LitPick Review
Carl Melcher, an eighteen-year-old boy from Philadelphia, is drafted into the Vietnam War. His first six months are spent fighting, running, advancing, and touring through different stations. As he meets and fights alongside people, he acquires several friends. However, as the battle continues, they begin to fall. One by one, and sometimes two at a time, his friends fail in battle, and soon it is Carl and three of his friends that are left of their previous group.
Opinion:
The author, Paul Clayton, shows a clear understanding and knowledge of several war slang words. This knowledge was easily shared with me, and I learned a good number. The actual plot of the story was captivating, and balanced the genres of adventure, suspense, comedy, and even romance very well. There would be a time of absolute peril, and all of a sudden a few sentences that equaled the adventure in comedy. Carl's romance with the Vietnamese girl was interesting, and although it was short was satisfying, in the sense of balancing genres. The wide array of characters kept my memory moving, and in doing so I easily not only learned, but memorized the new phrases mentioned earlier. The stereotypes of soldiers, lieutenants, and captains were present, but were a minority. The majority of the characters' personalities were colorful, and I enjoyed the introduction to each new one every time.
