| Title | : | Stateless |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0316591246 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780316591249 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 400 |
| Publication | : | First published March 14, 2023 |
| Awards | : | Odyssey Award (2024), Rhode Island Teen Book Award (2025) |
When Stella North is chosen to represent Britain in Europe’s first air race for young people, she knows all too well how high the stakes are. As the only participating female pilot, it’ll be a constant challenge to prove she’s a worthy competitor. But promoting peace in Europe feels empty to Stella when civil war is raging in Spain and the Nazis are gaining power—and when, right from the start, someone resorts to cutthroat sabotage to get ahead of the competition.
The world is looking for inspiration in what’s meant to be a friendly sporting event. But each of the racers is hiding a turbulent and violent past, and any one of them might be capable of murder…including Stella herself.
Stateless Reviews
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Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
Europe 1937, The best teenage pilots of their nations gather for what is supposed to be a friendly international race, but someone is determined to get rid of the competition. Thank goodness for the female protagonist, Stella North, England's flying ace and the only female competitor who is determined to solve the mystery.
I love Elizabeth Wein's historical fiction novels, I still include Code Name Verity in many of my favorite books to recommend to friends. Similar to her other novels, I was pretty much a goner from the first page. The plot definitely hooked me and I quite enjoyed the story through Stella's eyes. But... it wasn't as good as Wein's other books. Perhaps it was a feeling that we were racing to the finish and some of the relationships between Stella and the other pilots either dragged or were quite shallow. I was just really relieved to read a YA book that doesn't dissolve into the romance genre. I am deeply grateful that we get an interesting story.
From her author's note, it does sound as if there is possibly a sequel in the making for these characters and it does have me interested enough to want to read that title should it come about.
Expected Publication Date: 14/03/23
Goodreads Review Published 28/02/23 -
I still haven't forgiven Elizabeth Wein for the ending of Code Name Verity and it's been eight years, but this sounds really interesting.
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4.5 very strong stars for this thrilling bit of YA historical fiction from the author of
Code Name Verity.
When Stella North is chosen to represent Britain in Europe’s first air race for young people, she knows all too well how high the stakes are. As the only participating female pilot, it’ll be a constant challenge to prove she’s a worthy competitor. But promoting peace in Europe feels empty to Stella when civil war is raging in Spain and the Nazis are gaining power—and when, right from the start, someone resorts to cutthroat sabotage to get ahead of the competition.
I really enjoyed this; I loved our two main teen characters, Stella North, and Antoine Robert/Tony Roberts (flying for France). Though the story is mainly told from Stella's POV, the author managed to give Tony and several other young men, an opportunity to fill in some important background information. Wein kept ratcheting up the tension--I was never sure which way the story would go--lots of twists and turns.
I really liked the way the author wove in the bits and pieces of pre-WWII European history. The story is set in the summer of 1937, with the Spanish civil war playing a big role in the lives of several characters. I don't want to say too much and spoil the emotional impact of the various revelations.
While I was very happy with the ending, my knowledge of what these young people would face in the not too distant future cast a melancholy aura over their hope-filled optimism. -
As in some previous Wein books I have read, I found Stateless to be good, not great. As a matter of fact, I finished it weeks ago and just now realized I didn't review it. What better time than the day of the book's official release.
As the Nazis are gaining power, an air race for European young people has been arranged in the hope that it will bring everyone together. Stella North is the only female participant, representing Great Britain. She feels a lot of pressure to represent well since no one believes in her abilities as a pilot.
She loves nothing more than flying, but it loses some of the fun when she witnesses what appears to be one plane driving another plane into a crash. Who can she trust? Tension mounts as other things start happening, and all the pilots are in danger even if they don't know it.
The relationships among the pilots are interesting and the story is well told. I just thought it all a bit far-fetched. But true to young adult fiction, it is exciting and kept my interest.
If you enjoyed Wein's other stories, Code Name Verity, Rose Under Fire, etc., you will most likely like Stateless. -
Good grief but Wein writes a gripping book. Stateless is set in Europe, on the eve of World War II; war is not—quite—yet a whisper of word in Stella's consciousness. Raised in the shadow of loss, what she really loves is flying, and now she has the chance of a lifetime: a friendly competition, in the name of promoting peace, between a dozen young pilots. They'll race in stages across Europe, culminating in a life-changing prize for one of them and good press for all the countries involved.
That's all good and well...until Stella witnesses one pilot force another out of the sky, and suddenly a friendly race becomes something else entirely.
This is the first of Wein's books that I've read that focuses more on mystery than on war—war is a huge factor in this one (see: eve of WWII; also the Spanish Civil War as a significant factor in some characters' stories), but it's not the primary story. Stella has a limited number of suspects, which rapidly narrows (the villain becomes clear midway through the book, and the focus shifts from whodunnit to survival and outwitting), and, as with so many of Wein's books, there's a wonderful emphasis on friendship and working together.
I'm fascinated by the inclusion of Nansen passports, which I'd never heard of before. They sent me on a bit of a Wikipedia rabbit hole—they're a former solution to a problem that still exists today. I won't go into too much detail for what they mean for this particular bit (although I will say that passports, in general, matter in Stateless), but I love getting those little details—learning something else about a particular point in history.
Time to do a reread of some of Wein's books, I think—I can very nearly quote from
Code Name Verity and
The Pearl Thief, but it's been long enough since I read
Black Dove, White Raven that it'll practically be a brand-new Wein book full of surprises. -
I wouldn’t call myself a patient reader, unless I know my patience will pay off. Having read Wein’s other works and having been familiar with her style of storytelling, I expected the pay off to be good. And it was!
Out of all her books I’ve read, this was probably the most thrilling. I had so much fun, I couldn’t put it down. I say this as a cat-and-mouse and car chase scene enjoyer in action movies. If you are one too, imagine that in the air. It had me on the edge of my seat. The mystery was carefully laid out, I was aware of how Wein wrote her twists and I tried my best to pay attention to details so I could guess the “culprit” or anticipate events but I was still left surprised. I felt the need to stare at the wall for a few minutes and think about the things I’ve missed and brushed off as unimportant. At the start of this book, I thought this was the type of book that had the protagonist alone against the world but I was wrong in that regard, too. I loved how Wein wrote platonic relationships and was very glad to see it here again. Aside from that - and as expected - there was still something to learn from this book, such as the Nansen passports, which could explain the title.
My rating stands between to a 3 and a 4 star (I am thinking about raising it; we shall see). Endings could make or break a rating for me, and the way this book ended was fitting but somehow felt too abrupt. I still had questions, which I won’t be putting on here because of spoilers. To say the least, I thought there was a whiff of convenience. Brushing that aside though, I’d still call this a thrilling page-turner. Stella North was a another good addition to Wein’s brave heroines.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the arc! -
Riveting & uplifting! Loved the sassy heroine & smart aleck, deeply courageous hero—a great combo. Also, the combo of author Elizabeth Wein & narrator Moira Quirk was perfection. Up next—I think I have to grab a copy for my classroom, re-read Code Name Verity & then move on to Wein’s backlist. Looks like I’ve started my teacher summer reading list :)
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Trigger warnings: murder, gun violence, death, threat of war, racism, antisemitism.
I LOVE the way that Elizabeth Wein weaves incredible stories around her love of historic planes, and Code Name Verity is, always and forever, one of my favourite young adult books. So when I saw that this was a combination of badass female pilot and the interwar period and a MURDER MYSTERY, I was freaking SOLD.
This was, to be honest, a tad slow at times, but I loved the competition aspect of the story, the way it dealt with refugees caught without a country, and the way many of the characters discover similarities between themselves over the course of the story. So yeah, it's definitely not my favourite of Wein's books. But it was a solidly good time, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! -
4.5 This book was SUCH a blast! I loved the concept of a murder mystery woven in with a pre WW2 historical fiction. The entire race was so fun to read about and the romance was wonderful. I pounded through the entire book in 2 days on audio while working on a project. It’s very fast past and a quick read. I highly recommend!
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I really wanted to love this book. Elizabeth Wein’s novel Code Name Verity is one of my favorite novels of all time. That’s pretty high praise considering the number of books I read each year. Stateless didn’t captivate me. I found the story hard to follow. I didn’t love it,
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It's 1937 in Europe. Tensions are building; there has been civil war in Spain and the Nazis are being Nazis in Germany, restricting information to the population, and shipping off "malcontents" and the like to camps from which they don't return.
Lady Frith has organized the "Circuit of Nations Olympics of the Air" to promote peace amongst Europe's young pilots. There's a big sum of money for the winner, and pilots from Germany, France, Britain and Italy are all there to compete.
