The Boy on the Bridge

by Natalie Standiford

Laura Reid goes to Leningrad for a semester abroad as Cold War paranoia is peaking in 1982. She meets a young Russian artist named Alexei, and soon, with Alexei as her guide, Laura immerses herself in the real Russia--a crazy world of wild parties, black-market books and music, and smuggled letters to dissidents. She must keep the relationship secret; associating with Americans is dangerous for Alexei, and if caught, Laura could be sent home and Alexei put under surveillance or worse. At the same time, she's been warned that Soviets often latch onto Americans in hopes of marrying them and thus escaping to the United States. But she knows Alexei loves her. Right?

As June approaches--when Laura must return to the United States--Alexei asks Laura to marry him. She's only nineteen and doesn't think she's ready to settle down. But what if Alexei is the love of her life? How can she leave him behind? If she has a chance to change his life, to rescue him from misery, shouldn't she take it?

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical, Russia, Fiction, Travel

256 pages, Hardcover

First published July 30, 2013

About the author

Natalie Standiford, author of "Astrid Sees All," "How to Say Goodbye in Robot," "Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters," "The Secret Tree," "Switched at Birthday," "The Boy on the Bridge," and "The Only Girl in School," has written picture books, nonfiction, chapter books, teen novels, an entry in the 39 Clues series, and even horror novels for young adults. Standiford also plays bass in the rock band Tiger Beat, with fellow YA authors Libba Bray, Daniel Ehrenhaft, and Barnabas Miller.
Find out more at her web site, www.nataliestandiford.com.

Reviews

[Ash Wednesday · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS?… okay 4 STARS

There are books that a few pages in, you know it's going to be special. There are those that are easily identifiable as epic by the majesty of their words, those that masterfully manipulates us to care for the hero and heroine that any hurt, joy or triumph they experience in the pages, we make it personal.

And there are those that makes us go through hair pulling levels of frustration, gut-wrenching moral turmoil and the raging urge to grab the characters and smack them silly… and still, after turning the last page, you can't give it the 2-stars you've been wanting to slap it with from page one.

Guess which one this is?

The Boy on the Bridge has three protagonists: Laura, an American exchange student studying Russian languages; Alexei (Alyosha) the Russian artist who saves Laura on the bridge one day; and Leningrad in 1982 when the Cold War is at its peak and the imminent fall of communism is starting to show its symptoms. The most evident in this book being the increasingly disillusioned masses trying to escape the nightmarish reality they are waking up to by marrying their way out of the country.

The way this was delivered, you'd be hard pressed to label this as a romance. Until the very end, I was questioning the characters' motives, not only Alyosha but also Laura. The circumstances of their meeting alone was suspicious and how Alyosha drew Laura in his world and what he stands to gain from the relationship, makes him untrustworthy and his feelings for Laura dubious in my eyes.

What's interesting to me was that Laura never came across a victim in this scenario, though her naiveté and blind faith in Alyosha's profession of love was a bit of a challenge for me to swallow. Initially, I couldn't understand what it was that drew Laura to Alyosha. It's easy to automatically label their relationship as insta-love and simplify Laura as someone starry-eyed and hypnotized by the idea of falling in love in Russia, a place she has long associated with Drama, Passion and Soul.

But if you dig deep, she was getting something out of the deal too. In that she's getting something out of her relationship with Alyosha (to the point of making him sound like a rebound over someone) that she never got from being in a perpetual state of disappointment over the banalities of freedom and the frustration over the men in her life.

Laura felt uncomfortable. She hadn't said it out loud, but when she talked about an inner life she was worrying about herself: the gaping void she felt inside herself that she wanted to fill with something real, something good. Something she hadn't found at home. The larger life she had come here looking for.

So for a stretch it was a question of "who's using who" for me.

But just to be clear… I understand why she did the things that she did AND I STILL DON'T LIKE LAURA . Because she really was astoundingly immature and uncharmingly foolish for a nineteen year-old, and the fact that she survived as an exchange student in communist Russia during that particularly tense political climate, FOR FIVE MONTHS NO LESS, is beyond belief. Yes, even with a friend as awesome as Karen.

"That's how you know its true love. When he can't live without you."
Karen shook her head. "That's how you know it's obsession. Or something else."

And no Laura, you can't "see" someone's love thru his painting. *insert copious amounts of eye-rolling here*



Maybe this was the norm in the 80's and kudos to the author for keeping it real but if it is, I'm just so happy to have been nineteen in the 90s (dial-up internet, FTW!).

I think I'll remember this book as the one where I felt no sympathy for any of the characters, was frustrated with how everyone was acting, hated the relationship between the protagonists and even the supporting characters (I wanted to punch Olga on the boobs… seriously) but still couldn't give it anything less than 4 stars.

That's how good of an ambiguous mindscrew this was.

I know, I make as much sense as 80's facial hair (which doesn't).

ARC provided by Scholastic Press thru NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Shainna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit disappointing but somewhat cute until the whole obsession thing crept in and then it was a bit Twilight-y.

For starters, I have an issue with the cover. It takes place in Leningrad where there are a ton of bridges. If you like bridges, go to St. Petersburg, they're phenomenal. Just make sure you're on the right side of the city before certain bridges close down or you will be stuck on the other side of the city and no way to make it back. So out of all those bridges, they pick Red Square, which is in Moscow?? Sure, there's a scene that takes place in Moscow, but they're not on a bridge.

The author's bio talks about her visiting the Soviet Union, and her website shows some photographs from that time (of which it makes this book read a bit more like an autobiography and that makes it a bit uncomfortable) but I'm really confused as to *why* Laura went when she seemed to hate everything. And if it is a bit autobiographical, why did Standiford go? Not only is everything bleak and dreary (understandable, Stalinist architecture is pretty ugly - for a good spoof of that, see The Irony of Fate, and it is winter in the book) but she hates most all the food, even the ice cream. I put the book down at that and said, "WHAT?" because Russian ice cream is possibly the best ice cream I have ever had. If they were serving it when I was there, that was what I had for dessert. I will say that she's right about pelmeni and shashlik - those are amazing. Laura says that she likes the darker side of Russian history but she ends up going for all the fluff. I never found her "reasons" to be believable. Her understanding of Russian was oddly first semester-ish (he calls her rebyonok which he tells her means "little fish" - it actually means "baby", as in "infant"), she doesn't know the words for "glass" or "tea", has a limited grasp of Russian Literature (she says Raskolnikov killed the pawnbroker because he thought he was a superior man - no, he killed her and her sister because he was broke and tried to convince himself that he was a superior person to them, so it was ok that he killed them because he was more important.) She skips classes to hang out with real Russians, where she clearly does not explore the "dark side of Russia", which is everywhere in the USSR. Over all, Laura was a pretty boring character and a bit annoying.

The love story is weird. There's the it's true love/no it isn't problem but it's really *not* true love. Had it been true love he would have told her about the Americans before her, he would have been able to let her study and not put her student visa at risk with all the rule breaking. it was very, very creepy.

It was a shame that Karen was introduced because I would have much rather read about her than Laura. An African American in the Soviet Union! Her experiences would make for a much better book than a love story between an American and a Russian. Not to mention Karen knows the subjects and genuinely seems to care about her studies. She might have issues with the USSR, but she had her head in the game. She made the book for me, I loved it when she appeared and was sad that she wasn't in more of the book. Seriously, why wasn't this book about her?

