[blocktext align=”center”]We are the first generation of female soldiers in the American army. Lucky us.[/blocktext]

I’m calling it – the YA trend of the 2016 is undoubtedly Alternate Histories, and FRONT LINES is an excellent start.

grant-front-linesIn an America where women are both able to enlist and be drafted during World War II, we learn the story of three women from very different worlds are brought together by the war, and their lives change as they leave home for the first time and enter terrifying and uncertain situations during the war.

Rio is a small-town girl encouraged to enlist (though underage) with her best friend, Jenou, after her sister is killed at sea by German submarines. She’s naïve about life outside their town, but turns out to be both a sharpshooter and a quick thinker in the field.

Rainy is an Orthodox Jew who gets drafted to the army intelligence school. Despite her superiors’ attempts to hold her back, Rainy is far too adept at the job to go unnoticed and gains respect and higher station quickly.

Frangie is an African-American girl from Oklahoma who joins up to help her family since her father can’t work. She wants to be a doctor after the war, so she trains as an Army medic for the colored battalion. Unfortunately yet unsurprisingly, as disgruntled as recruits are about women joining the military, it comes twofold towards black female soldiers.

[blocktext align=”center”](During a transfusion) “At least it’ll be white blood.”
“Pretty sure it’ll be red,” Frangie says.[/blocktext]

The first half is dedicated to the three girls’ backstories and getting through training, while the second puts them in North Africa fighting the Germans. Michael Grant never holds back with the raw reality of war, so it’s not for the faint of heart – the gore is present and unsettling. Even more importantly, he actively addresses the relentless sexism and racism that would have (and did) occur in the era.

Grant clearly has a favorite girl of the three, whom he focuses on for the majority of the book; at least half the plot revolves around her perspective. Rio is the only one to experience front-line combat, and as the sharpshooter during boot camp, she learns sooner than most what must be done to stay alive on a battlefield. Unfortunately, I found Rio to be the least interesting of our three protagonists – I vastly preferred Rainy using her skills in language and people‑reading to fight the Nazis that oppress her people, and Frangie as she learns medicine while battling racism of soldiers she tries to save.

[blocktext align=”center”]“Now I know why they never let women fight wars. Too mean.”[/blocktext]

Older teen girls looking for something fresh and creative will certainly enjoy this book, but I also recommend it to teen boys – its no-holds-barred carnage and non-stop action are distinctly guy-friendly. Adults will also love this visceral and significant novel.

FRONT LINES has a powerful perspective and brutal delivery that leave the reader unsettled yet captivated. This was my first “war book,” and while I tend to have a difficult time with overt violence, the writing style brought the story to life in a fascinating but not overwhelming manner. I’m excited to continue this trilogy, especially in hopes that Frangie and Rainy will get more page time. I cannot wait to see what happens next with these girls on their journey.

Front Lines will be available January 26, 2016 at your local independent bookstore, through IndieBound, and at other book retailers.

4 out of 5 stars

Amber Neva Brown is assistant manager at Main Point Books and a recent Masters graduate in Publishing at Rosemont College. She grew up in North Carolina, and her ultimate fandoms are Harry Potter and Doctor Who. She could recommend a book to probably anyone.  Find her at Letters from a [Future] Editor and on Twitter at @ambernevabrown.