Front Lines

 By Michael Grant

Young Adult

Fiction/Alternative History

Volume 1 of the Front Lines Series

Reviewed by Jess, Winkler Branch Administrator

    The world erupts in chaos, and men go to war. It’s a tale as old as time and one that has been repeated countless times throughout history. It’s 1942 and it appears as though history is repeating itself once again. America is in the throes of World War II, the men go to fight and the women stay home. Then the unlikely happens, a court decision makes women eligible for the draft. Suddenly thousands of women are now fighting alongside men in the trenches, on the seas and in the air. This is World War II the way you have never seen it before. Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr and Rainy Schulterman are average girls, volunteering to do something way beyond average. Each has their own reasons for volunteering and each will face challenges. As their stories intertwine and the war goes on, they face hardships, find love and fight in a war that is unlike anything the world has seen before.  

     This book is the first in the Front Lines trilogy by Michael Grant. The story of Rio, Frangie and Rainy begins in Front Lines and continues in volume two, Silver Stars and volume three, Purple Hearts. I found it to be a fascinating read, and thoroughly enjoyed the entire series. It is interesting to see how history might have changed if women had been included in the draft. While women are permitted to fight, the author has continued to stay true to the attitudes of the day. Many of the men are opposed to women being involved in the war at all, never mind fighting on the battlefield. The author does not shy away from the brutalities of war and the attitudes of the era. The racism and sexism are still as prevalent in the book as they were at the time. The war is still brutal and unforgiving, and no allowances are made for the characters just because they are women. It is dark and gritty, a no holds barred look at one of the world’s worst conflicts with just a slight twist. This series is a captivating read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys history and wonders if one decision can really change the world. 

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