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2011 I read Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters and was introduced to Natalie Standiford’s simple yet elegant writing style, so I was very happy when I heard about the upcoming publication of The Boy on the Bridge (releasing July 30th 2013).

I liked that this novel was written entirely from Laura’s point of view (third person narration) – giving me 248 pages to be sucked into her world. Most YA romance books alternate between a male and female p.o.v. these days but when you’re setting your book in Cold War Russia you’d ruin the suspense if you did that; part of what glued my attention to these pages was my curiosity regarding Alexei and his intentions toward Laura.

Laura herself was an interesting character... you’d have to be pretty special to want to study Russian in 1982.

“She decided… to study Russian, the language of violence, terror and absurdity. She knew she would never be bored.”
- p.14

There were plenty of colorful secondary characters like Lydia who was “hanging on by her fingernails” to life in Russia, a tattered mess, Donovan who “didn’t bother with classes… He was dealing on the black market”, and Olga the Russian muse who couldn’t decide what she wanted. It was the little things that peppered this novel with magic though: the gypsies on the bridge with their cloth swaddled bundles; the Russian names and folk tales; the personal essays Laura writes while sitting on the crowded metro; the scattered lines of Russian poetry.

“… everything is mother-of-pearl and jasper,
But the light’s source is a secret.”
- Anna Akhmatova’s ‘Summer Garden’ (p.205)

This novel transported me to another time and place, one of censorship and hardship, but also of hope and wonder. Russia in the 1980s – it’s buildings, people and ideas – is an interesting setting for a YA novel, naturally lending a sense of intrigue and mystery to the story. (I would classify this as YA, although there are glossed over scenes of a sensitive nature and mention of drugs.)

“Daylight had fled and blue night pressed against the bedroom window. Outside, a dog howled and a tram clanked by on the way to its last stop.”
- p.121

This is not another YA ‘romance’ book – you would be making a mistake if you let the light-hearted cover fool you into thinking this – it is primarily a coming of age tale which uses first love as its catalyst. Once again Natalie Standiford has delivered something unique, carefully plotted and well written to bookshop shelves.

http://bookblather.wordpress.com/2013...

[Sierra Abrams · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was hopeless. I am so sad about it. I truly thought I was going to enjoy this book. And maybe I would have - if I hadn't been so annoyed and turned off by the writing. It was very juvenile and telling and ridiculous and I wanted to fix the entire thing, rewrite it, actually show things happening.

Honestly, however, admidst all that frustration....I love how unromanticized it was. So much of it was real and raw and that's awesome - it's just that it felt like the story was being told to me. By a very bored speaker at a conference.

No thank you.

Read the full review at Yearning to Read .

[Tiff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew I needed to read this book after reading Natalie Standiford's Modern Love article in the New York Times where she discusses the real life circumstances that The Boy on the Bridge is based on: her own life. I was captivated by her story of falling in love and being healed during her study abroad year...and the practical dangers of being in love with a Russian before the fall of the Soviet Union.

Initially, I just didn't believe that anyone could be that naive or unsafe as to do some of the things that Laura does. She misses curfew constantly to spend time with Alyosha, despite warnings that she could be kicked out of the program. She even sneaks him into a shop for foreigners that is heavily guarded by the militia. The adult in me kept thinking how reckless she was being - and then I would think of some of the stupid things I had done when I was travelling abroad.


Me and a friend in Belgrade | One of the many bombed-out buildings there | Me trying horse(!) steak
Part of Zagreb, the big fortress in Belgrade | Tito's grave | Out dancing with new friends | A billboard in Yugoslavian

In fact, in 2006, when I was alone in Belgrade, Yugoslavia during my own European trip, I met a guy in a cafe and he offered to show me around in his car...and I went. In retrospect, that was pretty stupid. Luckily, I had a nice afternoon with him showing me the sights, and I didn't get into any trouble...but I totally could have.

The difference, though, is that I wasn't in a place that was still behind the Iron Curtain, where people were encouraged to spy and report on one another. The entire time I read the book, I felt an unsettled feeling about Leningrad and the people that Laura met. I was just as suspicious as her friend Karen, and probably more paranoid than anyone in the book.

Maybe it was that suspicion that made it hard for me to connect with Laura. While I liked the book, I must admit that I never really believed or felt invested in Laura and her love for Alyosha. I was constantly trying to figure out what their motives were. Their love for each other seemed to spring out of nowhere - Alyosha says I love you almost immediately, and with the warnings from the professors...it just seemed like Laura is trying to find a way to make life better for herself. As much as I was suspicious that Alyosha was usuing Laura to get a green card, it also felt like Laura was using her purported love for Alyosha to get herself back on her feet after her previous failed relationship.

It's hard to get over that unsettled feeling...and indeed, I don't think that Standiford wants you to. The uniqueness of the novel is in just how precarious Laura and Alyosha's love is. It's fraught with so many problems and perils, from language barriers to deep-seated mistrust of another culture. The brilliance of Standiford's writing lies in her creation of an atmosphere of confusion, and uncertainty in Laura and Alyosha's relationship, and in how to resolve the unspoken elephant-in-the-room of just how different Laura and Alyosha's worlds are.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't realize that this book takes place in 1982, which made it so much more interesting. Laura is in Communist Soviet Union, and the government has so much control over it's people, it sickening. Laura has always wanted to go to Russia and learn more about the dark, bloody past of this country, but the college program she is does not allow for anything besides what is government approved. When she meets Alexei (who goes by Alyosha) she learns what life is really like for it's occupants.

I loved the connection between Laura and Alyosha. They were so cute together! Sometimes it was hard to figure out what Alyosha's true intentions were. We learn that many Russians would form relationships with the Americans, hoping that they would get married and be able to move to America. I hated not knowing what Alyosha true feelings for Laura were!

I didn't like how much Laura changed after meeting Alyosha. I understand that she didn't have much time with him since the program is over in a few weeks, but at the same time, I hated that she stopped caring completely about her education. She stopped going to class, doing her work and kept missing curfew. I also hated that Alyosha didn't care that she was doing it either. He should have been more supportive of her education, instead of not caring if she failed.

I absolutely loved learning about Russian history. That country really does have a terrifying past! Learning about the history was my favorite part of this book. Also, the writing and the descriptions were so vivid that I really felt like I was transported to Russia.

The ending was definitely bittersweet for me, but I think it was beautifully done! Despite how it ended, I couldn't help but have a smile on my face when I closed the book.

I highly recommend The Boy on the Bridge. It is a quick read and perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon!

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://theprettygoodgatsby.wordpress....

As part of her Russian Studies major at Brown University, Laura Reid enters a study abroad program where she'll attend a university in Leningrad for six months, completely immersing herself in all Russia has to offer. Initially she dutifully attends every class and only hangs out with her roommates and the other American students. Everything changes the day Laura has a run-in with some gypsies on a bridge. The women nearly force her to give them whatever money she has with her until a boy comes to her aid.

Alexei - Alyosha, to his friends - is an artist and paints movie posters. His love of Western literature, particularly poetry, draws Laura in and soon she's spending every minute of her free time (and not-so-free time) with him. At first these meet-ups are only to work on her Russian - real Russian, not the formal, stiff language taught in her classes. With each meeting, however, Laura finds herself becoming more and more attached to Alyosha. Each skipping class or missed curfew brings to mind the university's warnings: don't fall in love. The Russians are so eager to leave the country they'll convince an unsuspecting student to marry them in order to gain entry to America. But Alyosha isn't like that, right?

The Boy on the Bridge started out beautifully. Standiford did a really great job of depicting the bleak and dreary life of everyday Russian citizens. The stark contrast of how the Americans were treated was incredibly eye-opening - in order to gain access to special stores (and buy luxury items like bread, cookies, and coffee), a passport is required. Russians are forbidden to enter hotels and businesses, those are strictly for the foreigners. That said, this book takes place in the early 80s. Apart from some references to cassette tapes and one off-hand remark about Nixon, The Boy on the Bridge could have taken place today. Nothing really screamed 'Cold War-era Russia.'

Once Laura and Alyosha meet, however, the novel quickly goes downhill - especially toward to end. This is a hard case of instalove, guys. Within a few meetings, they're in love. Because the students aren't allowed to be mingling with Russians, Laura has to sneak out to payphones 5+ blocks away to call Alyosha. Soon she doesn't think twice about skipping her classes and breaking curfew to spend the night at his apartment. He gives her a set of keys and she begins to head over there whenever she feels like it, whether or not he's home.

At one point in the novel the students are spending the weekend in Moscow. She's heartbroken at the thought of being away from Alyosha for a few days, but goes anyway. Much to her surprise - and delight - he's there. It was at this point I went into bitch mode and nearly walked away. When he showed up, she hadn't even been gone A DAY. He was so upset he took a 500 mile trip to be with her.

THIS IS NOT OKAY.

Things go from bad to worse and I could have kissed Laura's roommate during a conversation where she becomes the voice of reason:

"Laura, this isn't love. Love lets you go on a trip without following you. Love can live without you for a week, knowing you'll come back."
"No, it can't." The afternoon shadows grew long and cold. In spite of the chill, a heat rose up inside her and flooded her face. "That's how you know it's true love. When he can't live without you."
Karen shook her head. "That's how you know it's obsession. Or something else."

"What's wrong with you lately?" Karen asked. "You've been so...reckless. You'll drop anything to see Alyosha. Like you don't care about anything else."

While in Moscow Laura sneaks away for the weekend and she travels with Alyosha to his friends' camp. When she returns she suffers no consequences nor does she care that her grades are seriously slipping - she's even failing a class. All that matters is a boy. Eventually Laura's fears turn into reality when Alyosha proposes. He paints a beautiful picture - both figuratively and literally - of them living in a cozy apartment in San Francisco. He'll be a famous painter and she won't have to work. They'll live the American Dream and will always have each other.

Naturally Laura is a little shocked at first. She's only nineteen and still in school, after all. Alyosha convinces her this marriage is a good thing and his friend married when she was eighteen, so it's perfectly acceptable! I was so dismayed at the course the book was taking at this point. The beginning was fantastic and I loved every moment. By the halfway mark, however, it was rapidly falling apart and Alyosha's 'love' set off multiple alarms.

The ending wasn't much of an ending, it simply...stopped. It felt like it was a scene break or the end of a chapter. Despite my feelings toward the second half of the book, I wanted answers and closure and never got that. I don't see The Boy on the Bridge becoming a series, but I wouldn't mind a short story about what happened afterwards. Even an epilogue would have sufficed!

While the romance had me doing some major eye-rolling, The Boy on the Bridge had an extremely intriguing setting that I'd like to see more of in YA. I'm still not quite sure if this would be considered New Adult - they're college age and there are sex scenes, but it's of the 'fade to black' variety. I'm disappointed with the way the story ended, but The Boy on the Bridge was an entertaining and very quick read that I'm sure many readers will enjoy.

[Ashling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received the ARC at BEA.

I think I must be getting old. In junior high, even high school, I would have thought this story was so romantic and heartbreaking. But now (at the wise old age of almost-27), I thought the story was a bit over-the-top and melodramatic, like a soap opera.

The Boy on the Bridge is a romance set in 1980s Soviet Russia, when the KGB reigned supreme, and the food was apparently terrible. The story focuses on Laura, an American exchange student doing a semester in Leningrad. While there, she is "rescued" by a handsome, young Russian named Alyosha, and they practically fall in love with each other on the spot.

The Ups

The setting/time - One of the things I did like about the book was the setting. I've read very few books that take place in Soviet Russia, so that was very interesting.

The concept - I think this book had a great concept behind it. I just felt like it could have been developed more, which would have made the book a better read.

The secondary characters - I love Laura's friend Karen, way more than I like Laura. She's a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is friend, and I thought she was the perfect opposite of Laura. While Laura's got her head in the clouds, Karen's trying to bring her back to Earth and knock some sense into her.

The Downs

Laura - As a main character, Laura is definitely not my favorite. She makes some really stupid decisions, she mopes a lot, she's constantly doubting the man who's supposed to be the love of her life, she breaks pretty much every rule. Overall, she's just an annoying character.

The writing - In pretty much every writing class I took in high school, we were told "Show; don't tell." And I felt like this book did a lot of telling.

The romance - Laura and Alyosha's romance was pretty much insta-love. They knew each other for what felt like two hours, and suddenly they're madly in love with each other. No tension, no build-up, just instant love. I understand why the romance was being rushed on one side, but it was too rushed for it to be believable.

The melodrama - My biggest problem with this book was that it was so melodramatic. Every other chapter something crazy and over-the-top was happening. Or the way Laura and Alyosha would talk to each other was cheesy. At one point, Laura has to go away for a week, and Alyosha tells her "I will wilt without you." Wilt without you? I almost threw the book across the room when I read that line.

The saddest thing about this book was that it could have been so much better. An extra hundred pages could have made room for more character development and building some romantic tension. I think that the story felt rushed, and a few more pages could have changed that, or having Laura go to Russia for a whole year rather than one semester would have made the story more believable. And cutting back some of the melodrama would also have instantly improved the story.

As it is, The Boy on the Bridge was just okay, but it wasn't the most terrible book I've ever read. It just caused some major eye-rolling. I still plan to give some of Standiford's other novels a shot, such as How to Say Goodbye in Robot, because I've only heard good things about them.

[Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday)]

Natalie Standiford's How to Say Goodbye in Robot and Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters are huge favorites of mine, so I was super-excited to read this.

Boy on the Bridge immersed me in an intriguing and completely foreign world: 1982 Leningrad. College student Laura Reid is participating in an exchange program, spending a semester working on her Russian and soaking up the culture.

What I loved most about this book was that the setting was such a unique one for YA. I was fascinated to learn more about pre-Glasnost Russia -- food shortages, strict rules banning fraternization between Soviets and foreigners, and a high level of paranoia. I also loved the way the book depicted the foreign exchange experience in general -- the constraints that come with living with other American students while trying to experience a foreign country.

