Battle Dress

January 3, 2000
In this insider account of a female cadet's first summer at West Point, readers are given a potent dose of military life. Andi Davis is eager to escape her unstable family when she enrolls at "Woo Poo U," but she is not prepared to be humiliated and bombarded with confusing commands during the first few days of "Beast," the six weeks of basic training. As she is alternately whipped into shape (Will she ever master regulation push-ups?) and methodically stripped of her civilian habits (not to mention her $65 perm and her unauthorized deck shoes), she is plagued by self-doubt; the taunts of the upperclassmen echo the verbal abuse dished out by her mother. And as one of only two females in the platoon, Andi is determined not to be the "weak link." First-novelist Efaw, a graduate of West Point, does not question the grueling training tactics, much less the philosophies girding a military academy. She focuses squarely on Andi's personal struggle to conform to rigid, exacting standards. The dialogue is strong--the upperclassmen's insults, the new cadets' awkward responses and private conversations create a thick, believable atmosphere. Even readers who disagree with Andi's values will be pulling for her. Ages 12-up.