Customer Reviews

Every Shape, Every Shadow: A Novel of Guadalcanal

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of the best war novels of the year. Want to know what if felt like to be on Guadalcanal? Read this book. That's the key: this is an emotionally accurate war novel, not just an historically accurate one. Really takes you back in time 60 years and puts you in the middle of Guadalcanal. Would love to see more from this author.

A great historical novel captures a time, a place, and the unique individuals living - and sometimes dying - in that moment and place. Conlee has written a top rank historical novel that takes the reader into the heart of the pivotal World War II battle for Guadalcanal Island. This is not mere military genre fiction. Kenny Nielsen, the protagonist, a small town kid from Illinois, who comes of age in the most challenging of circumstances transforms this novel into fine literature. Conlee articulates the innocence, the character, and the courage of the generation we now call the GREATEST generation through Kenny - a kid who overcomes self-doubt and fear by simply performing his duties with commitment and responsibility. He is heroic without even realizing his heroism. Conlee populates his fast moving novel with a litany of historic characters and uses the actual events effectively in sub-plotting. An excellent debut novel that heralds the arrival of a powerful new voice in historical fiction. I look forward to Conlee's next novel and hope I won't have to wait too long.

Conlee's "Every Shape, Every Shadow" is a true WWII page turner, a darn-good read. I really felt as if I were in the jungles of Guadalcanal growing in experience and self-confidence. This novel belongs on everyone's bookshelf.

Paul R. De Lancey

Author of "We're French and You're Not"

Every Shape, Every Shadow brings a compelling part of WW II history to life. The reader feels what it was like in such a inhospitable place. The historical context is honest and accurate yet the story still reads well. Even though the history is well known, the reader is drawn to the developing drama through the author's fine story-telling skill.

This book gives the reader an insight into the terrible struggle our military endured to save Guadalcanal and ultimately the South Pacific during World War II. The author's research backs up an impelling story. The book should be included on every shelf in every bookstore and library devoted to World War II.

The battle for Guadacanal has been well documented, but never so well as in this novel. The details about this critical battle in the Pacific in World War II portray the events from the U.S. as well as the Japanese point of view. Once started, it is hard to put down.

This is a very exciting novel by Roger L. Conlee. It depicts clearly the raw emotions of being a soldier in the jungles of Guadalcanel in the early stages of World War II. The high emotions of the American and Japanese Soldiers fighting their personal fears while supporting the cause of their Government, was clearly and fairly stated. Great care was given by the author to the gallant fighting men of both sides and the great sorrow of the loss of lives. The novel gave the reader a look into the personal lives of all the soldiers of both sides and to the fear of killing and being killed. The fear of the jungle and the shape and shadows it contains. The shock of the first kill and shock of seeing a comrade killed, had me crying in spots and yelling at the results in others. A must read for World War II readers and a book I will purchase for gifts, a novel as exciting as Dan Brown and Michel Crighter's novels. I am waiting for the next Roger Conlee Novel. I Loved It!! Thanks for asking.

In his debut novel, Roger Conlee does a masterful job of writing a meaningful story of infantry combat, set against the backdrop of the Guadalcanal invasion of World War II. Conlee develops his primary characters, from Able Company, Fifth Marines, as they carry out and live through (some of them, anyway) the Guadalcanal campaign. Interspersed with the storyline relating to his characters, Conlee inserts the main leadership figures of the action, including General Vandergrift and Japanese general Kamaguchi. The effect is to provide a very real, very readable story about all aspects fo the battle. Highly recommended for any World War II buff.

This is a book the reader will have difficulty setting aside for the night. It truly reads like non-fiction. I had two uncles who were involved in winning the battles of Guadalcanal so you might understand my particular interest. At first I decided that it should be rated secong only to "The Naked and the Dead" by Norman Mailer. Now I feel that order should be reversed. "Every Shape, Every Shadow" is second to none! No wasted words. Vivid word pictures.

Author Roger Conlee is an avid historian, an excellent researcher and a gifted writer and he combines all his talents into producing a WWII classic story called "Every Shape, Every Shadow - A Novel of Guadalcanal". There are few war novels that rise to this level of expertise. He writes as if he were there among the men who lived and fought there. Not only that but he gives the reader views of the battle from both sides allowing us to learn something about the Japanese commanders as well. We even get to listen to Tokyo Rose broadcasting her propaganda to the troops about ready to do battle.

Conlee captures the feelings and sense of the battle that those who were there might have felt. He shares both some real and fictional letters home that give a more personal insight to those men and adds another layer of emotions to his story. The book feels like non-fiction and reads like a thrill action adventure tale of war. His use of dialogs helps us to get a better sense of who each character in the story is; and it carries the plot along effortlessly. His descriptions of the battle and inner sense of what happened there makes for riveting good reading. This is a page turner; you will not want to put it down until you have finished the book even if it well past your bed time.

There have been some really great books written about the heroics of WWII and now you can now add this one to that list. It is that good! It receives the MWSA's highest book rating of FIVE STARS!