From Publishers Weekly
Michael Jennings, 18, has been inducted into the Army and sent to Vietnam. Although he doesn't understand this war, he believes that fighting beats fleeing to Canada. Assigned to Echo Company, situated near the DMZ, Michael adjusts to the personalities within his platoon--Snoopy, Finnegan and J.D. among them. But the oppressive heat and fetid smells, the torrential rains and unrelenting mosquitoes and the gaunt, despondent faces of the Vietnamese women and children all contribute to a pervasive homesickness. Michael can only hope that he'll return to Colorado alive. The first of a series, Emerson's novel vividly depicts frontline action. His graphic narrative is well written, and although his dialogue is often profane, it fits the setting. Basically an introspective loner, Michael is forced to change and grow, especially after witnessing the killing of a fellow soldier. The story is frequently horrifying; that it is based in fact makes it more so. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 8-11-- In the first entry in the series, Michael Jennings, 19, is sent to Vietnam. He is not prepared for war, wants no part of it, and doesn't understand what he is fighting for. This is not a glorified version of the conflict but rather the story of a young man from Colorado who does not go to college and thus is thrust into the war as an unwilling participant. All of the horrors and uncertainties of the conflict are brought to focus through him. This would be a good suggested reading for those students who like stories with a lot of action. They will see how personal war and death can be and how it affected those persons who served in the Vietnam Conflict. In the second book, readers are reaquainted with Michael and the rest of the guys in Echo Company. However, while the first title had a focus, this one seems to have little direction other than emphasizing the fact that war is hell and that heroes are ordinary people who must do what has to be done without thought for personal safety. In both books, language is rough and realistic as are the place and time. --Kenneth E. Kowen, Atascocita Middle School Library, Humble, TX
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
