Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Ada shows courage in riveting English wartime sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 5 parent reviews
Based on 14 kid reviews
Kids say this book serves as a satisfying conclusion to a beloved duology, offering complex themes of love, courage, and resilience during difficult times. While some readers feel it may not fully match the excellence of the first book, it effectively combines educational value with compelling storytelling, making it engaging for both young readers and adults.
- satisfying conclusion
- complex themes
- educational value
- engaging storytelling
- suitable for teens
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
As THE WAR I FINALLY WON opens, England is fighting for its life in World War II, and 11-year-old Ada doesn't know what to believe or whom to trust. After a lifetime of abuse and neglect, she and her brother, Jamie, have been taken in by a loving woman, and for the first time she can walk, because her clubfoot's been surgically corrected. She can't escape the sense that it'll all be taken away again. Meanwhile, she's got plenty to deal with, as the war soon has her little family sharing a house with the intimidating Lady Thorton and with a teenage Jewish girl from Germany, who's fleeing Hitler. As the war takes its toll on her loved ones, Ada shows courage, creative thinking, and a willingness to change her mind as she finds herself and stands up for what she believes.
Is It Any Good?
Author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley delivers a rich, satisfying tale of courage, friendship, family, and love in this compelling sequel. As Ada adjusts to her new life as a wartime evacuee, she copes with fear, deprivation, danger, and daily squabbles. Best friend Maggie, little brother Jamie, and adoptive mom Susan -- as well as pony Butter -- offer loving support as death, disease, and the first signs of the Holocaust take their toll. Spirited Ada's courage inspires other characters, and readers will love cheering her on and following her character development as they learn more about a violent chapter of history.
The War I Finally Won can work as a stand-alone, but it's better if you've read The War That Saved My Life first.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how World War II is portrayed in The War I Finally Won. Are World War II stories still interesting and compelling today, or has the world changed too much for you to relate to them?
How would you feel if you and your family suddenly had to share your house with strangers because of some emergency?
Do you like secret codes? Have you ever used them to communicate with your friends? How did you come up with the code?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , History , Animals
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Dial
- Publication date : October 3, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 400
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate