write the story, focused more on the kids' friendship than all the "facts" between chapters. ( )

This is a wonderful book. This book is set in 1989 in east Germany just before the wall comes down. It is about a boy and his family on the other side of the Wall by choice. This is a historical fiction book that is bitter sweet and a good way to introduce middle schoolers to history about this historical region in Europe.

The book touches on the idea that the world is always changing both on a micro and a macro scale. The world for one boy is upended but he has options and choices. Other characters in the book are locked into ideology and few options. It has universal themes that appeal to 11-13 year olds. I thought it was a wonderful book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. ( )