When Laura meets Aloysha on a bridge, she escapes her protective bubble and gets a glimpse of real Russian life -- every exchange student dreams of. But in this case, there's a catch: Laura is repeatedly warned by her chaperones and fellow students that many Russians are so desperate to escape their country that they will feign romantic attachment to Americans as a means of doing so. Of course, Laura falls in love. She's convinced that Aloysha loves her too.

The romantic aspect of the book was a bit more confusing for me, and I'll be curious to see how other readers come out. The book is told in third person from Laura's point of view, with no insight into Aloysha's feelings or thoughts, so there is no way for the reader to know if he loves Laura or if she's just a means to an end to him.

If you are a reader who needs closure, you may take issue with what, to me, seemed like a frustratingly unresolved ending. Is this a bittersweet coming of age story about a girl who is cruelly duped? A romantic story about love against the odds? An existential statement about the fact that we can never truly know what's in someone else's head? I don't mind books with ambiguous endings, but in this case I feel a little like all the evidence was dumped in my lap for me to sort out. I think the book would have packed more of an emotional punch for me if there had been more resolution.

To me, all the evidence pointed toward Aloysha being a manipulator. The extreme instalove, his sudden proposal, his creepy stalking of Laura to Moscow -- these things made him seem way too intense, and she was way too naive. Toward the end of the book, one of Aloysha's friends tells Laura that she's just one of a string of American girls he has romanced, which also pretty damning. Or was he just desperate? I really didn't know what to think and wished that the book had offered more insight.

[Books & Sensibility · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nineteen year-old Laura Reid has always dreamed of going to Russia. She wants to experience the passion, violence and history of the nation's past. When her studies bring her and a group of American students to Russia it is hardly what she expected.

Because it's 1982, and the Russia of her dreams and Communist USSR are not one in the same.

Her days consist of dull classes, harassing gypsies, empty grocery stores and the constant reminder that her US passport makes her an object of scrutiny and jealousy.

Then she meets Aloysha, the titular Boy On The Bridge. As a relationship forbidden by society, the government and their peers grows between the two, Laura has to decide what she is willing to give up for a chance at true love. Because it is love. Right ?

Standiford's writing effortlessly builds the world of 1980's Russia. While the book does have a cultural learning curve there aren't all these obvious "teachable" moments and lets the reader live in the world.

The Boy On The Bridge takes place during the years between the rise and fall of Communist Russia. The time period and setting is far from the norm in today's contemporary YA. The bright spots of creativity and defiance gives the story a tinge of hopefulness in what seems like a bleak situation. It opened my eyes to what communist Russia was like and how Russia's democracy transformed the country.

I would have wanted a bit more growth from our female protagonist.I feel that after this transformative experience in Russia that she comes out on the other side the same as she came in. I didn't get the indication that she had changed as much as I wanted her to.

The plot is very focused on the romance, and parts of the romance can be predictable, but I think the historical aspects are what readers will be drawn too.

One item of note about this book is that the main characters are nineteen and twenty two. Laura is a sophomore at Brown studying abroad and Aloysha has been given his first job out of school, yet this book falls under a YA category This book is an example of how we can have stories about college students and those early year experiences (studying abroad) without sticking it in the new adult category

The Boy On The Bridge test the belief in true love, deceit and fear. This is not a typical light fluffy romance and will have you thinking long after you have finished it.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated four stars because of how entertained I was, in an odd way. I loved the Soviet setting; all this is something I haven't seen before. But the writing, in general, I found a little awkward, and most of the characters fairly flat--the Russians more full-realized than the Americans, but then, most of them are third-tier characters. I wondered if, possibly, the author was too close to the story to write it effectively as fiction. The setting is described so well, but the dialogue and plotting falter.

But since I have a couple of parallel stories (study abroad, foreign romance), I realize I can't read this without projecting, too. I squirmed when the relationship began to fall apart, but it felt real; the turnaround didn't, really. Alyosha remained a sort of pathetic figure to me (I believed Olga's version of him, not his own), and so Laura seemed a little pathetic, too.

Laura I couldn't sympathize with too much in general, with all her flouting of classes and encouraging her friends to lie for her--and she skipped the BOLSHOI BALLET!--unforgivable--but I recognize her as being realistic. I just wouldn't have wanted to be her friend.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked this, it's definitely different and is written in a way that feels intimate, despite the third person. I loved that it was truly historical and felt rooted in the time (the 1980s) and didn't lazily fall back on music references to create faux authenticity and nostalgia. Rather, political, social and cultural realities are woven into the story, and it was never info-dumpy. I felt like I was experiencing 1980s Leningrad right along with the main character, Laura, and felt as simultaneously swept up and confused by Aloysha's motivations as she did.

A warning to readers: the book summary reveals an important plot point that doesn't happen until nearly the end of the novel, which is too bad, because while there are loads of signs that the thing that happens will happen, it would have been nice to only suspect it and not know for sure based on the summary.

I elaborated here: http://cleareyesfullshelves.com/blog/...

[Kiersten · Rating 3 out of 5]

See more of my reviews at We Live and Breathe Books

The Boy on the Bridge follows a college girl named Laura, who is visiting Communist Russia as part of a study abroad program. Laura was fascinated by Russian history when she was young, but once she’s studying there, she’s disenchanted by all the government restrictions and how little the dramatic history of the country came through.

Until she meets Alyosha (aka the boy on the bridge). When Alyosha saves her from a gypsy attack, Laura gradually grows closer to him. At first they just meet up for coffee so Alyosha can show Laura around Leningrad, the city she’s staying in, and so she can practice her Russian, but as the story progresses, their love story unravels.

I received an uncorrected proof of The Boy on the Bridge at Book Expo America this past June, and I didn’t really know what to expect from it. I thought the cover was pretty (Russia, cool!) and the blurb seemed sort of interesting, although quite clichéd. When I started reading this book, I wasn’t especially pulled into the story. Sure, it wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t eager to read it either. Through most of the book I was in this state of apathy. Only at the end did I get really into it and eager to see the fate of the characters.

Laura, for one, was very bland. She was this American girl here to study Russian and ended up dating some handsome Russian stranger, which was predictable at best. Of course, this was in the premise of the story, so it’s fine – there’s nothing wrong with that. It was just the way that she immediately saw him as this savior who embodied the spirit of Russia. It was so… ugh. She didn’t even think it was strange that a perfect stranger came up to her, saved her, and gave her his number. It was baffling, especially given that, as Laura herself acknowledges throughout the story, the KGB often arrested citizens for fraternizing with foreigners. Then Laura starts skipping classes and breaking rules to see Alyosha more, jeopardizing her studies. That, I just couldn’t stand. Maybe it’s just me, but I would never give up on my education or risk expulsion just to see some random guy I won’t see when I go back home. It was just absurd.

Then there was Alyosha, who I didn’t particularly care for either. It was sweet how he spent all his time showing Laura around and teaching her about the culture, but he was too… nice. He was always like, “Yay, Laura! I’m so happy to see you!” and his life just revolved around her. It seemed so fake. Probably the biggest downfall of The Boy and the Bridge, for me, is that the romance could have been so much more. I like a romance that makes me feel like I’m in love along with the couple, but this one just didn’t do anything for me. The relationship was so abrupt – they never argued or had encounters that tested their relationship, they were just all lovey dovey for no apparent reason.

