Youngblood

January 18, 2016
Written by an Iraq War veteran, this visceral novel is narrated by Jack Porter, a young army lieutenant tasked to counterinsurgency at the town of Ashuriyah 10 years after the invasion of Iraq. He is informed that he will be getting a new sergeant for his platoon, Daniel Chambers, a veteran non-com. It is quickly clear that Chambers has a different way of doing things. Porter is all about the mission and going by the book, while Chambers is all about personal survivalâadjusting the Rules of Engagement when necessary and not above planting a drop weapon when an Iraqi civilian is killed. A sort of war begins between the two men for control of the platoon. At the same time, a curious Porter begins delving into the background of Chambers's cohort, Sgt. Edgar Rios, killed in combat under mysterious circumstances. This leads him to the woman Rios loved, a sheik's daughter named Rana who he discovers is an abused woman with two young children. Porter vows to help her, even if it means defying the army brass and going so far as to perform a criminal act. Based on his own combat experience, Gallagher (Kaboom) writes knowingly about the futility of keeping the peace in Iraq, where it seems almost impossible to identify friend from foe. He imbues the struggle between Porter and Chambers with a moral heft while never reducing these two powerful characters to mere symbols of a military mission gone terribly wrong.

As narrator of Gallagher's novel, Kirby Heyborne is faced with the demanding task of voicing an authoritative military leader while also suggesting an introspective tone. Heyborne's performance facilitates this complexity expertly. The story is set in the complicated waning days of the Iraq War, but the events are hardly tired or linear; moments of quiet interaction are broken by bursts of violent combat. Jack Porter is a lieutenant whose leadership is being challenged by Daniel Chambers, a fellow soldier who demonstrates an almost theatrically militant tone. As Porter's men begin to gravitate towards Chambers, Porter must struggle to maintain command. Heyborne's performance deftly navigates the cast of characters and their interactions. S.C. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine