This war story follows a well-trodden road, offering something for aficionados of the genre but breaking little new ground.
An American teen witnesses the atrocities of the Vietnam War firsthand when he is captured and marched along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
When wealthy, presumably white, prep school student Taylor gets caught sneaking out at night, his mom responds by dragging him to Vietnam to spend time with his dad, a Special Attaché at the U.S. Embassy. And when he sneaks out to party again, this time in Saigon on the eve of Tet, he stumbles into a new reality: He is taken hostage, tortured, and forced on a brutal trek north. Watkins (Sink or Swim, 2017, etc.) doesn’t shy away from the grimness of war or the harshness of the landscape, though he successfully steers clear of the needlessly grotesque. Still, the impact is muted, perhaps due to a not-particularly-appealing protagonist and his rapid shifts in fortune. The relationship between Taylor and Phuong, Taylor’s North Vietnamese captor and trail guide, serves as the story’s heart. She humanizes the enemy and complicates Taylor’s understanding of the war, and it is a shame that her perspective is not centered in the novel, which is narrated in the first person by Taylor, whose growth at times feels a little too easy. Those interested in learning more will appreciate the author’s note and its references to primary sources.
This war story follows a well-trodden road, offering something for aficionados of the genre but breaking little new ground. (author’s note) (Historical fiction. 12-17)Pub Date: Oct. 30, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-19701-3
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice.
A teenage, not-so-lonely loner endures the wilds of high school in Austin, Texas.
Norris Kaplan, the protagonist of Philippe’s debut novel, is a hypersweaty, uber-snarky black, Haitian, French-Canadian pushing to survive life in his new school. His professor mom’s new tenure-track job transplants Norris mid–school year, and his biting wit and sarcasm are exposed through his cataloging of his new world in a field guide–style burn book. He’s greeted in his new life by an assortment of acquaintances, Liam, who is white and struggling with depression; Maddie, a self-sacrificing white cheerleader with a heart of gold; and Aarti, his Indian-American love interest who offers connection. Norris’ ego, fueled by his insecurities, often gets in the way of meaningful character development. The scenes showcasing his emotional growth are too brief and, despite foreshadowing, the climax falls flat because he still gets incredible personal access to people he’s hurt. A scene where Norris is confronted by his mother for getting drunk and belligerent with a white cop is diluted by his refusal or inability to grasp the severity of the situation and the resultant minor consequences. The humor is spot-on, as is the representation of the black diaspora; the opportunity for broader conversations about other topics is there, however, the uneven buildup of detailed, meaningful exchanges and the glibness of Norris’ voice detract.
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice. (Fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-282411-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Heartbreaking, historical, and a little bit hopeful.
January 1945: as Russians advance through East Prussia, four teens’ lives converge in hopes of escape.
Returning to the successful formula of her highly lauded debut, Between Shades of Gray (2011), Sepetys combines research (described in extensive backmatter) with well-crafted fiction to bring to life another little-known story: the sinking (from Soviet torpedoes) of the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff. Told in four alternating voices—Lithuanian nurse Joana, Polish Emilia, Prussian forger Florian, and German soldier Alfred—with often contemporary cadences, this stints on neither history nor fiction. The three sympathetic refugees and their motley companions (especially an orphaned boy and an elderly shoemaker) make it clear that while the Gustloff was a German ship full of German civilians and soldiers during World War II, its sinking was still a tragedy. Only Alfred, stationed on the Gustloff, lacks sympathy; almost a caricature, he is self-delusional, unlikable, a Hitler worshiper. As a vehicle for exposition, however, and a reminder of Germany’s role in the war, he serves an invaluable purpose that almost makes up for the mustache-twirling quality of his petty villainy. The inevitability of the ending (including the loss of several characters) doesn’t change its poignancy, and the short chapters and slowly revealed back stories for each character guarantee the pages keep turning.
Heartbreaking, historical, and a little bit hopeful. (author’s note, research and sources, maps) (Historical fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-16030-1
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015
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