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pilesoflaundry113's review
1.0
Do you ever read something and when you are done you think to yourself WTF did I just read? That's this book in a nutshell. I wasn't going to finish it but I was curious about Fumiko so I finished it. This book is just all over the place and totally crazy. The whole Bobby character was fruit loops.
hmgelo02's review
5.0
This novel was my book club's selection for September, chosen mostly because it takes place on Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, where many of us currently live. I had few ideas of what to expect from this book, but I closed its final pages glad that I'd taken the time to read it.
[b:The Yokota Officers Club A Novel|445730|The Yokota Officers Club A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)|Sarah Bird|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GFTCK52WL._SL75_.jpg|2891087] takes place in two decades: the present is during the Vietnam war era; the other is during the post-WWII occupation of Japan by Americans during the Cold War. From the perspective of someone who lives here on Okinawa, as well as being an officer's wife, it was fascinating to read what life on base and within a classified unit was like long before I ever came here or entered life as a military spouse.
I had an idea that life even just ten or fifteen years ago was much more regimented than what I experience today, but the description of officers' careers ending over the actions of their family members is a new concept to me. Also, while I sometimes feel that the restrictions put upon us when living in base housing is strict, today it is nothing like the scrutiny that faced families in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s.
After reading the epilogue - a conversation between the author and her mother and sisters - I realize how much [a:Sarah Bird|191417|Sarah Bird|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] injected her own experiences into the writing of this novel, which makes it all that much more compelling. This book is well-written, highly enjoyable, and even if I weren't as intimately familiar with the setting or lifestyle that she's describing, I still would have enjoyed this book.
[b:The Yokota Officers Club A Novel|445730|The Yokota Officers Club A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)|Sarah Bird|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GFTCK52WL._SL75_.jpg|2891087] takes place in two decades: the present is during the Vietnam war era; the other is during the post-WWII occupation of Japan by Americans during the Cold War. From the perspective of someone who lives here on Okinawa, as well as being an officer's wife, it was fascinating to read what life on base and within a classified unit was like long before I ever came here or entered life as a military spouse.
I had an idea that life even just ten or fifteen years ago was much more regimented than what I experience today, but the description of officers' careers ending over the actions of their family members is a new concept to me. Also, while I sometimes feel that the restrictions put upon us when living in base housing is strict, today it is nothing like the scrutiny that faced families in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s.
After reading the epilogue - a conversation between the author and her mother and sisters - I realize how much [a:Sarah Bird|191417|Sarah Bird|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] injected her own experiences into the writing of this novel, which makes it all that much more compelling. This book is well-written, highly enjoyable, and even if I weren't as intimately familiar with the setting or lifestyle that she's describing, I still would have enjoyed this book.
secreteeyore's review
4.0
Hilariously accurate book on military life- also a great twist that I didn't see coming. Glad I stumbled upon this read.
marie_gg's review
4.0
Excellent novel about an Air Force brat's childhood in Japan and the secrets swirling around her family.
charlibirb's review
3.0
Ok, enjoyed the writing and the story, but the whole book kind of seemed to be about nothing, and the ending with all its weird smell poetry writing was kind of a let-down. Like the whole book's climax was about something that happened when she was 10. 4* for most of the book and the writing style, 2* for the disappointing ending that had nothing to do with the protagonist.
chaoticgrey27's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
cindyrdw's review
3.0
I'd give it a 3.5 rating if I could. It was very interesting because my husband was military and we caught the tail end of the very political stuff. The author nailed a whole lot of it.
lesbian_thespian's review
2.0
The "exposition" part of this book, which was essentially the first half, could have been half as long. As a non-military person, it was interesting to read about base life, but even I could tell that the military culture here was a bit overdone. And in the end, the payoff wasn't good enough for all of that setup.
Also, there are some pretty problematic aspects of the book/certain characters that are never addressed and it's pretty alarming.
Also, there are some pretty problematic aspects of the book/certain characters that are never addressed and it's pretty alarming.
rlbasley's review
4.0
Poor Bernie. A military brat given freedom to attend a college in the United States while her dysfunctional family is stationed in Okinawa. Her father a former pilot now bitter desk jockey and her mother former free spirit now military officer wife who bulks at towing the line and following the informal chain of command among the military officer wives. Add to the mix a bunch of siblings including on that don’t like Bernie much and let the adventure begin!
After winning a dance contest Bernie is off to Japan to reunite with their former House maid and discover the secret of the bitter feeling between her parents. Very relatable for anyone who has any relationship with a military family. And a great read. I hope she does a second book
After winning a dance contest Bernie is off to Japan to reunite with their former House maid and discover the secret of the bitter feeling between her parents. Very relatable for anyone who has any relationship with a military family. And a great read. I hope she does a second book
pghbekka's review
2.0
I wanted to love this, or at least be able to recommend it to my partner, who grow up at Yokota. Unfortunately, Sarah Bird is just not the writer for me, and the story was not engaging.
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