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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
informative
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
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
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, War
I loved this, although throughout I failed to understand the strong sense of loyalty the narrator described. The Navajo keep a vivid oral history of the abuses rained on their people. The main character was treated poorly his entire life by the people and government of america. I understand his strong ties to the land and his own people, but am missing the important leap that made him so loyal to america itself.
Maybe a 3.5...
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I had to read this for history and I thought it was very interesting. This is most definitely not a book where you get lots feels. It is more a history lesson. I think that's because the narrator of this book is a seventy year old who is telling his stories to his grandchildren.
With me not knowing a lot about World War II in the pacific front, this book taught me a lot!
In general, war scenes aren't the most interesting thing, so I think that is what lowered my rating.
The Navajo history is fascinating and that was probably my favorite aspect of this book.
I'm glad I read it!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I had to read this for history and I thought it was very interesting. This is most definitely not a book where you get lots feels. It is more a history lesson. I think that's because the narrator of this book is a seventy year old who is telling his stories to his grandchildren.
With me not knowing a lot about World War II in the pacific front, this book taught me a lot!
In general, war scenes aren't the most interesting thing, so I think that is what lowered my rating.
The Navajo history is fascinating and that was probably my favorite aspect of this book.
I'm glad I read it!
Excellent novel about Navajo code talkers during WWII. I was worried that this book was going to be very graphic -- wartime so often is. Somehow, instead, the author managed to get across the seriousness of war while humanizing the enemy and sparing the reader some of the gorier details. There were still stories of sadness and horror, but everything was done in a very humane way. This story was all about hope, perseverance, and honor. I appreciated how the narrator didn't ignore racism or prejudice, but found productive, positive ways to fight it. He understood that the best way to show people he wasn't what they thought of him was to prove himself and to defy all their expectations. I understand that this doesn't always work, but I appreciate a different narrative every one in a while, you know? I really liked that this book was patriotic but not pandering. It was serious without being weighed down by its own sense of self-importance. I'd definitely recommend this book to basically anyone, but especially young boys.
I read this book to prepare for a young Adult literature course. I believe this book gives a great introduction and insight to World War Two in a view from a unique type of soldier. I also enjoyed how the narrator consistently talked of a language barrier between the Navajos and the "white people". He often references the language barrier as the obstacle he had to overcome to be more understood by others. This is a great book that shows the feelings behind a soldier at war.
I think I would have enjoyed this book more had I read it with my eyes rather than my ears.
I enjoy a good war story, so the narrative style wasn't a problem for me. Bruchach does well in pointing out systemic racism that affected Navajo soldiers without reinforcing those harmful stereotypes.
I enjoy a good war story, so the narrative style wasn't a problem for me. Bruchach does well in pointing out systemic racism that affected Navajo soldiers without reinforcing those harmful stereotypes.
I've always been fascinated by history. Not the kind of history that you read about in your textbooks, but the history that is passed down in stories. The history of one person or a few people and their actions and reactions to the events around them. I think that's why I like historical fiction. It makes the past into the present in so many ways, and I love learning that way.
I've heard the story of the Code Talkers before. It was briefly mentioned in my history courses, but the true extent of what happened was simply glossed over. This story is told from the POV of a fiction Navajo man chronicling his story through boarding school's attempts to strip him of his culture through becoming an indispensible part of winning the Pacific theater of WWII. While Ned is fictional, the author notes that everything that Ned records actually happened to many of the First Nation People he has talked through while conducting his research.
This story is dense and full of information, but it flows well and is fascinating. The story moved me to tears on more than one occasion. I enjoyed it very much. I would recommend this to anyone who loves history and historical fiction, especially WWII.
I've heard the story of the Code Talkers before. It was briefly mentioned in my history courses, but the true extent of what happened was simply glossed over. This story is told from the POV of a fiction Navajo man chronicling his story through boarding school's attempts to strip him of his culture through becoming an indispensible part of winning the Pacific theater of WWII. While Ned is fictional, the author notes that everything that Ned records actually happened to many of the First Nation People he has talked through while conducting his research.
This story is dense and full of information, but it flows well and is fascinating. The story moved me to tears on more than one occasion. I enjoyed it very much. I would recommend this to anyone who loves history and historical fiction, especially WWII.
This is such an amazing story that shows a side of war that most people have little to no knowledge of. Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the Allies war efforts in World War 2, but their stories are hardly talked about or recognized. This story tells of how Navajo Marines, taught by white men growing up that their language and customs would one day be replaced by English, would become the only group of soldiers that had an unbreakable code. This book raises questions and gives a new perspective to world war 2 that I had never really considered, and one that I believe most people should be aware of.