There were also parts throughout the story that just didn’t seem tied up in the end, which always bugs me. For non-spoilery example, we never find out what happened with Tanya or how Alyosha has an apartment all to himself. Then there are parts that just seem random. At one point, Laura and her classmates are at a bar and she randomly asks them if they think the soldiers have inner lives and they talk about souls. It was just a weird conversation to have.

On the other hand, Natalie Standiford does a great job immersing the reader into Communist Russia. In all my past history classes, the only touches on communism were to talk about were wars related to communism and attempts to end communism. Getting to see into the everyday life of communism was really interesting. The way Standiford had the characters explain the general dissatisfaction with the state of society and how the government could do whatever it wanted was so shocking. I loved how authentic it all felt – the character’s reactions, the living arrangements, the food, everything.

Overall, I didn’t quite find The Boy on the Bridge spectacular, but it was far from bad. The historical aspect definitely stood out to me as positive, and I feel that I’ve learned a lot about the time period by reading this book. Unfortunately, the plot kind of just fell through for me. I wasn’t gripped by the story or the characters, so it didn’t really leave a huge impression on me – I didn't even care what happened to them until the very end. However, if you’re interested in how life was in Communist Russia, I definitely recommend it. Although the romance is rather, for lack of a better word, lame, the world is so interesting that it’s worth the read.

[Lyd's Archive (7/'15 to 6/'18) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: This book uses the word "g*psy" as if it were not a slur which, I have been informed, it is. If you're sensitive to this, don't read this book, but I do know that some people are unaware it is a slur in the first place
2.5 stars
The Basics
This had a little depth but most of it was shallow and sappy with simplistic writing and it could've been a lot better had we taken the historical element a bit more into account. It seemed accurate, but just not in focus most of the book. A lot of the beginning seemed like a joke, to be honest, and the barriers between Laura and Alexei seemed to be conveniently ignored at certain points. A particularly stupid moment was when Laura snuck Alexei into the foreigners-only shop in disguise and - despite a serious 39-clues-type blunder, they somehow pull it off.

Laura faked a light laugh. "He's full-blooded Irish. Skip O'Rourke is his name. His ancestors came from, uh, Tipperary."

(Note: If you're a security guard, be suspicious if only one person talks your entire encounter with said person, especially if said person tells the other person to shut up.

Trope check
*mysterious, chivalrous foreign boy

"Then I well go without [a mustache] too. For you."
      For her! So Continental and un-American. So romantic.

*INSTALOVE
*rebel artist types
*guy's main positive attribute is his looks
*"I can't live without you"/ "What if we're separated forever," etc. cliched romance terms
*reveling in stupid sh*t

The way he pronounced her name - Laoora, oo, oo - did something strange to her.

She could see the bones of his face better. He looked younger, even younger than her was, but definitely more handsome.

*best friend who sticks to the rules unlike rebel MC/ is shallow/comic relief

"Where is the passion?" Laura moaned as the wind bit at her nose. "Where is the soul?... Where is the beauty?"
      Is that what you came here for? I came for the wild punk rock scene. You think you're disappointed...." Karen stopped just outside the university gate. "I'm going to find a bakery or something. Loaf of black bread?

"You're not the only one who thinks she's in love. Some ballerina's got Dan wrapped around her bony little finger. Clara has fallen for a dissident folk singer, and Mark Calletti, the world's biggest geek, is in love with three different girls."

*"Forbidden" romance

The Americans had been warned during orientation, before they'd even arrived in Leningrad, to beware of falling in loved. For most Russians, there was only one way to leave the Soviet Union, and that was to marry a foreigner.... "Be on guard," her chaperones had told them. "Don't fall for it

but Alexei is special

"Okay, it's a little suspricious. For everybody else. Alyosha is different

by the end we're not totally sure about that, but for most of the book, that is the truth
*Russia, the land of magic, ballet and lost unicorns
*"No one understands our true love"

All this book really is is tropes. There's a bit of depth, but the cheesiness of other parts ruins all potential "feels" and that stuff

[Dawn Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit, I immediately worried that this story would be similar to Anna and the French Kiss, which I kind of loathed. The Boy on the Bridge started off fairly well, with Laura describing life as an American studying abroad in Leningrad. Feeling isolated and lonely in her dreary life in Russia, Laura meets Alexei, or Alyosha, as he prefers to be called, when, on the bridge near her dormitory, he rescues her from the torment of aggressive gypsy beggar women. The implied violence of these women made for a scary scene. But alas, the scene with the gypsies and their swaddled "babes" was perhaps the first and final time there was palpable tension in The Boy on the Bridge.

To be fair, this is not a bad book. The plot moves along nicely, while the uncertainty of Alyosha's motives sustains enough mystery to help keep the pages turning. Though not dense with historical detail, young readers will learn a thing or two about life in totalitarian Russia under the Communist regime of the Soviet Union. Apart from mentions of things like the popular diet drink, Tab, and music like Neil Young, the American kids don't seem all that different from modern day characters.

The real weaknesses of the book are these: Laura falls nearly instantly in love with Alyosha, as does he with her; there is never any real tension -- I am never honestly afraid for Laura (it seems the worst that could happen is that she will be sent home) or Alyosha (who faces the larger danger); the narrative description is not adept enough to successfully convey the beauty and allure of the Russian setting or of its historical landmarks. I was intrigued to find out that much of the novel is informed by the author's real-life experiences during a semester abroad. Upon visiting the author's website and seeing pictures of such places as Dom Knigi (House of Books), Nevsky Prospekt, and The Summer Garden, I was struck by what seemed a huge lost opportunity. She never described those places.

Overall, while The Boy on the Bridge is a fast, effortless read, it will not be particularly memorable or moving. For all the professed love that takes place on the page, little emotion is felt by the reader. I feel like we never knew who Laura was. And what little we know of Alyosha makes us pity more than admire him. What could have been a poetic, aching tale just falls flat.

Verdict: 3 stars of 5. Lacking in depth of character. Emotionally deficient. Descriptively wanting. While you'll understand the harsh Russian conditions and the desperate hope and hunger for freedom that many citizens carried, you won't feel more than a vague sadness. And that's a shame.

Not recommended for purchase. If you are inclined to read it, borrow it from the library.

[Liza Wiemer]

An accurate portrayal of the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Terrifying and heartbreaking. Highly recommend.

When Laura goes to Leningrad for a semester abroad program, she believes meeting Alyosha on the bridge leading to her foreigners only dorm is a chance encounter. She quickly develops deep feelings for him and it appears that he feels the same way. He and his friends are hungry for anything that connects them to America. Does he love her because she's wonderful, bright, kind or because of what she represents as an American? There is danger lurking around every corner, people who are willing to get this young couple in trouble, especially Alyosha, for anti-Soviet sentiment. Alyosha longs for the freedom that he perceives America represents. What does this really mean for Laura? You'll have to read the novel to find out.

I hope that people who read this review will understand that Natalie Staniford did an outstanding job depicting what life was like in the former Soviet Union. I recall how communities throughout the US desperately raised money to sponsor Soviet refusniks so that they could come to America. Organizations were formed and I remember collecting clothing and furniture so that when these people arrived they would have the necessities. I also remember hearing stories about the most famous Soviet refusnik of all - Natan Sharansky who spent years and years and years in Soviet prisons. Upon his release, he became a human rights activist.

