Massey, David. Torn.

Massey, David.  Torn.   Scholastic/Chicken House  2013  274p  ISBN 978-0-545-49645-2  hs    Hardback  VG-BN   Realistic fiction

When Elinor, a 19-year old British medic, arrives at a British-run outpost in Afghanistan, she is sure she can be a factor in winning the hearts and minds of locals.  But her expectations run into the harsh facts of reality.  Sent on an easy mission, she watches as chaos ensues.  As young children are shooting at her group, she sees a young Afghani girl in a blue dress and tries to save her from becoming a victim of the shooting.  Is the girl a mirage that offers a hint of death, or is she a real person?  After the capture of one of the young child fighters, Elinor realizes that war is indeed messy.  What motivates the actions of the American army, local security forces, and coalition commanders becomes complicated when American Special Forces with their own agenda arrive to lead a mission requiring British support.  Constant heart-pounding action mixed with genuine compassion will keep all readers gripped until the end.  This book does not shy away from the brutality of war and its effects on individuals.  Even a modest love interest surfaces in the last few chapters, but is not a primary factor in the plot, regardless of what the teaser on the front cover suggests.  This book offers a unique female perspective of front-line war action and a perfect book-club selection for high-school students.  Many issues can be hotly discussed and debated.  This is a fantastic debut novel by a gifted writer, strongly recommended for high-school readers who wonder what females endure on the front lines of battle.  

Summary: Told from the viewpoint of a young British female medic on the front lines, this book on the Afghan War shows the complexity of the war and its effects on local citizens, especially children. The motives and actions of all armed forces involved are suspect. Gr. 8-12.    

Afghan War-Fiction, War-time medics-Fiction                       --Lois McNicol

Patterson, Valerie. Operation Oleander.

Patterson, Valerie.  Operation Oleander.  Houghton Mifflin/Clarion      2013  187p  ISBN 978-0-547-24437-2  ms/hs  Hardback  E-BN  Realistic fiction

This is a heart-wrenching novel that explores altruistic motives that have unexpected outcomes, grief, friendship, and the difficulties of those who wait on the home front when their relatives are on active duty in war zones.  The motif of flowers, both day lilies planted stateside and the oleander that is at once beautiful but poisonous, provides a visual as well as metaphorical look at the life of an army family.  Jess starts Operation Oleander to help orphans of the Afghanistan War.  She and her best friend have parents serving in Kabul, and they thought this would be a beneficial effort that would bring them together even though they are apart.  When a bomb detonates outside the orphanage, Jess’s father is seriously injured.  Merriweather’s mother dies.  The emotions on the home front include guilt and anger, directed at not just each other, but also at antiwar protesters who attend the funeral of Merriweather’s mother.  Readers will get an inside look at life on an army base, the fiercely protective community that stands by its comrades, and the emotional roller coaster traveled by these families.  The writing style flows along with wonderfully descriptive elements about nature, faith, and family.  This is a first choice for letting civilian readers into the mindset of military families.  It is strongly recommended for libraries that serve military families or for those students wondering what life is like for children and relatives of active-duty military personnel serving in war zones.

Summary: Jess and her friends have started a charity to help orphans in Kabul. When two of their parents are injured/killed due to a bomb planted at the orphanage, Jess has to deal with backlash against their project, concern for her dad, and her best friend’s loss. Gr 7-12.

     

Afghanistan War-Fiction, Military families-Fiction                --Lois McNicol