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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An interesting read about the Navajo code talkers of WW II. The story itself was fascinating, and the author did a great job of distilling the complexity of the Pacific Campaign portion of WW II down to a readable level that didn't overwhelm a non-war-historian reader like me. However, I found the narrative style - more storytelling than actual showing - kept the characters at arms length for me. This ended up reading more like a history text than an actual story with real people. Definitely worth reading because of the fascinating subject, but I wish it had more of a novel feel to it.
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The writing let down the book’s story. I connected to the character early in the book. But when he got to war, the book was so full of military jargon and detail that I forced myself to finish it.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was just vaguely interested in this and I would have never picked up this book if it wasn't for my high school library who was giving it away. I always find it interesting in different parts of wars and how they help to win. This was a great book to help give me a more complete look at WWII
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is one I'm offering for our historical book clubs. I read this when I was younger and really liked it so I thought of it right off the bat when we were planning out these book clubs. It can definitely appeal to kids who are mostly interested in military history in WWII while still focusing on issues of perception. I did really like how it can have American protagonists while still acknowledging the racism the Navajo faced before, during, and after the war. And it also focuses a lot on how Pacific Islanders were impacted by Japanese occupation instead of just American soldiers. All in all it's a good book for bringing in perspectives kids don't see much while still having the action to keep them interested.
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I highly recommend the audio for this book because of the Navajo songs and passages of the text. It was really wonderful to actually hear the language that's at the heart of this story. It's also a great choice for anyone who's interested in combat stories, since much of the book takes place during battles in the Pacific theater of WWII.
I found the whole book fascinating, and while it's a fictional account, the author's afterward points out that all the people aside from the main character are real soldiers. I'm definitely going to look for some non-fiction on the code talkers next.
I found the whole book fascinating, and while it's a fictional account, the author's afterward points out that all the people aside from the main character are real soldiers. I'm definitely going to look for some non-fiction on the code talkers next.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, War
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Vomit, Alcohol
(Minor) nonconsensual human experimentation