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.

Silver Stars by Michael Grant
Series: Front Lines #2
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 1/31/17
Genres: Action & Adventure, Historical, Young Adult
Pages: 576
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

The summer of 1943, World War II. With heavy memories of combat, Frangie, Rainy, Rio and the rest of the American army are moving on to their next target: the Italian island of Sicily.

The women won’t conquer Italy alone. They are not heroes for fighting alongside their brothers—they are soldiers. But Frangie, Rainy, Rio, and the millions of brave females fighting for their country have become a symbol in the fight for equality. They will brave terrible conditions in an endless siege; they will fight to find themselves on the front lines of WWII; and they will come face-to-face with the brutality of war until they win or die.

Short and Sweet

Frangie, Rainy, and Rio are back, this statement just makes me happy. These soldiers are on to their next target, Italy, and back to the front lines to sacrifice their lives for their country.

Characters

Rainy: Is given a mission that will in the end help the US Army, which she’s all for because she follows orders, but while she’s on the mission she begins to question if she should have taken the mission in the first place.

Rio: Is on the front lines in battle and has a more prominent role in this book because she’s looked at by everyone on camp as someone who was meant to be a soldier.

Frangie: Is still a medic just trying to do her job trying to save the lives of injured G.I’s if she can and just going where she’s needed.

Romance

There’s not really that much romance in this book. Rio still has her hometown sweetheart, Strand that she talks to via letters, and they do get to meet up at one point in the book. I thought Rainy would have a romantic interest in this book, but boy was I wrong, I was really wrong. I don’t want to spoil anything… While writing this I realized that Rainy was talking to another boy and now I’m questioning myself and if they could have a romantic relationship. Halev are you the one for Rainy? Because C definitely wasn’t.

My Thoughts

~ I loved this book just as much as the first one (Front Lines).

~ Rio, had a lot more page time than the other girls which I didn’t really mind because she had more action going on in her story line.

~ Okay so Rainy has a mission that she goes on in this book which we follow her through the motions. Her story line was interesting but it gets better towards the end of the book. Rainy is intelligent and her knowledge of multiple languages is impressive. By the way after finishing the book I did some research on what Rainy would have went through and its awful.

~ Frangie, I love her so much. She’s caring and she picked a job that suits her strengths. I would say that Frangie’s story line is kind of like Rainy’s it’s interesting but gets better towards the end. I’m glad she got to meet up with a loved one to brighten her mood.

~ I will say that the war has changed these three girls. You can tell it changed Rio in the first book and you get more of that change in this book, shes a little more excited to kill than she was before she killed her first Kraut. I didn’t feel like there was much change with Frangie but she does learn a few things about her family that surprises her. Rainy didn’t have a change until the end of this book which was understandable especially with what she had to endure.

~ Rio is really the only one in this series who has a best friend with her in the war, Jenou. I like that she has a friend with her but I was upset by the strain that their friendship was going through.

~ My favorite thing about these books is when the girls meet and have interactions. It happened in Front Lines and it happened in this book too. I love how they remember each other and are friendly.

~ Michael Grant does a GREAT job writing this series. He definitely does his research and makes this series so true to the time it’s placed in. When reading this book it feels like you’re transported to the front lines with these girls and seeing what they see and feeling how they feel.

Overall

I love love love this series its one of my favorites! I want the third book now, just to see the next mission these girls will have to tackle. If you haven’t read Front Lines you should, and then pick up Silver Stars, because these books do not disappoint! I would recommend this series in a heartbeat, so if you like action and historical fiction with details that make you feel like you’re there then this series is for you!!!

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
Buy on Amazon

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!