Wallflower is a sweet little romance that takes place at a very interesting time in history. The story takes place in one day, Thanksgiving Day, 1989, two weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Molly is living with her dad for a year in West Germany. Her mother died of cancer five years before, but she had grown up a Jew in what is now East Berlin. Her family escaped before the beginning of WWII. Since the East is now accessible, Molly wants to visit her mother’s childhood home.
There’s a very complicated journey, switching trains and subways several times, and on one of the first legs of the journey, Molly meets Mick, a 19-year-old who lives in East Berlin. The attraction is unavoidable, and as Mick helps Molly through the maze of her journey, and Molly joins Mick on a few interesting stops along the way, a very romantic bond is formed.
Rahlens’ story packs a big punch in a small package. Here’s a fantastic introduction to the differences between East Berlin and West Berlin, and how truly fascinating those first weeks of freedom was for the people who lived in the East. There are funny moments, and heartfelt, sympathetic moments too, all seen through the eyes of these two teens, with whom we can easily relate. These characters feel authentic, and there really aren’t many other characters in the book that matter very much.
It’s a charming story that transported me back to that time and place, and I’m glad to have had that experience. It’s romantic, and it’s a quick read. I could easily recommend this to teens who enjoy this type of story.
Published by Berlinica
Copy obtained from the Publisher for review
134 pages
Rating: 3.5/5
That whole period of history is really interesting. This sounds like a fun read :)
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