LitPick Review
Age at time of review - 15
Reviewer's Location -
Chambersburg,
PA,
United States
View AShap's profile
Twelve year old Jamie has lived her whole life being
told that the Army is the best way. Yet when her brother
T.J. enlists in the Medical Corps, her father acts as if
he does not want him to join. He constantly tries to get
him to change his mind, but to no avail. T.J. is soon
shipped out to Vietnam. While working at her summer job at
the local rec center, Jamie hears many stories about the
horrors of war, but nothing can influence her enough to
change her opinion of it. Until one day, T.J. sends her a
roll of film from the battlefield. As she develops it in
the dark room she starts to see that the Army is not all
she thought it was. When a devastating tragedy strikes her
family, Jamie's eyes are opened to the terrible truth.
Opinion:
I thought that Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark
Dowell was very well-written. As war is a rather sensitive
subject these days, she did an excellent job making the
mood of the book neither pro-war nor anti-war. She just
told the truth. I also thought it was a smart choice for
her to put the story in first person. It made the book
easier to relate to, and you could understand better what
the main character's feelings were. I would recommend this
book to everyone in upper elementary and older. There are
a couple spots of brief, mild profanity. However, it is a
very valuable read.
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Read more reviews by this Litpick Book Reviewer: AShap