Review by Booklist Review
Danny Manion is a fighter. Whether he's beating up his brothers or challenging the system, Danny is always a hair's breadth from being in real trouble. When he pulls a stunt that lands him in front of a judge, he's given the choice of jail or a tour of duty in Vietnam. On the recommendation of his personal counselor, Danny opts for the army, where he becomes an integral part of a select team of misfit soldiers that engages in secret, off-the-radar operations. Under the circumstances, he flourishes, finds new purpose toward life, and learns from his previous mistakes. Now the trick is to stay alive so he can return home. Compact, well-researched, and high on action and emotion, this story traces Danny's growth from wild boy to mature young man. Tender moments temper the violence of war, and letters filled with concern from Danny's father bring love into the jungles of conflict. Readers curious about warfare, but not its cumbersome details, will gravitate toward this first title in a new series about the Special Forces.--Jeanne Fredriksen Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
After stealing a motorcycle, pugnacious high-schooler Daniel is given the option of enlisting in the army as a Special Forces agent fighting a secret mission in Laos during the Vietnam War. Lynch squeezes too many conveniences (e.g., Daniel's supportive high-school wrestling coach is his commanding officer) into this otherwise moving story about family dynamics, war heroics, and maturation under fire. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young man serves in a secret unit during the Vietnam War.Danny Manion is an impulsive hothead, one who brawls with his brothers even though he knows it disappoints his polio survivor father. After he steals a motorcycle, his wrestling coach and idol, Mr. Macias, arranges with the judge for Danny to join the Army, with Mr. Macias as his colonel. But instead of serving in a noncombat position in Thailand like he tells his father, Danny is actually part of a special ops unit illegally fighting in Laos. Through injuries and missions gone wrong, Danny grows and learns from his colonel and his fellow soldierseven though they all come across like teen sociopaths, with statements like "Truth is, there are no rules here. It's glorious," and "We're here to kill everything." Danny exhibits more concern about a fellow soldier shooting an elephant than about killing people, and the Meo characters who help their unit aren't even called by their proper names. With the violent nature of war as depicted, the overall slimness of the novel, and without any historical notes to provide context, Danny's story feels underdeveloped and overly simplistic even for younger teens. Danny and his family are white; his close friend and fellow soldier is named Lopez.Too short to allow for any real character development or complex moral thought; don't recruit this one for your library. (Historical fiction. 12-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
