Eric G., South River High School
Raised on the thrilling stories of his great-grandpa Jacob and obsessed with both World War II and first-person–shooter video games, twelve-year-old Trevor Firestone is ecstatic when his great-grandpa receives an invitation from the village council of Sainte-Regine in France to a commemoration ceremony of the Battle of Sainte-Regine and the liberation of the town. As Trevor, his father Daniel, and Jacob go through their trip, it becomes increasingly clear that the stories told by Jacob do not quite match up with the reality of the liberation of Sainte Regine and that Jacob must tell the truth about the events that occurred.
I felt that War Stories was a well-written, thoughtful novel with themes of war and forgiveness being well developed throughout. As a character, Trevor serves as a realistic representation of the audience and a symbol of the glorified version of war presented in popular media. The dual narrative between the naïve twelve-year-old Trevor and the 17-year-old Jacob serves to highlight the cruel realities of war. I also felt that Rene LaFleur's descendants serve as an acceptable tool to convey the messages of forgiveness and redemption in the story.
Overall, I would recommend this novel to younger readers who are interested in history or this period in time.
Click here to check out War Stories by Gordon Korman.