Lovely War by Julie Berry

Ioanna Lee

December 6, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
On a cold December day in the middle of the second World War, the Goddess of Love is caught in an act of infidelity with the God of War. Aphrodite’s furious husband traps the two adulterers in a golden net, and presses charges on her. As an attempt to avoid being put on trial at Olympus and show others that her work is not insignificant compared to the work Ares or Hephaestus does, Aphrodite tells two of her finest accomplishments as the Goddess of Love. Lovely War by Julie Berry tells the tale of two love stories that intertwine with each other through war, music and unforgettable friendship, all through the eyes of gods. This was one of those books you just want to hug after you read. It was such a heart-warming, unique, and at times very humorous story with several deep messages about war, hope, heartbreak, prejudice, friendship, and so much more.

The first couple that is introduced is Hazel, who is a young yet brilliant pianist, and James, a soldier aspiring to be an architect. These two go through so much in the time of their relationship and still manage to find their way toward each other (of course, with a little help from Aphrodite). As the readers, we have the privilege of watching the sweet and innocent process of the two learning to love in the midst of a terrible war. The second couple is a bit more complicated, with Colette-who lost her entire family and beloved fiance when she was a teen, full of guilt and wariness about getting close to anyone ever again- and Aubrey, a Harlem-born ragtime genius in the US 369th infantry who is experiencing first-hand the depth of the hatred southern, white soldiers have for black soldiers and first-hand the consequences of it. Hazel and Colette become the closest of friends and aid each other in their respective relationships.

By the end, Aphrodite’s own love life is dealt with and many interesting views and stories of well-known characters and historical figures are shown, such as Hades, Apollo, and Jim Europe (James Reese Europe). One of my favorites is Hades. The view most “humans”, as he puts it, have of him is that Hades is the cold, hateful god of death who doesn’t care about mere mortals. However, the Hades in this book is a bit of a softie. The way the author shows a different view on the god of death was surprising and intriguing. 

In addition to the unique character personalities, the author’s style of writing is descriptive and captivating. She does change POVs, but (thankfully) it’s usually clear who the narrator is. The narrators often add their own commentary alongside the story they are telling, and sometimes even respond to unseen comments from the other narrators. The gods also know what the mortals are thinking and sometimes use it to show the sometimes hidden conversations or unspoken questions that the mortals have. This style of writing often adds humor to the otherwise serious story. And I admit, I also cried a few times and very nearly cheered out loud several times when reading the mortals' stories as well as the gods' story. Due to the writing style, unique story lines, and characters, I gave this delightful book 5 stars and I strongly encourage everyone to read it!