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artistmaybe's review against another edition
At one point in this book I was wondering what the point was.
But it comes around near the end where you understand it more. Not a book I will reread
But it comes around near the end where you understand it more. Not a book I will reread
jmcook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
rickus90's review against another edition
3.0
Read this for school, so nothing that I would normally pick up. Ok book but not something I would read by choice.
emilyknap's review against another edition
3.0
This is only the second book I've ever read about Vietnam and I like how different it was from the other one (Rumor of War). I appreciated the pop culture references and I disagree with the critics who think they are worthless.
dllh's review against another edition
4.0
I read Mason's Feather Crowns many years ago and was sort of so-so on it. I liked In Country quite a lot. In its spare 240ish pages, it captured a lot about what I can now imagine it must have felt like as an essentially orphaned kid of the 80s growing up in the aftermath of Vietnam. I don't think every line landed, but enough of them landed well to make this a worthwhile read.
shrrawat's review against another edition
2.0
In Country was a great coming-of-age novel, with all the character and plot development one could ask for. In short, the book was amazing, and I quite liked it. The only reason I rated it so low is because of some rather strange and incomprehensible parts that I felt broke away from the main plot. While I could tolerate this, the frequency of these sections eroded at my enjoyment of this book, until it became the rating you see now.
clt677's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. To say this book left me wanting more is an understatement. I kept reading and reading waiting for something, anything. And it never came. At least it was an easy read, and fairly short.
lauraportalupi's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Death
kellyjcm's review against another edition
3.0
The first book I read that focused on the Vietnam war, as opposed to WWII. I sympathized with the main character, and overall thought it was a good story.
givnuapeacesign's review against another edition
3.0
Dated. I would have liked to have read this book when it was published, as i was Sam's age exactly at that time. The references to early MTV, Bruce Springsteen, VW bugs, etc. brought back a lot of memories, but I don't think they would transfer to teens today.
Sam's dad died in the Vietnam War before she was born. He and her mom had only been married a short while before he deployed. His brother Emmett signed up and deployed to Vietnam after his brother was killed. Sam's mother took care of Emmett after his return, even as he brought in hippy war protesters and did things such as hang the VietCong flag from the church tower. Eventually she moved to Lexington, but didn't force teenage Sam to accompany her. So Sam and Emmett take care of one another.
Sam is frustrated because the veterans won't talk about their experiences; she so wants to know more about her father. She is concerned Emmett has Agent Orange poisoning, but the VA isn't really helping. He teenage romance is flat, and she finds herself attracted to one of Emmett's buddies.
As the story progresses, Sam reunites with her father's parents and gets his diary. In it she finds a much different man than his love letters to her mother showed. She goes through the stages of grief, and eventually the author brings us full circle to the prologue...when the family visits the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial.
Sam's dad died in the Vietnam War before she was born. He and her mom had only been married a short while before he deployed. His brother Emmett signed up and deployed to Vietnam after his brother was killed. Sam's mother took care of Emmett after his return, even as he brought in hippy war protesters and did things such as hang the VietCong flag from the church tower. Eventually she moved to Lexington, but didn't force teenage Sam to accompany her. So Sam and Emmett take care of one another.
Sam is frustrated because the veterans won't talk about their experiences; she so wants to know more about her father. She is concerned Emmett has Agent Orange poisoning, but the VA isn't really helping. He teenage romance is flat, and she finds herself attracted to one of Emmett's buddies.
As the story progresses, Sam reunites with her father's parents and gets his diary. In it she finds a much different man than his love letters to her mother showed. She goes through the stages of grief, and eventually the author brings us full circle to the prologue...when the family visits the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial.