It’s 1942. The second World War is well under way. Millions of lives have been lost and millions more will be lost. The war-hardened Axis powers are taking on the untested American Army but there’s something different about them. A court decision in the United States has led to the Army drafting men and women. This is a World War in which both genders fight. Rio Richlin, Rainey Schulterman, and Frangie Marr, sign up to fight. All three of them are normal girls with normal lives. They have their hopes and dreams. They are at the cusp of adulthood, starting their lives. Each girl has her own reason for volunteering. Each of them believes that they will never see combat. All three of them have parts to play in the most terrible war the world has ever seen. They will suffer and inflict suffering, they will hate and they will love, they will fear and they will find the courage. They will fight to save the human race and defeat evil.
I am going to do my best to write this review of what is currently my favorite book/series (circa 2020) without it turning into me just incoherently crying and yelling about how amazing it is. It’s going to be very hard because this book and the series is AMAZING. I have literally been recommending this book and the series to every single person who is willing to listen to me.
I picked up Front Lines because I really like Michael Grant’s writing. I remember that his Gone series was one of my favorite series in middle school. Much like Front Lines, I recommended it to all of my friends so that we could all freak about how amazing it was. His BZRK series is amazingly unique and like nothing I have never ever read before. So naturally I made the decision to read Front Lines. I have read it twice. So the first time I read it I really loved it and I was totally on board with all of it. I wanted to keep reading and never stop, although that is pretty cruel to the characters given the hell that WWII was. Not to mention, what a novel (pun intended) idea. Writing about an alternate universe where a court decision forces women to fight the war too. I have never ever read anything like this. The closest would be Code Name Verity, but that is much more focused on a single event while Front Lines deals with war in a more big picture way.
I really liked the way that Michael Grant decided to write this book, especially the omnipresent narrator who breaks the fourth wall and talks to the readers. The thing that I liked the most about the narrator was how she addressed the horror of what the soldiers have gone through. She openly talked about the effects that the war had on the characters. Apart from that I liked that there was an element of mystery to the book because you do not know the identity of the narrator and you can continue to try to figure that out as the story continues to unfold in the book. Which brings me to my next point, the narrator, especially the voice of the narrator is so well written. It is unique from the voices of all the other characters. Thus making it so difficult to figure out who the narrator of the story is. In fact even after reading this book twice, I have no idea who the narrator is. I do have some suspicions but I guess I will have to read on to find out.
Since we are on the topic of characters, man oh man, what great characters. No two characters are the same but somehow in some magical way every single one of the main characters is relatable and lovable. From Rio to Rainy to Frangie, I don’t know if I can pick a favorite. I love how different the main characters are. It is refreshing to see all of these different sides to the story rather than just one character’s perspective, emotions, losses, and triumphs. I prefer this because I can sit back and watch as the consequences of their actions bring them closer together or farther apart. A quick note about the narrator is that while the narrator is omnipresent and willing to break the fourth wall, a majority of the story is told in third-person limited.
Overall, I love this book. I absolutely love it. It is definitely one of my favorite books. The characters are lovable, the action is impeccable, and the story is riveting. I was unable to put this book down and I'm willing to bet that it will cure quite a few book hangovers. If it's not obvious I'm totally giving Front Lines 5 stars. Heck I'd be willing to give it 6 stars if that was possible. With that being said I recommend this book to everyone. Especially if you are looking to venture into the realm of historical fiction, but even if you aren't give it a shot, you may end up liking it!
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