Silver Stars

Starred review from November 1, 2016
War is hell.After their bloody baptism under fire in North Africa (Front Lines, 2016), the three "soldier-girl" protagonists of a slightly altered World War II move on to serve in the invasion of Italy. Rio Richlin, once a naive white California farm girl, continues her transformation into a seasoned soldier--and killer. Frangie Marr, the gentle African-American medic, finds both her body and her faith strained to the breaking point by the violence that engulfs her. And Rainy Schulterman, the ruthless Jewish intelligence operative, is commandeered into a half-baked mission that strands her in her worst nightmare. The underlying theme of this volume is heroism, and there is gallantry aplenty on display, but the courage of each young woman labors in the midst of minutely depicted horror: tedium and filth, brutality and slaughter, sudden death and prolonged torture. Even worse are the vile (and authentically portrayed) sexism, racism, and anti-Semitism from their comrades and the callous indifference of the top brass to the pointless waste of life. Yet there are also the sweet grace of friendship, loyalty, and humor in the ranks, the muddled complications of romance and sex (these are teenagers, after all), and the mutual respect and care between the common troops and the noncommissioned officers who fight beside them. Exhaustive research, immersive storytelling, and emotional depth make for a superlative tale. (glossary, bibliography) (Alternate history. 14 & up)

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April 1, 2017

Gr 8 Up-In this second installment of the series, readers continue to follow Rainy, Frangie, and Rio during World War II as they travel from North Africa to Italy. Rainy is given a mission that involves her father. Frangie and Rio grow as characters as they are tested. This series puts a twist on historical fiction by exploring war through female soldiers on the frontlines. The story is told by different narrators, giving teens a multifaceted experience of war. There is no masking the horror and inhumanity and little room for sentimentality. Sexism and racism are blatant, and the offenders are unapologetic. If readers are easily offended by violence, this is not the book for them. Fans of the first volume, though, will want to see what happens to these strong young women. Give this work to those who enjoyed Ruta Sepetys's Salt to the Sea and other World War II historical fiction. VERDICT Recommended for YA collections in need of alternative history speculative fiction titles.-Maureen Sullivan, Calumet City Public Library, IL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 1, 2016
Grades 10-1 *Starred Review* The first volume of Grant's alternate history of WWII followed his girl soldiers as they endured boot camp, bonded with their platoons, and faced down both German artillery and discrimination, finding remarkable reserves of strength in the process. In this follow-up, the tone is much wearier, as Frangie, Rio, and Rainey face dispiriting drudgery and become inured to the grim realities of war. Rio, who's become startlingly good at killing, and Frangie separately make their way into Italy by way of Sicily, while Rainey arrives on a dangerously amateurish espionage mission. Grant's harrowing accounts of the battles there, especially at Monte Cassino, are both infuriating and heartbreaking, and his stark economy of language lays bare the pervasiveness of indiscriminate death. Rio in particular seems alteredshe worries about how war is hardening her and whether she can still have the sweet future of marriage and family she envisioned, while simultaneously seeming to relish the ease with which she's taken to soldiering, not to mention the power. Though he uses slightly gentler language than what was probably used in reality, Grant doesn't shy away from the true-to-history prejudice the women face, particularly Frangie and her family. Shreds of home-front news, meanwhile, add historical context. This series continues to be a fascinating, stunningly written examination of both war and women's role in it, and this installment only adds to its already considerable depth.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)