The Always War

October 10, 2011
When 15-year-old Tessa attends a ceremony to honor her neighbor Gideon, a hero in a 70-year war that has worn down the society she lives in, she has no idea where his refusal of the award will lead them. Hope is a rare commodity in this future America, but Tessa finds just enough of it to follow Gideon onto a warplane he purchases on the black market. Along with another stowaway, they land in enemy territory, where Gideon hopes to make reparations for the lives he’s taken; they discover, however, that everything they know about the war is an illusion. It’s a smart premise, considering that the book’s U.S. audience has basically grown up in a nation at war, yet Haddix’s (Claim to Fame) story is more about uncovering the unreality of war than its truths. The novel has more than a few hints of The Wizard of Oz (one can almost feel the book switch from b&w to Technicolor), but its final revelations and the idea of this trio as its society’s salvation don’t feel believable, drawing focus away from the author’s message. Ages 12–up.

December 1, 2011

Gr 6-8-In a future society in which the U.S. is divided by a perpetual civil war, 15-year-old Tessa struggles to remain optimistic. When Gideon Thrall, a childhood neighbor, is recognized as a war hero, she feels a surge of hope and thinks that perhaps she's found something to believe in. Her hopefulness is short-lived though, as she discovers that Gideon's only accomplishment was killing thousands as he navigated a drone while sitting at a desk. He and Tessa form an unlikely team, and after flying a black-market airplane into enemy territory, they begin to discover the truth behind the always war. The short chapters with cliff-hanger endings and the action-packed plot make this book an excellent choice for reluctant readers. Some backstory is eventually provided, though it is developed over the course of many chapters. This novel has "sequel inevitable" written all over it. And for many readers, that's a good thing, right?-Lindsay Cesari, Baldwinsville School District, NY

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.