Stella North has taught herself to fly, and is eager to test herself against the others. At the same time, she is reluctant to catch too much official attention; though raised in England, she's originally from Russia, saved during the Russian Revolution. Stella is a skilled navigator and pilot, and is eager to test herself against others. She quickly finds the pilots are skilled, but all bring their resentments and angers against other countries and regimes with them.
The pilots must all navigate their way around Europe, and the one who consistently has the best time along each leg of the trip is the winner.
Very quickly, things turn from difficult (stupid reporters focusing on what she's wearing, etc.) to serious. For an event intended to build excitement and goodwill amongst European nations, the opposite, of course, happens. There is plenty of veiled nastiness and posturing amongst the male pilots, with Stella watching in exasperation as they obsess over statistics and mechanical details. Also, sabotage and actual attacks against the pilots quickly change what should have been a fun and exhilarating event turns into a harbinger of the coming war.
Elizabeth Wein has crafted a tense, fast-moving story, with great character moments for pilots Stella, Tony and Sebastian, and vivid historical details. Though there was no race exactly as portrayed in this book, it's still a great way to show all the simmering tensions existing at the time, as well as the wilful unwillingness to see escalating problems (e.g., Lasy Frith). Also, we know Hitler will bring war to everyone soon, so for the few happy moments and successes here, I was constantly reminded that many of the young men will soon be flying against each other in earnest with malicious intent.
The end felt like there could be more story told about Stella, Tony and Sebastian, and I hope Wein writes it.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review. -
{3.5 stars}
Stella North is in a flying competition for young people set to thrill people across Europe. It's 1937 and the world in general is uneasy. Stella is living and performing under the Union Jack but she has a bit of a secret, she is a refugee from Russia. As the only girl, she is bound and determined to perform well, until on the first leg she witnesses the downing of one of her competitors. Then the race is on to find out who the killer may be, keep herself alive and maybe finish the competition.
This one has a bit of a Hunger Games vibe. Lots of vibrant, interesting, young people competing for fame and glory. I'll admit, it was perhaps a bit too much plane talk at times, but if that is your bag, you will love this one. I did like traveling with Stella and trying to figure out just which of her competitors might be the bad guy.
Thanks to The Novl for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own. -
I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this one but what a delightful surprise! Fast paced and full of action as the young pilots race across Europe as it sits on the brink of WWII. Lots of tension and distrust ensue as the young g representatives plot their flight paths across the continent. The friendships, bonds and connections made make you want to fist pump as you race along with them.
Highly recommend for grades 8 and up. -
3.5/ 4
This was for book club and outside of my usual genre. I did enjoy the timeline of this book and how fast paced the book felt. It was interesting to look at this time period without focusing on WW2. -
Somehow missed that this was a murder mystery until long after the murder already happened. Then everything made a lot more sense.
Great story either way!
rtc / 4 stars -
It had a good ending and plot, but the storyline was quite slow.
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Another excellent historical fiction offering from Wein.
*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review. -
Like all of the Elizabeth Wein books I've read, this was so well written and engaging. I had such a hard time putting it down and just read the second half in one sitting. This one definitely felt like a thriller and I had to know what was coming next. I loved the big cast and how the different countries of Europe were represented. I would've loved to learn more about some of the characters, but it would've been a lot to open it to more of them, so it was probably a good call letting some of them be vague figures.
My one real knock on this one is that the romance felt abrupt and forced. It felt like, for a large part of the book, there wouldn't be one at all, but maybe there was sort of a love triangle? And then suddenly in the last 50 pages, she was thinking she couldn't live without one of the guys. Meanwhile, I'd been thinking we were just gonna skip the romance and the book would've been perfectly fine without it. -
Thank you Little Brown and TheNovl for an advance copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I am a sucker for a good historical fiction novel that features women in aviation! It really piques my interest seeing women do great things in history - and it goes to show that anything is possible. I am not even a huge historical fiction fan, but I came across this book and I knew I had to read it."I love flying alone, I love being in the sky alone."
"But you are here to represent a nation of millions. When one flies for one's country, one is never flying alone; no more in this peacetime competition than in an air force at war."
