In the second installment of the Divided We Fall trilogy, PFC Daniel Wright continues fighting for the Republic of Idaho against the federal government in what is becoming a second civil war.
Danny Wright blames himself for firing the shot that led to this war, a shot at a protest in Boise that caused fellow National Guardsmen to open fire, killing several protestors. A standoff with the Feds has ensued, and with the Idaho governor’s refusal to enforce federal laws, Idaho has been invaded by federal forces. War makes its inexorable descent into darkness, chaos and brutality, until Danny wonders what kind of person he has become. Innocent people are killed, prisoners are tortured, the death toll mounts, and soon it’s difficult to say what has been won, though it’s easy to see what’s been lost. The media don’t inform, they only obfuscate. Long, italicized excerpts from various news sources inserted between chapters effectively demonstrate how the media can muddle and provoke rather than offer necessary, thoughtful analysis. And by the end, Danny realizes, “We gotta save something of ourselves, of our humanity, if we’re ever going to leave the war behind.”
An action-packed thriller that may well lead readers to further explore the complicated constitutional and political issues it raises. (Thriller. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-54873-1
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Levine/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
Categories: TEEN FICTION | TEEN SOCIAL THEMES
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Breaking away from Arthurian legends (The Winter Prince, 1993, etc.), Wein delivers a heartbreaking tale of friendship during World War II.
In a cell in Nazi-occupied France, a young woman writes. Like Scheherezade, to whom she is compared by the SS officer in charge of her case, she dribbles out information—“everything I can remember about the British War Effort”—in exchange for time and a reprieve from torture. But her story is more than a listing of wireless codes or aircraft types. Instead, she describes her friendship with Maddie, the pilot who flew them to France, as well as the real details of the British War Effort: the breaking down of class barriers, the opportunities, the fears and victories not only of war, but of daily life. She also describes, almost casually, her unbearable current situation and the SS officer who holds her life in his hands and his beleaguered female associate, who translates the narrative each day. Through the layers of story, characters (including the Nazis) spring to life. And as the epigraph makes clear, there is more to this tale than is immediately apparent. The twists will lead readers to finish the last page and turn back to the beginning to see how the pieces slot perfectly, unexpectedly into place.
A carefully researched, precisely written tour de force; unforgettable and wrenching. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: May 15, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4231-5219-4
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2012
Categories: TEEN FICTION | TEEN HISTORICAL FICTION | TEEN SOCIAL THEMES
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PROFILES
PROFILES
Lara Jean prepares for college and a wedding.
Korean-American Lara Jean is finally settled into a nice, complication-free relationship with her white boyfriend, Peter. But things don’t stay simple for long. When college acceptance letters roll in, Peter and Lara Jean discover they’re heading in different directions. As the two discuss the long-distance thing, Lara Jean’s widower father is making a major commitment: marrying the neighbor lady he’s been dating. The whirlwind of a wedding, college visits, prom, and the last few months of senior year provides an excellent backdrop for this final book about Lara Jean. The characters ping from event to event with emotions always at the forefront. Han further develops her cast, pushing them to new maturity and leaving few stones unturned. There’s only one problem here, and it’s what’s always held this series back from true greatness: Peter. Despite Han’s best efforts to flesh out Peter with abandonment issues and a crummy dad, he remains little more than a handsome jock. Frankly, Lara Jean and Peter may have cute teen chemistry, but Han's nuanced characterizations have often helped to subvert typical teen love-story tropes. This knowing subversion is frustratingly absent from the novel's denouement.
An emotionally engaging closer that fumbles in its final moments. (Romance. 14-17)Pub Date: May 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3048-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
Categories: TEEN FICTION | TEEN ROMANCE | TEEN SOCIAL THEMES
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