I mention the above because, if anything, THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE is relatively tame compared to what happened to many former Soviet Union residents. But one thing is for sure, they lived under a constant fear of being picked up by the KGB and dreamed of freedom in America.

I highly recommend this historical novel. This was an important time in history and I think all of us can learn from Natalie Standiford's portrayal.

I want to thank Sophie Riggsby @sophieriggsby - a reviewer for Mundie Moms and Page Turners for encouraging me to read THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE.

[Jocelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not expecting an epic love story, but I wasn't expecting the ending to be as ambiguous as it was. The story takes place in 1980's Leningrad. An exchange student is studying Russian culture abroad and immersing herself in a seemingly spontaneous and unexpected love affair. Laura seemed like a typical teenager, Alouysa seemed like a mysterious and interesting Russian. All was not what it seemed in this story of love in a foreign land.
Laura was incredibly reckless and took way too many chances being in a foreign country, especially 1980's Russians. The risks she took would not have had any real large ramifications if she were in any other country in Europe. She was in a country were freedom was virtually non-existent. An infraction could get you thrown in jail. Alouysa had an air of suspicion from the very start. He was a little too persuasive and a little too charming.
Laura made foolish choices and she ended up with her heart broken. Alouysa's intentions were never really explained. Was he romancing her to get his way to America or did he really love her? The story set it up to where it left you guessing. Their love affair seemed generic and rushed. When she was reprimanded about her poor conduct she just shrugged it off and kept seeing the boy. This was something that you would do if you when you are trying to show your parents I run my life, not in a country where you go to jail because you bought a Neil Young album.
She had so many people telling her to be careful and not to rush into anything with him and she did not listen. Her dorm mates told her, as did her advisors. I liked her friend Karen, she was her voice of reason and sense. Even I stated, "what are you doing?" while reading this book.
I felt the book was interesting and well written. I just couldn't get my head around some the foolish antics of the characters.

[Brandy Painter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as a historical fiction on Soviet Russia and as a story of cultural collision. The setting is rendered incredibly well. The story has a true sense of place, and that was my favorite part of the book. I did have a hard time with the characters. I just couldn't trust Aloysha and felt that Laura was being too naive and trusting and I never connected with either as a result. Their relationship felt rushed and superficial even though it developed over the course of a semester.

[María · Rating 3 out of 5]

Qué libro más triste. Supongo que es realista pero de todas formas me hubiera gustado un encuentro años más tarde después de la caída del muro.
En el fondo Laura fue para Alexei un pez dorado que lo dejó sin nada. Pero no fue su culpa. Las dudas que Olga implantó en su cabeza y la oposición de todos quienes sabían sobre su precipitado matrimonio, la terminan disuadiendo. Luego del arresto de Alexei ya es muy tarde...
El encuentro en el aeropuerto me rompió el corazón

[Mitch · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unrealistic and absolutely bizarre. As an American who's actually done study abroad (even if I was born after this book takes place) nobody in their right mind would approach the problems here the way Laura does.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The Boy in the Bridge is one of those instances where the cover does not prepare you for the story within its pages. Sure, The Boy on the Bridge centers around a romance, but it's not the fluffy, cute read the cover suggests. Actually, The Boy on the Bridge is a story of a college student studying abroad in the Soviet Union, and discovering the hardships of life their, both physical and interpersonal.

The setting of The Boy on the Bridge made this a win for me, above and beyond the storytelling or the characters. Russian and Soviet history are among my fascinations, and The Boy on the Bridge takes place in an era with which I am less familiar. It's 1981, and the Soviet Union will continue to limp along for another ten years, and there's an air of desolation to Leningrad, which Standiford captures perfectly. Mistrust hangs in the air. Stalin may be long dead, but fear of being turned into the KGB for anti-Party activities is still rampant. The disparity between the quality of life for the American exchange students and regular citizens is shocking and sad; Laura and her fellow foreign students can obtain products Russians cannot. Basically, everything about the setting was well done, and such a nice break from all the books set in the US.

In one of my favorite novels and film adaptations, A Room with a View by E.M. Forster, there's a line about how Lucy was "transfigured by Italy," where she traveled with her cousin Charlotte on the sort of extended holiday wealthy Brits indulged in during the early twentieth century. In such a way was Laura transfigured by Russia. Like Lucy, falling in love with someone she wasn't meant to was a big part of the transformation, but so too was seeing a different way of life and learning about the tenuousness of life.

The Boy on the Bridge deals with a slightly older heroine, nineteen and a college student, but she's no less naive in romance. Her boyfriend of sorts back in the US is a cheater and a creep, based on the evidence of the letter he sent her, so it's initially exciting to see her move on with the Russian boy who drives overeager gypsies away. However, Laura becomes too enraptured with Alyosha, skipping glass and risking getting kicked out of the program to spend time with him. Normally, such a romance might bother me, but Standiford keeps the overall message one of caution and self-awareness.

Though the romance feels doomed, whether or not it actually is, there's a sense too that she needed this experience, more than she needed the classes at the university. From an intellectual standpoint, interacting with Alyosha and his friends dramatically improves her Russian. From an experiential standpoint, because she takes that risk, she actually gets to experience the Soviet Union. If she followed the rules, she might hardly have met any Russians or have seen anything aside from the scheduled school visits. Whatever may come of her time studying abroad, she'll never forget it and she'll never be the same.

The writing itself left me wanting a bit. Standiford uses close third person, which usually I don't mind, but for some reason I kept wanting The Boy on the Bridge to be in first person. Aside from that, the writing is decent but didn't stand out for me. I also wouldn't have said no to more banter.

Natalie Standiford's The Boy on the Bridge is a very quick read, and a must read if you're as intrigued by Russia as I am. Standiford depicts a realistic relationship built during the timeframe of a study abroad program, against the backdrop of the early 1980s in the Soviet Union.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books for me where at the end I didn't know how to really feel about it. It took me some time to finally settle on a rating since it fell into that grey area in which it wasn't horrible, but yet it wasn't the best I've read. I settled on the rating because it was well written young love story set against the backdrop of Communist Russia in the 1980's where the Cold War was at its peak.

With this serious setting, Standiford did a great job of using the love story between Laura and Alyosha to illustrate the harsh conditions of Communist Russia during 1982. The fact that our young couple had to be careful with how they communicate to each other and how they must be wary of anyone that may be willing to report Alyosha's connection to an American reflects the oppressive nature of the regime. She doesn't browbeat the issue to the reader. Instead, it's seamlessly blended into the narrative, always on the fringe reminding the reader of the serious consequences if their relationship were to be discovered by the government.

As if this fear isn't enough, this setting adds another strain to their relationship. The book doesn't skirt around the idea that Alyosha may be only using Laura to escape his life in Russia for a better one in America. The way Standiford was able to illustrate the conditions of that time, it was easy to see the possibility of it. But, as you acknowledge this, you also can't help but feel the Laura does, that Alyosha is actually genuine in his love for Laura. So as the book draws to it end, I kept on going back and forth regarding his true intentions for Laura. It's not a true black and white situation.

I'm sorry to say that one of the things that got me irritated in this story was Laura. Maybe because I'm older and see things differently, but as the story unfolded along with her relationship with Alyosha, I found her to be irresponsible in her behavior. To me, there were times where came off as being flighty and brattish. Especially when her friend Karen was trying to warn her about getting involved with him. It kind of made me irritated with her. But perhaps, it was because she was young that she behaved the way she did. And the seriousness of the situation in Russia just heightened the serious consequences of her actions. Either way, my irritation at her behavior took a little bit from enjoying her love story.

The only other real issue I had with this book, was the abrupt way it ended. To me, it felt like it needed an epilogue. It just seemed the story just ended like as if someone turned off the TV while the scene was still playing. I just thought it needed to have a more well rounded ending. But since I got an uncorrected proof, the final product may have rectified that issue.

So at the end of all this, I was left feeling ambivalent about this book. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't the best. In the end, I decided to give Standiford credit for how well written the story was. In addition to how well she painted a picture of life in Communist Russia. You really got the sense of the oppressive life and conditions there. I can't help but feel that my perspective on the book would be more different if I were younger which the book may or may not have been intentionally geared towards.

*I received this uncorrected proof edition from Goodreads First Reads Giveaway

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the idea behind this book which follows a college student studying abroad in the USSR in 1982. I studied abroad in Singapore (actually the place where I discovered book blogs and started mine) so have fond memories of the experience though mine was obviously vastly different. For one thing, almost everyone there spoke English so I didn't struggle as much with language barriers as Laura did when she was plopped into Russian culture. For another thing, no one wanted to marry me in order to get a green card to go to America...as I think on it, that's probably the biggest difference.

In case you didn't know, living in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) is living under a totalitarian regime where everyone is potentially spying on you, your apartment might be tapped, and you can be hauled in by the police for any reason they want. Additionally everything is scarce to be found unless you are among a small cohort of Westerners with money to spend in exclusive shops and a passport to get you out of there again. Consequently you can be very popular as happens with Laura who is romanced by the charming Aloysha, an artist who genuinely cares for her and is not at all interested in using her nationality to get him out of there...or is he?

One of the big questions in the book revolves around Aloysha's intentions. Quite frankly, I was always suspicious of him and believed that while he could care for Laura, his caring for himself was preeminent. The book treats his motivations as being more murky to my frustration. I could handle it being either way but the ambiguity was not satisfying to me.

His friends Olga and Roma further complicate his story with their differing perspectives on life in the USSR. Olga is possibly in love with Aloysha herself though married to Roma and her words probably should not be taken seriously. Yet she was also incredibly charismatic and exciting to read about. Saying that, I honestly ended up being more interested in Laura's roommates: fellow American Karen who had a good head on her shoulder and Ninel, a Ukrainian who seems to swallow the USSR philosophy wholesale. There are only tantalizing glimpses of these young women as we hone in on a Laura increasingly obsessed with Aloysha, treating her education casually, and who can't even bring herself to care when she fails.

Though I guess this book is technically New Adult because it follows someone who is nineteen, it did not read that mature to me. That is probably due to Laura's naivety; she seems to be a rather sheltered nineteen who heedlessly ignores pretty much everyone's warning about the possibility of being duped. Due to some content, I think this may be better for slightly older readers but it does not feature the steam I associate with NA nor do I feel like it is entirely distinct from the other YA I regularly read.

Overall: A rather dull heroine and too much ambiguity cloud my impression of this book; though I am excited about the unique setting, it didn't manage to click with me. Perhaps readers who are more into Russian culture will enjoy it.

[Emily]

Romance. I cannot think of a single YA book that does not feature at least a dash, and I can list a litany of titles that center around it. It exists in such an abundance that even the most well-written fictional relationships can swirl into all the others in my memory, blending in with the hundreds I have read before. As a result, it is vital that romance novels feature not only a realistic relationship, but a hook, something to make that relationship stand out. The Boy on the Bridge does just that, using its 1980s Soviet setting to charge its plot and tell about a romance unlike any other.

One of my favorite aspects of this novel is simply the Soviet Union itself. Natalie Standiford sprinkles details about the now-dissolved nation into her story, which forces the romance to share the stage. I loved getting a glimpse of the way USSR citizens lived—constantly pretending to believe in their country’s system to avoid arrest, going without luxuries of any kind—and I appreciated the way passages that focused on world-building kept me from getting tired of Laura’s and Alyosha’s relationship.

Standiford’s setting of choice boosts the romance in another memorable way—by adding a language barrier between Laura and Alyosha. She is learning Russian and he is learning English, but neither is fluent yet, and overcoming linguistic differences strengthens their relationship with each conversation. I do wish the author had expanded upon this conflict a bit more—Laura occasionally complains about not understanding slang terms, but she never truly struggles to express herself, even though she has to ask Alyosha to name simple vocabulary words like glove and eye. However, the small complications language does cause are delightful to read about, and I could not help falling in love with Alyosha’s endearingly fractured English.

Best of all, the setting allows an ominous, forbiding doubt to hover over the romance. Laura is warned to be wary of romantic advances from Russians because they are likely just looking for the ticket to the United States that comes with marrying an American. However, she refuses to believe that Alyosha’s love has any ulterior motive. Standiford makes it impossible to discern whether or not the protagonist is right, and readers will spend every chapter torn between cheering for the romance to last and urging Laura to escape as quickly as she can.

All of these elements culminate into a page-turning plot that is part mystery, part romance, and part travelogue. Complete with an enigmatic ending that emphasizes the secrecy that shrouded the Soviet Union, The Boy on the Bridge is another cleverly written novel from Standiford. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a solid love story or who has a bit of foreign fascination.

This review originally appeared at www.litup-review.com.

[JennRenee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited for this book. I love the 80's, Russia sounded like a great change of scenery, and I love another book by this author. I wanted to dig into it and finish it in one setting, since it was a pretty small book. Unfortunately I was a tad bit disappointed. The book had some really great stuff but fell short on some of the more important parts for me.





Laura loves everything about Russia. The history, the language, and of course the boys. She takes a year of college and spends it going to university in Russia. In her first semester she meets a cute boy that saves the day on a bridge full of gypsies. She spends the rest of the year in his company falling in love and learning love isn't easy and sometimes there are hard choices to make.





I liked the story. It was a good story that had a lot to say about the truth of Russia in the 80's. The city was dark, gloomy, stinky, and full of desperate people trying to make another life for themselves. I really enjoyed the culture the book gave. The writing was simple and the book was a very fast and easy read to get through. I did feel that book had dept but it didn't get the depth across clearly.

I didn't feel the romance or the characters the way I would have liked. I really though the romance would be swoon worthy. Russia, one year, a college student and a native boy, doomed relationship... I thought I would be in a state of awe the entire way through and I just wasn't. This story completely missed the mark on the romance.

I really didn't feel the characters either. Both of the main characters, Alyosha and Laura, had a shot at being pretty cool, but they fell short. Laura started with great potential. She seemed to have been responsible and knew what she wanted but she quickly turned to needy, whiny, and bit dramatic. She acted more like a teenager in love for the first time than a college student with a plan. She was a bit to obsessive and to be honest a bit dumb when it came to her relationship with Alyosha.