While I enjoyed this story and watching everything play out, it felt less like historical fiction and more like a murder mystery. Yes, there are historical aspects of this book (especially because it takes place right before WWII), but a bulk of the story focuses on the mystery at hand rather than the historical significance of the competition and the woman in flight.
I was definitely left guessing throughout the whole book, I had no idea who "did it!" I mean, I was not even sure there was a murder in the beginning, especially as I follow the "if there's no body, then there's no death" philosophy when reading whodunnit novels like this one. And then the book continued to surprise me further, because the motives were quite different than I had expected.
There is also a touch of romance to this book. Enough to hope the characters will end up together in the end, but not enough to make it feel like a red herring or like it will overtake the story at hand. The main character found an unlikely companionship with her competition, and the friendships formed were wholesome in a way I did not expect out of a book like this.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and the mystery element of it. I appreciate the authors note at the end where she talked about some of the inspirations behind this story, and a bit about the history that inspired her fictional competition. The writing was engaging and the plot kept me guessing, with a tough of romance and some unlikely companionship sprinkled throughout as well. A good whodunnit novel!
Content warnings: racism, murder, suicidal thoughts, amputation, plane wreck, sexism, war themes, broken bones, violence, gun violence, suicide -
Stateless is a delightful read, just maybe not for the reasons one would expect. The murder mystery isn’t intricately plotted like murder mystery fans would appreciate, and the identity of the murderer is fairly obvious from the beginning. The romance portion is also quite subtle; this is not the read for someone expecting a decadent historical romance.
I would have to say that the premise is really what sells this book. I mean, an air race across Europe for teenagers on the eve of WWII—what’s more cool than that? I would die for a film adaptation of this book.
More than just the premise, I love the book’s exploration of different themes. I thought it was extremely interesting how the author portrayed the characters as recognizing not only that the world was about to be plunged into war, but that they would be at the forefront of that war. They would be fighting a war majorly started by the older generation who had already lived through and/or fought in the first world war—people like Rosengart and Lady Frith. The teenagers, who come from different European nations but get along and help each other, are pitted against the adults, who are largely ignorant, apathetic, or seemingly powerless. Ultimately, the teenagers must solve the immediate issues without much assistance from the surrounding adults who are supposed to take care of them.
I additionally like how the author portrays Sebastian. She manages to humanize Sebastian (i.e. he isn’t a typical German caricature) without justifying or excusing Nazism/facism/racism/anti-semitism/white supremacy.
Oh, and it was refreshing that, even though the plot revolves around the air race, the author deemphasizes the competition and the concept of winning. American culture is way too obsessed with winning.
Though not my favorite book, Stateless is a thoroughly entertaining and interesting novel. -
ELIZABETH WEIN DOES IT AGAIN?
WHAT is it about this book! it's the same exact thing as CNV where I fully know that there's something missing but the majority of me is absolutely enthralled to the point where I'm willing to give it the full five stars. It must be the character relationships, the sudden bonds formed under pressure where they just come together - it must be the chess metaphor that slipped in at one point (I am an absolute sucker for those). It also must be that I LIKED Stella and Tony and Sebastian and the rest of them. It is disappointingly rare that I fully like YA casts lo l help but for how little we really got to know the aviators (other than S & T obvs) I was surprisingly connected to all of them. (Maybe? Sequel? Perhaps?? But :()
maybe I go reread CNV now. wilding over here... week 4 of camp here we come. -
i made a lot of unearthly sounds reading this and screamed into my pillow again because tony and northie are so so perfect and fantasized about strangling YOU KNOW WHO and then cried because :( why’d I have to get so emotionally attached to these little european pilots and their silly little planes
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STATELESS is an enthralling YA historical murder mystery. Taking place in Europe before WWII, the story follows Stella North, a pilot who has entered into a European air race for young people, where she is the only female competitor. As she faces the press and her fierce competition, she soon realizes something sinister is happening in the race, when she sees one of her fellow pilots attacked in the air and go down in the water. As the race continues, she and her fellow competitor from France begin to investigate who could be behind the sabotage.
What I loved: This was quite an enthralling read with an engaging murder mystery. The story takes on quite the suspenseful tone as the competition leaves the young pilots in the crosshairs of whoever is behind the sabotage and attacks. The mystery is hard to solve with a good red herring that keeps the readers on their toes. The plot moves quite quickly as a result.
