Under the Same Stars

Instant New York Times Bestseller- A USA Today Bestseller- An Indie Bestseller- A Good Morning America Book Club Pick

"Under the Same Stars will leave you shattered and wildly hopeful." -E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud

"Stirring and absolutely unforgettable" -Samira Ahmed, New York Times-bestselling author of Internment and Hollow Fires

"Full of banter, romance, humor and a little bit of magic" -Gayle Forman, author of Not Nothing and After Life

From New York Times-bestselling and Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray comes a propulsive historical mystery that examines truth, rebellion, reconciliation, and what must be sacrificed for a better world.

It was said that if you write to the Bridegroom's Oak, the love of your life will answer back. Now, the tree is giving up its secrets at last.

In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message waiting for her in the Bridegroom's Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is sending messages too-but not to find love. As World War II unfolds in their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may hold the key to resistance against the Nazis.

In 1980s West Germany, American teen transplant Jenny feels suffocated by her strict parents and is struggling to fit in. Until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl hell-bent on tearing down the wall separating West Germany from East Germany, and meeting Frau Hermann, a kind old lady with secrets of her own.

In Spring 2020, New York City, best friends Miles and Chloe are slogging through the last few months of senior year when an unexpected package from Chloe's grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two unidentified teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom's Oak eighty years ago.

1. Under the Same Stars takes place in three different time periods. How does the author utilize the three different historical settings of Under the Same Stars to enhance the story? Discuss how the historical context influences the characters' beliefs, actions, and relationships.

2. There is one central mystery that spans across all three time periods in Under the Same Stars. How are the characters from each time period related and which, if any, reveal shocked you the most?

3. Choose a character from Under the Same Stars whose journey resonated with you the most. Discuss their development throughout the novel. What challenges do they face, and how do their experiences contribute to their growth?

4. Under the Same Stars explores themes of family and belonging. Discuss how these themes are portrayed through the relationships between characters. How do these relationships evolve, and what do they reveal about the characters' desires and motivations?

5. In Under the Same Stars, the acorn is returned to again and again. How does this symbol contribute to the novel's overall themes and messages? Discuss how specific symbols enhance the narrative and contribute to the readers' understanding of characters or themes.

6. "Love is resistance. Resistance is love." is an often repeated idea in Under the Same Stars. What does this phrase mean in the context of the book? What does it mean to you? How can this idea be implemented in your daily life?

7. Analyze the structure of the narrative and the perspectives presented in the novel. How does the author's choice of narrative perspective influence the story's development and the readers' empathy for the characters?

8. Discuss the balance between historical accuracy and artistic license in Under the Same Stars. How does the author incorporate real historical events and figures, and where does she use creative freedom?\

9. Many characters in Under the Same Stars face significant adversities. Discuss how these adversities shape the characters and the story. What coping mechanisms do characters use, and what does this reveal about their personalities?

10. Reflect on the themes of destiny versus choice as presented in the novel. Do the characters have control over their destinies, or are they at the mercy of the time and place in which they live? Support your argument with examples from the book.

11. What did you personally take away from reading Under the Same Stars? Discuss how the novel impacted your understanding of the historical periods it depicts, or how it influenced your views on the themes explored.

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) | February 4, 2025 | 480 pages | ISBN:978-0374388942 | Ages 12-18

A New York Times Bestseller
An Indie Bestseller
A USA Today Bestseller
Good Morning America Book Club Pick
Target Book Club Pick
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection


"The legendary Libba Bray writes punk rock journeys across wide swaths of dark history and deep into the wonder of the human soul. She is one of our most original minds and Under the Same Stars will leave you shattered and wildly hopeful." - E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud

"Libba Bray is magic. [Her] gorgeous prose and propulsive plotting draw the reader into the lives of young people who are fighting for their communities and themselves and you'll want to fight right alongside them. . . . stirring and absolutely unforgettable." -Samira Ahmed, New York Times-bestselling author of Internment and Hollow Fires

"Under the Same Stars is both a sweeping and epic tale of young people in three very different eras grappling with what it means to fight injustice. It is a stark reminder that the past is prologue. It's also a Libba Bray book, meaning it's full of banter, romance, humor and a little bit of magic." -Gayle Forman, author of Not Nothing and After Life

"Immersive... Bray emphasizes how much we're connected, offering a powerful depiction of transformative storytelling as an act of resistance and a harbinger of the future... a breathtaking journey that will leave a lasting impression on readers' minds and hearts." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Masterful, heart-wrenching...Readers will come away motivated to be fully present, completely themselves, and to believe that courageous action matters. Because we all-past, present, and future-live under the same stars." -Booklist, starred review

"Bray is no stranger to complex magic systems, developing here a magic that lies in the power of storytelling itself... A gripping and complex mystery that spans three timelines about storytelling, resistance, remorse, and reconciliation." -Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Ms. Bray's abundance of timelines and characters offers willing readers ages 12 to 18 different entry points into what is essentially one story: How we awaken to injustice around us and how we're called to act afterward." -Wall Street Journal

"A moving love letter to courage, connection, and the long fight against oppression." -School Library Journal

"[An] inspiring historical mystery... Bray's intimate third-person narrative kaleidoscopes back and forth in time, interweaving the three story lines and highlighting their internal resonance." -Publishers Weekly

"The three timelines are beautifully woven together, layered with secret loves, deep betrayals, and painful regrets, all threaded by the persistent theme that resistance to oppression looks different in different times but is always defined by a search for justice." -The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"In this ambitious work, Bray alternates three seemingly disparate stories, briefly braiding them into one near the novel's end...Throughout, Bray stresses the value of resistance to 'our flawed world's inhumanity, intolerance, and authoritarianism' by means of 'acts both large and small.'" -Horn Book