I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Front Lines by Michael Grant Series: Front Lines #1
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 1/26/16
Genres: Action & Adventure, Historical, Young Adult
Pages: 576
Source: Publisher
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World War II, 1942. A court decision makes women subject to the draft and eligible for service. The unproven American army is going up against the greatest fighting force ever assembled, the armed forces of Nazi Germany.
Three girls sign up to fight. Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr, and Rainy Schulterman are average girls, girls with dreams and aspirations, at the start of their lives, at the start of their loves. Each has her own reasons for volunteering: Rio fights to honor her sister; Frangie needs money for her family; Rainy wants to kill Germans. For the first time they leave behind their homes and families—to go to war.
These three daring young women will play their parts in the war to defeat evil and save the human race. As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, they will discover the roles that define them on the front lines. They will fight the greatest war the world has ever known.
Michael Grant’s first Soldier Girl novel Front Lines is a war story that packs a lot of punch, combining historical fact with an alternate version of history in which a court decision makes American women subject to the draft and eligible to fight on the front lines. Not only has Grant imagined army life and conditions from the POV of three different female soldiers, but he also factors in race and the effect this would have had in the early 1940s. Rio Richlin is a white female from small town California, Frangie Marr is an African-American from Oklahoma, and Rainy Schulterman is a Jewish girl from New York City. It’s actually rare that someone remembers that the story of gender injustice and sexism is not the same across all women. The characters themselves are sympathetic, realistic and flawed. Each has a distinct personality, her own ambition, and her own reason for being there. As with male soldiers, some of these female soldiers were eager to fight and prove themselves, others were desperate for an army paycheck. Grant also pays attention to his secondary characters, creating people who bring humor, distaste and flirtations to the mix. The alternate history is fascinating enough, but it’s the characters that truly suck the reader in. They are so real. They are so perfectly written, so true to the past, while also feeling relevant. The pacing of the book was wonderful, and I was hooked from the very beginning. There’s lots of action with a side of romance and plenty of character growth. I also really liked the authenticity of the history and the nostalgic feel of the time period. Grant tells the story in three alternating points of view, and they really contribute and round out the story. The story is ultimately told from one person writing out the events and ruminating and guessing in areas; it lends a bit of mystery to the story. I really want to know who’s actually telling the story. This book does eventually focus on war and the front lines, and I think this has to be my favorite part of the novel. In this second half of the novel we really see the main characters change their perspectives on life and humanity. It’s utterly fascinating and so well written. It’s a bit sad but completely absorbing at the same time. Front Lines has left me wanting more and now I’m counting down the days until book two comes out!
Captivating and Epic Front Lines Gets six Wonderland Hearts!
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