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e_flah 's review for:
Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two
by Joseph Bruchac
Actual rating is a 3.5.
I really enjoyed how Bruchac balanced history and Ned's story. One of my biggest complaints with historical fiction in general is if the book reads more like a textbook than a work of fiction. I felt like I always understood how events were unfolding in Code Talkers , which as someone who did not know too much about the Pacific theater of WWII, I really appreciated. Ned's story follows the Navajo code talkers, who I liked learning more about. Ned's Navajo traditions and culture are present throughout the book. Bruchac does a good job of explaining unfamiliar customs and presenting them in a respectful way.
The main reason I didn't give this book a higher rating was because at the end, I still felt unattached to many of the characters. Bruchac's untraditional narrative style made it hard for me to connect to the characters. At the end of the novel, I felt like I didn't know much more about Ned than I had at the beginning.
Overall, I enjoyed this book much more as an educational experience than an entertaining one. It provides a good introduction to the Pacific theater of WWII and focuses on unsung heroes of the war, but the people in the story felt more like subjects of a textbook than engaging characters.
I really enjoyed how Bruchac balanced history and Ned's story. One of my biggest complaints with historical fiction in general is if the book reads more like a textbook than a work of fiction. I felt like I always understood how events were unfolding in Code Talkers , which as someone who did not know too much about the Pacific theater of WWII, I really appreciated. Ned's story follows the Navajo code talkers, who I liked learning more about. Ned's Navajo traditions and culture are present throughout the book. Bruchac does a good job of explaining unfamiliar customs and presenting them in a respectful way.
The main reason I didn't give this book a higher rating was because at the end, I still felt unattached to many of the characters. Bruchac's untraditional narrative style made it hard for me to connect to the characters. At the end of the novel, I felt like I didn't know much more about Ned than I had at the beginning.
Overall, I enjoyed this book much more as an educational experience than an entertaining one. It provides a good introduction to the Pacific theater of WWII and focuses on unsung heroes of the war, but the people in the story felt more like subjects of a textbook than engaging characters.