Nineteen Steps book review

Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown, Kathleen McGurl
on September 12, 2023
Goodreads

The New York Times bestseller from iconic Emmy-nominated actress and producer MILLIE BOBBY BROWN: Nineteen Steps is a captivating novel inspired by the true events of her family's experience during World War II.
Love blooms in the darkest days…
It’s 1942, and air raid sirens continue to wail around London. Eighteen-year-old Nellie Morris counts every day lucky that she emerges from the underground shelters unharmed, her loving family still surrounding her.
After a chance encounter with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby, Nellie becomes enchanted with the idea of a broader world. Just when Nellie begins to embrace an exciting new life with Ray, a terrible incident occurs during an air raid one evening, tearing Nellie’s world is torn apart. But just when it seems all hope is lost, Nellie finds that, against all odds, love and happiness can triumph.
Nineteen Steps is a deeply affecting, mesmerizing page-turner inspired by the author’s family history. An epic story of longing, loss, and secrets, Millie Bobby Brown’s propulsive debut introduces an unforgettable, brave young woman and boldly portrays the strength in the power of love.
“Inspired by my Nanny Ruth, this book is very personal and close to my heart. I grew up listening to stories about her time living through the war. I’m honored to keep her story alive.”—Millie Bobby Brown

I am a sucker for historical fiction and although I’m always a little dubious about celebrity written books but thought I would take a risk. It did not pay off. Nineteen Steps is an awfully written book, and deals with a real life trauma trivially and as a mere plot point. This was possibly the worst experience I have had with a book in a long time.

Characters in Nineteen Steps

The story follows Nellie living in Bethnal Green as she tries to survive through the backend of WWII. The entire story centres around her need to find normality surrounded by uncertain times, and I found her SO boring. I think the biggest issue with her was the way she uses and discards people, especially her lifelong best friends. It was painful seeing her reaction to some of the worst things that could happen to a person. There was no depth and I still don’t know how I managed to finish Nineteen Steps, because Nellie infuriated me all the way through.

Another special mention to the atrocious love triangle that played out throughout this one. If you have ever wanted a pining nice guy go up against the rugged American but without any personality or chemistry then this is the book for you. The entire relationship in this book was based off the fact that he didn’t live in the UK, nothing else, nothing in common just the fact that he was born somewhere else. It was baffling and so frustrating, and not even because I wanted her to with the other guy because he was just as bad. It was just awfully written.

Bad Bits in Nineteen Steps

This could be a whole page on this blog, but let me start by saying Millie Bobby Brown should not have been allowed to write this book let alone publish it. Nineteen Steps manages to navigate not one, not two but three major tragedies in one family, all of them awfully foreshadowed and treated with a complete lack of respect. I would have less of an issue with it if it had been fictional, but she based this utter garbage from real people’s experience and trauma. The entire book reads:

• Nellie moaning about her life with some foreshadowing.
• Something awful happens.
• Nellie is sad for a couple of pages
• Continues her life moaning about something else and some more awful foreshadowing
• Tragedy hits
• Nellie shows some emotion for a couple of paragraphs
• Moves on and finds ‘the joy’ in her life again
• Rinse and repeat until you get to the end.

I have never been so disgusted by the way something handles such a sensitive topic. It needed a more experienced writer, which baffles me further because she had a ghostwriter and who knows how many editors, all of which ignored the blatant issues all the way through the story. Traumatic experiences were used as plot points that happened and were completely superficial. It was awful to read about.

Good bits

I think the best thing about this book was that it raised awareness for the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster and after reading I did some more research. But please don’t read this book if you want anything more than superficial ramblings because those people deserve better.

Have you ever read a book and been completely let down? Which one? Let me know in the comments.