Will I love Lovely War?

I am a sucker for books that riff on classic stories or myths, and this coming-of-age novel, Lovely War, told from the perspectives of Greek gods and goddesses, fits the bill.

World War I centers this novel, and while fantastical points of view may seem whimsical, the realistic descriptions of trench warfare, post-traumatic stress disorder, and racial injustice are not.

World War I brings teenagers together as friends and romantic partners, but will it also divide them forever? That is just one of the questions posed by Lovely War.

This totally unique retelling blends Greek mythology with World War I and II history in a beautiful way that stuck with me long after I finished the last page.

There are tons of Greek retellings to choose from, but the added element of the World Wars storyline makes this one stick out from the crowd. Aphrodite strikes a deal on trial and must tell the story of two war-torn couples. The story has a big sweeping feel, full of tragedy and romance.

Lovely War brings to mind Greek epics in its scope and feeling, but the setting gives it a… show more.

If you know me, you know I love a good myth retelling! But this book does one better.

Berry retells the myth of Aphrodite and Ares getting caught in Hephaestus’ golden net alongside Aphrodite’s favorite love story of all time—that takes place during the first world war between “a Harlem-born ragtime genius and a Belgian orphan with a gorgeous voice and devastating past”. This story also has crossover appeal and will forever be one of my favorites!

Lovely War is highly literary but lush in its emotional pull. Months after reading it, it still stands out. As has been a running theme throughout this list, the First World War is again the setting of the book. The inclusion of Greek gods as narrators lends a magical realism to the story, something that is also present in my book, where historical fiction and magical realism are blended in a literary style. In a sea of black and white, Lovely War is in stark technicolor. 

A love story set during wartime. One might shrug their shoulders as if to say, Ho, hum. But this is a love story unlike any other. Aside from being exquisitely written, filled with stunning beauty and ugly truths, it is, in fact, three love stories: two between two mortal couples set during WWI, and the third, a love triangle among the gods (yes, Olympian gods) set during WWII. What’s ho hum about that? Again, it is the craft Berry wields that intrigues me. How does she tell a historical story from a fantastical point of view? How do the… show more.

At the height of World War Two, Aphrodite meets Ares and Hephaestus in a Manhattan hotel room, seeking to finally make peace between her husband and her lover. To do so, she tells the story of two young couples amid the killing fields of World War One, battling war and racism alike in their determined quest for love. Lovely War is a YA novel thoughtful enough for adults, one that interweaves a gripping historical romance and the profound themes of Greek myth.