Thursday, March 29, 2012

Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes


At the age of fifteen, Dieter's blind devotion gets him promoted from Hitler Youth into the German army. Dieter's determined to prove his allegiance and bravery all costs.
Spence, just sixteen, drops out of his Utah high school to begin training as a paratrooper. He's seen how boys who weren't much in high school can come home heroes, and Spence wants to prove to his friends and family that he really can be something.
Their worst fear was that the war would end too soon -- that they wouldn't get the chance to prove themselves. But when they finally see the action they were hoping for, it's like nothing they could have ever imagined.


There are a lot of Young Adult books out there that appeal to adults but I don't think this is one of them. This one really is for younger kids. maybe preteen/early teenagers. It had a lot of information in it but not a whole lot of depth.

I liked how the story was told from the two point of views. It was really interesting to read from both the American side and the German one. I think the book gave a pretty realistic look at what it would have been like for a young man during WWII, from both sides.

The story is well written and interesting but the ending felt very abrupt. We spend 200 pages reading about the goings on in these boys lives and then it only took 30 pages to wrap it all up. Plus, it is very sad.

Soldier Boys is a quick and easy read and I am glad that I read it even if it wasn't all that great.

3 out of 5 stars

BUY IT HERE:Soldier Boys

1 comment:

  1. I miss your updates on books. But you are crazy busy! I just thought id let you know.

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