Stella is an intriguing character, and her background evolves into something deeper as the story continues. She is also a woman competing in something that is not particularly welcoming, although she is not the first pioneer in this field, mentioning women who competed in American races before, as well as a few others. She wants to prove to herself and the world that she has what it takes, though, of course, the prize for the race is certainly appealing as well.
The historical setting was really interesting, capturing Europe on the brink of war. As the competitors speak with each other, they learn about how the tensions are portrayed and felt by different countries, giving readers information about the climate at the time and the paths leading to WWII. Although the focus was on the race, these elements really added to the story well.
Final verdict: STATELESS is an enthralling YA historical murder mystery that takes the reader on a suspenseful ride through the air in Europe on the brink of WWII. Highly recommend for readers who enjoy historical reads, a fast pace, and a twisty mystery.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own. -
I was sent a copy of this book for review.
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In 1937 tensions across Europe were at an all-time high. To promote unity among the countries in the escalating conflict, a new air race is created to forge new friendships and showcase countries' similarities rather than differences. Things do not go as planned as long-harboured resentments and mistrust are rife within the competition. Representing Britain, Stella North is the only female contestant. Stella is a poster child for the race's ideals as she is from Russia, speaks many languages and resides in the UK. However, Stella holds a 'Nansen' passport which declares her as having a "stateless" nationality.
The Press hound the pilots from all 12 nations, making them eager to start the first leg of the journey. However, Stella witnesses a plane being forced from the sky by another pilot resulting in their death from crashing into the sea. She has no idea if it was one of her fellow contestants trying to eliminate another competitor or whether it was a random attack. Even more worrying, will it happen again and could she become a target?
When the crash is ruled an accident, Stella decides she cannot let the killer get away with it. She begins an investigation to uncover what happened and what the murderer's true motivations are. Can Stella find allies within the group of pilots that surround her or will the ongoing feuds and dangerous countries they are visiting be the downfall of the entire endeavour?
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Thoroughly engaging and immersive story from the start. I read it in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down. Stella is a great character, full of gumption, and determination to prove herself, while simultaneously feeling insecure over her past and sadness at the loss of her family. The backdrop of international intrigue adds many layers to the plot as it's easy for the reader to know Europe's future yet still root for the tournament to make a difference and hope that the characters survive the ongoing threats looming over them. Overall, a gripping story with plenty of action, mystery and heart. Highly recommend. -
Stella North is chosen to represent the Britain in Europe’s first air race for young people. She knows the staked are high but how far will she go? Stella is the only female competitor but is conflicted in the race as the threat of war rages across Europe. With the Spanish War conflict and the threat of Germany gaining power, she must figure out how to protect herself while trying to protect herself from the sabotage occurring within the race. With unlikely friendship with two of the competitors, Stella is in the race for her life.
I love this book and really enjoyed the storyline. Stella was a fun character to read as she navigated the race. The surprise friendships made me smile and it was good to see the comradery between them. Throughout the book the only thing I could think of is that these kids will be engaging in war against one another in few years and the thought broke my heart. Despite that, I loved this book and really enjoyed it. -
Great book. But maybe a 3.5.
I am not a fan of historical fiction, but I know several of my middle students who do, and they will love this book.
A bunch of young pilots have been chosen for an elite air race in the “name of peace”.
The only female competitor quickly finds out that the race will not be peaceful at all.
It was a quick read with fun twists and turn and a bit of mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
I found this much easier to read than “Code Name Verity”, which I loved.
So glad I picked it up and look forward to sharing a recommendation a little out of my comfort read. -
I adored this book it was well captured from the experiences of historical events of a murder pliot and all of them trying to discover how it happened together to know what has happened.
Wein wrote this novel to capture the eye of the summer of 1937 for us the readers to understand the premise of the story my issue was that I felt it dragged a bit that they’re times I didn’t know what was going on however I loved our main character Stella I feel Wein made her strong and fierce for things she wanted to discover also being a female pliot as well made you relate to the challenges she faced around her male peers but in all I loved this book -
Stateless is okay. Not Wein’s best but definitely interesting enough to keep me reading. As always her research is impeccable. But at times the story was a bit hard to follow. A lot of characters to keep track of and locations. Also not sure what the point was of having two characters, unrelated, look so much alike. There was one scene where they traded places but it didn’t seem integral to the story. Could have done fine without that odd and unrealistic twist. And Frith just seemed a bit too naive.
