An exciting account of a 1937 air race that was created specifically for young pilots and was intended to promote peace in a world on the brink of war. Stella North, representing the United Kingdom, is a one-time refugee from Russia and the only female competing against pilots with varying political sentiments from several European countries. When she witnessed two planes almost colliding, one flew away unscathed and the other plummeted to the ocean in what she believes to be the deliberate elimination of a competitor. Stella and other pilots investigate the event. The life stories of the competitors reflect the positions of European countries at the time, making this a good overall portrayal of the era. It's a fascinating and thrilling adventure story that although classified as Young Adult, readers of any age can enjoy. ( )

Murder mystery isn’t a genre I gravitate towards often but this mystery was wrapped up in just the right mix of unique elements, taking place during an airplane race through Europe in 1937, and with the lone female pilot in that race, Stella North, as the lead character, I’m so glad that premise prompted me to give this a try because I ended up loving it.

A female pilot was definitely something that attracted me to this book. I love to read about women in roles you don’t often see them in, but I appreciated that the story never fixated on her gender, there isn’t a barrage of men hitting on her or telling her she’s incapable, being a girl comes up in the narrative when it makes sense for it to come up, it’s addressed when it needs to be addressed and in realistic ways like the reporters’ fascination with her which you could totally see happening, but it felt just as realistic and rewarding, too, when what sets her apart is almost forgotten by those around her, when she’s seen simply as a fellow pilot and camaraderie develops.

There’s a little something more than camaraderie percolating between Stella and one of the boys, I liked the dynamic between them, sometimes suspicious, sometimes friendly, and I also liked that at no point did flirting or anything like that take over the story or take away from Stella, their connection is mostly on the subtle side, so if romance is not your thing it shouldn’t be a problem.

This is a different sort of take on a war story as it doesn’t technically involve scenes of war yet you feel the impact of war on these characters throughout, whether it’s how they’re treated due to their nationality or the toll physically and emotionally of combat, the affect on their temperaments, traces of PTSD, the way it’s obliterated families and war even very much fuels the mystery and intrigue in Stateless.

There may be some readers who would argue that the first signs of death or sabotage would have brought such a high profile race to an immediate halt, but to me, the “show” going on, covering things up to save face, even if that means putting people in more danger doesn’t feel all that far-fetched, it’s in fact something that does happen in sports and in politics and this race is a combination of the two, if you think about it, those in charge choosing to hide the problem and clean it up later when there may be less of a spotlight on it, unfortunately rings pretty true to life.

With the war angle, with lives in danger, there is some serious stuff here, but it’s also entertaining at the same time, a page-turner.

I received this book through a giveaway. ( )

"Stateless" by Elizabeth Wein is a captivating and immersive historical thriller that follows Stella North, a teenage pilot who enters an air race across pre-WWII Europe. When she witnesses a fellow pilot sabotaging the race, Stella must unravel the mystery before becoming a victim herself. Wein's writing is well-crafted and thought-provoking, exploring propaganda and the manipulation of truth for political gain. The novel is a thrilling adventure, with a strong protagonist and well-developed characters. It is a must-read for fans of historical fiction, mystery, and adventure, showcasing Wein's gift for creating unforgettable characters and settings. Highly recommended.

Thank you to LibraryThing and Penguin Random House for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 stars.

The pace of this book is very fast. The book takes place over the course of 2 weeks, which isn't terrible for the sake that it is a book about a race. But the pace itself can be jarring. The first half of the book moves so quickly but also was very forgettable for me. I just couldn't get into it. I didn't find Stella to be an interesting character and the large cast made me worried.

It definitely got better through the second half but I still found some issues. I never got attached to any of the characters. I couldn't get a read on Stella, even with the book being in her pov. She's compassionate and kind, I guess? Tony is awkward and Sebastian is like a decent guy?

It was fairly easy to solve who the bad guy was. I personally didn't find the whole mystery very interesting to follow along with.

Besides the pretty obvious mystery, the romance was lackluster. I really don't think this book needed romance. I enjoyed the friendship between Stella/Sebastian/Tony and wish it had left it as a friendship and didn't bring in any romance. I also wish some of the other characters had gotten some more development. None of these characters really stuck the landing.

Do I think it's a bad book? No, I do find it a bit boring with some minor writing problems. I think the underdeveloped cast, thrown-in romance and basic plot makes this book a bit lackluster. Still, it was a very quick read. ( )

This ER novel is an adventure story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This " Young Adult" book can be appreciated by all readers. The story takes place in 1937. There are already many tensions in Europe over the rise of Fascism in Germany and Italy and the effects of the Spanish Civil War. There is an air race competition that features very young people from European countries. Stella North represents Great Britain. She is the only female pilot participating. During the first leg of the race , Stella witnesses one of the competitor's plane forced down by a mysterious second plane. This leads Stella to think that one of the flyers or chaperones is intent on sabotaging the race. More incidents prove her right. Stella befriends Tony who is flying for France and slowly learns about his complicated history. A surprising ally, Sebastian, flying for Nazi Germany, also helps thwart the unknown saboteur. This is a good book for readers to gain knowledge about the world events before World War Two. ( )