Burning Nation

Starred review from December 22, 2014
The second installment of Reedy's Divided We Fall trilogy, about an Idaho National Guardsman caught between loyalties when the state and federal government end up in armed conflict, opens with a bang, as Idaho resists efforts at forceful suppression. Private Danny Wright, the accidental figurehead of the Idaho rebellion, becomes an insurgent in his hometown, fighting the Feds alongside his closest friends. Matters escalate, turning into open revolution and the beginning of a new American Civil War, and leading to a chilling portrayal of a disintegrating nation where neither side is entirely right or wrong. While Danny's moral conflict is easier now that he's committed to the fight, the increasingly personal stakes keep him from growing complacent. As in Divided We Fall, Reedy spins an action-packed cautionary tale, allowing both state and federal viewpoints their strengths and weaknesses, stopping just short of condemning both sides while acknowledging the validity of their arguments. It's a complex story rooted in current events, all the more worrisome for its plausibility. Ages 14âup. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

October 15, 2014
In the second installment of the Divided We Fall trilogy, PFC Daniel Wright continues fighting for the Republic of Idaho against the federal government in what is becoming a second civil war. Danny Wright blames himself for firing the shot that led to this war, a shot at a protest in Boise that caused fellow National Guardsmen to open fire, killing several protestors. A standoff with the Feds has ensued, and with the Idaho governor's refusal to enforce federal laws, Idaho has been invaded by federal forces. War makes its inexorable descent into darkness, chaos and brutality, until Danny wonders what kind of person he has become. Innocent people are killed, prisoners are tortured, the death toll mounts, and soon it's difficult to say what has been won, though it's easy to see what's been lost. The media don't inform, they only obfuscate. Long, italicized excerpts from various news sources inserted between chapters effectively demonstrate how the media can muddle and provoke rather than offer necessary, thoughtful analysis. And by the end, Danny realizes, "We gotta save something of ourselves, of our humanity, if we're ever going to leave the war behind." An action-packed thriller that may well lead readers to further explore the complicated constitutional and political issues it raises. (Thriller. 14 & up)

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December 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-In this gritty sequel to Divided We Fall(2014), Private Daniel Wright finds himself at the forefront of Idaho's fight for independence from the United States. Following the state's refusal to enforce the Federal Identification Card Act, military occupation ensues, and Wright and his fellow soldiers, overwhelmed and outnumbered, find themselves on the losing side of America's Second Civil War. Surrounded by death and escalating brutality, Danny, conflicted over his sense of duty and his desire to start a peaceful life with his girlfriend JoBell, watches the Idaho he loves descend into savagery. A symbol for the rebellion and the target of federal forces, Danny struggles to maintain his humanity while his enemies will stop at nothing to destroy him and the rebellion. Adrenaline-fueled and gut-wrenching, Reedy's depiction of an America on the brink of governmental collapse feels all-too-plausible in today's complex political climate. Here, readers are given an intense first-person look at the atrocities of war as seen and experienced by Danny, whose growing inner turmoil is understandable in light of the brutality he faces, and it's this gradual change in character that makes Danny more believable. Further pushing the boundaries of realism is Reedy's use of italicized news reports and social media posts in particular that puts the audience in the middle of the action, much like what can be experienced in online coverage today. Frighteningly authentic, Daniel Wright's plight will have readers clamoring for the final installment in this action-packed and thought-provoking trilogy.-Audrey Sumser, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Mayfield, OH

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