Book Review: Front Lines

Front Lines by Michael Grant

Released: January 26th 2016
Read: December/January 2015/16
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Format: Paperback ARC, 576 pages


Description from Goodreads:
Perfect for fans of The Book Thief and Code Name Verity, New York Times bestselling author Michael Grant unleashes an epic, genre-bending, and transformative new series that reimagines World War II with girl soldiers fighting on the front lines.
World War II, 1942. A court decision makes women subject to the draft and eligible for service. The unproven American army is going up against the greatest fighting force ever assembled, the armed forces of Nazi Germany.
Three girls sign up to fight. Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr, and Rainy Schulterman are average girls, girls with dreams and aspirations, at the start of their lives, at the start of their loves. Each has her own reasons for volunteering: Rio fights to honor her sister; Frangie needs money for her family; Rainy wants to kill Germans. For the first time they leave behind their homes and families—to go to war.
These three daring young women will play their parts in the war to defeat evil and save the human race. As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, they will discover the roles that define them on the front lines. They will fight the greatest war the world has ever known.

Review:
This book is quite simply amazing. Grant’s writing style is wonderful- it’s easy to follow, it’s vivid and it shines even through the sad parts. The storyline itself is also terrific. Being a historical fan as well as a fiction fan, it is the perfect blend. This alternate re-telling of the Second World War is brimming with strong female characters that are fiercely independent. They come from different places, and have different backgrounds, but they are all united in the Allied cause. They really keep you rooting for the whole way through. The way Grant weaves all their stories together keeps you on your toes, and keeps the plot moving forwards. While reading, I never really felt as if there was a “slow part” or a part devoted to set and character development. I loved how every woman wins their fight to be apart of the war. The sexism and misogyny is depicted quite well, unflinching and honest. There was (quite frankly) never a dull moment. I would recommend it to people who love stories from the 1940’s, and who like the espionage, and underdog stories. 

Favorite Quotes:
"She's fighting for her country." (This is actually the tagline, but I love how epic it sounds!)

Rating: 8/10 Stars

Recommended for people who enjoy: adventure, strong female characters, military stories, WW2, hints of romance

Happy Reading,
Mari