I never liked Alysosha. He came across way to strong from the very beginning and he never felt right. I was always waiting for his true colors to show and couldn't enjoy the romance because I didn't believe his intentions were honest or true. He also came off a bit stalkerish to me.

So I think the story could have been a lot better. Great cultural aspect, but the character building and the romance lacked for me. It was more of a light read than an deep story about two star-crossed lovers.




It just wasn't what I was looking for.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I started this book, I knew three things. One, that I had loved Standiford's earlier work, 'How to Say Goodbye in Robot'. Two, that this novel is somewhat based on the author's own experiences. And, three, that the reviews about it were mixed and somewhat indecipherable ("So should I spend $7.99 on it or what?" One review made me mutter). Many of the reviews I came across complained about the lack of realism in how quickly the main character--Laura--fell for the guy, Alyosha, and how easily she gave up her studies for him. Well in dealing with the later, that seems to be totally in character for Laura. She gave up her studies for pot-smoking, pseudo-intellectual Josh. Why not play with the GPA to spend more time with sensitive, actually-intelligent Alyosha?

In addressing the first complaint, I have to pull on my own experiences. No, I did not go to Russia during the days of the Cold War, but I did spend last summer in Ukraine. And I did meet a guy there and developed a massive crush on him in one day that has now lasted over a year, with only the kind of sustained contact social media can afford. Now I knew full well that part of his interest in me was because I am American, but that was 100% fine because part of the reason I was interested in him was because he was Ukrainian! He was passionate and smart and funny and handsome, and I was already intoxicated with poetry and politics. All it took was a few charming compliments and mild exchanges of flirtation, and one story about his involvement with the recent protests in Maidan square and I was feeling light-headed. True story. Now in America? I rarely date, and turn down heartily 9/10 offers I get. But in Ukraine? Whole other story. The intensity of the people, especially at the volatile time I was visiting at, carries you with them. Added to that I have dreamed of Russia, Ukraine, etc, my entire life, and it was only a matter of time.

That was my long (and very self-indulgent) way of saying that, based on personal experiences, it is realistic to me that things would progress the way they did in the story. And especially in that tense and fraught environment...if I had been Laura, and Alyosha had been a little more like my Ukrainian friend, I can't say I wouldn't have seriously considered marrying him just for the chance of a life; a real life, not the shell of existence afforded to bright, politically aware young students in the USSR, dreaming of more.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, this is my first ARC book I’ve reviewed. So huge thanks to Scholastic for letting me read this book! I have a few more ARC reviews to come too, so stay posted!

I was drawn in right away, just by the subject matter. I’ve always been a bit of fan of Russian history since I first read Gloria Whelans “The Angel in the Square" when I was in 6th grade, so when I saw this book, I dropped everything to read it!

There was so much to like here! I loved how the author pulled so much from her own experience as a study abroad student in 1982 USSR. Her voice captured that of a girl in 1982 in a way that I don’t think someone who didn’t live through that time first hand would be able to do. I also loved the set up of the book, the constant question of whether or not Aloysha is the real deal, will keep you flicking through pages. It was definitely a page turner, I finished it in 24 hours. I think she ends it pretty well too, so that by the time you finish you know how Laura and Alyosha feel, but also the future that awaits each of them. She had the right amount of vagueness and honesty.

There were a few things that I found weak. There are a few minor characters that she never did anything with. Tanya is Aloysha’s ex-girlfriend/possible hooker. She was mentioned enough that I thought she would eventually have some importance, but she never really became significant. I kept thinking she was going to show up and ruin things for the couple, but she never really did anything. In the same way, Olga, who we met throughout the book, but never trusted- was never really fully understood. Olga is always making Laura jealous with her flirtiness around Aloysha and she always seems a little bitter. I would have really liked to get her honest story. I wanted her and Laura to have a girl talk so that we could understand her. But I walked away with a weird uneasiness for her, but not explanation. My last wish is that it had an epilogue. The ending is bittersweet (probably more bitter than sweet) and I wish that I could see Laura and Aloysha in the future. I think it would have given the book a little bit more closure.

All in all, I really enjoyed it. The set up of the story makes for a perfect love story with a hint of the suspense and edge of spy novel!

[Iroquois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well it rarely happens but when it does it's a great reading experience: this book was gonna be 2 for me but then I suddenly found myself changing my opinion and it's become a 4. I think what I liked best about it is that it does have this very realistic quality to it. And ironically that's what was making it dull for me in the beginning. When I read YA fiction books the pacing is generally a lot like films, edited to where action, drama,comedy, etc are balanced in a way that allows the reader to be easily entertained. But the pacing of events and the conflict in this story was much in line with how a real-life story from a friend would go. And it was hard to appreciate that until the plot's drama really thickened.

And since I was curious about the author's mention of having had a real experience of studying in Leningrad in college from the book jacket, I looked up her website. It turns out that she recently wrote a piece featured in the NYT's Modern Love section! If you're not familiar it's basically a feature where people from all walks of life submit stories of their experiences with love, and it's always fascinating to see the diversity that shows up.
[Sidenote: the author Nicole Hardy of the memoir Confessions of a Latter Day Virgin, which I loved and posted about too, also had a piece related to her book published in Modern Love! ] Anyway, you can read Standiford's here: http://nyti.ms/JCjLdd but I'd wait to read it after this book because I think it makes both richer reads in that order.

[Jennie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this novel right after returning from a weeks vacation in Germany visiting my best friend who was a foreign exchange student my senior year in high school. While I was there, I was able to see the world through a different lens, so to speak. I saw remnants of World War 2, peaceful protests and demonstrations about the Turkish insurgency as well as many other things that we see in the news, but don't necessarily experience first hand. This book did the same for me. It is set during the Cold War and Laura is experiencing the world through a different lens just as I did, but on a grander scale.

Laura goes to Russia intent on experiencing the culture that she fell in love with though its language. She doesn't, however, intend to fall in love. The dynamics between Laura and Alexei (also known as Alyosha) are powerful and heartbreaking. Natalie has done an amazing job at showing just how much different worlds can be, yet be faced with the same emotions and heartbreak. I was completely sucked into the world in which Alyosha lives and shows Laura and was pulling for them the entire time. There was so much authenticity in this novel that when I read that Natalie Standiford spent time there during college, I could feel the passion and authenticity even more.

[Leonel · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://luhathoughts.blogspot.com/2013...

You can never judge a book by its cover. I thought Natalie Standiford's "The Boy On The Bridge" was a nice light read, a young adult love story that's cutesy. Set in 1982, it tells a story of a young exchange student named Laura who accidentally meets a Russian boy named Aloysha (Alexei) and they fall in love. Pretty simple, right. But this is in the middle of the cold war, so we get into an internal conflict as to whether Alyosha's love is genuine, or is he just using her so he can get to the United States. It was going all well, and the book gave you a nice feeling until the last eighth of the book where it goes kind of dark and unexpected. It was stirring. I found myself deeply and unexpectedly affected by the fate of their love story. I also enjoyed the local flavor as I have been to St Petersburg in Russia and some of the places they visit are familiar to me. I found myself attached to the characters and the endign is heartbreaking.