Lovely War is a fictional novel by Julie Berry. The setup is that Aphrodite tells the story of two couples whose lives intersect during the first world war. While the story includes elements of the war, the love stories are at the center of Lovely War. It’s a book about love and beauty, and how these two concepts impact each other. While the beauty on the surface is vulnerable in war, internal beauty and character endure.
At first, I was a bit annoyed at the structure of a story within a story. I wanted to rush through the parts where Aphrodite was presenting evidence in the form of the love stories of Hazel and James and Aubrey and Colette to the other immortals. I wanted to know what would happen to these two unlikely couples.
The love stories did not disappoint. Set within a war, the war was only one of multiple challenges to the two couples, including physical injury, racism, and sexism. There are elements of history in the story, for example there was really a regiment of Black soldiers who were gifted musicians. At first, I wondered if Aubrey would be a magical negro, but he got to be a leading man along with James.
Near the end of the book, I developed an affection for Aphrodite, and even Hades. I might have even teared up at some points during the (re)telling of the story. Lovely War seems to contend that everyone, even immortals want to be seen, understood and loved, and to reciprocate those affections. Even Aphrodite is searching for love.
Final Verdict on Lovely War
I enjoyed reading this book. It’s definitely a romance novel. After all, even the immortals are concerned with love. It might as well have ended with the words “And they all lived happily ever after”. However,
Be First to Comment