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Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes, reviewed by Mitchell D.

In the novel Soldier Boys, Dean Hughes exceptionally portrays the life of a soldier from both the American and German side during World War II. In order to properly tell this thriller, the author did extensive research on the war. The two main characters in the novel, Dieter and Spencer, are both teenagers who are too young to go to war, but still eager to do so. In the novel, the reader and the two main characters learn the harsh realities of war.

Dieter is a young German who is part of the Hitler Youth program. He looks up to the leader of the local troops, Hans Keller, and all he wishes to do is to prove himself worthy to defend his homeland. Spencer is much like Dieter, for he wants nothing more than to prove he is a man and that he isn’t afraid to fight in a war. His only problem is that because of his age, he needs his father to sign his release to fight. At first the father refuses to do so, but in the end, he allows him to go. Both Dieter and Spencer end up fighting at the same battle, the battle of the Bulge. They also both learn that being in a war is extremely harsh and grueling and that they are way over their heads. To find out what actually happens to these two young soldiers, you must read this very interesting and exciting book.

This novel is very effective in teaching the reader about the different points of view towards World War II. Also, the author does an exceptional job at getting inside the characters' thoughts and feelings. It is so descriptive that one can actually see the setting being told in the book. It is also a story that is heart-felt, and a piece that makes the reader never want to put the book down until he or she has completed it.

One problem with this novel is that it changes its point of view every chapter and some times at each page. It is an interesting writing style, but sometimes the reader loses some of the information from each of the different points of view. Also, it is a very violent story that may be too much for the reader to handle. Finally, the story is very short and the reader may feel that Dean Hughes finished the book without giving important facts as to what happens next.

Overall, this book deserves an eight out of ten. Soldier Boys is a dramatic and thrilling novel that keeps the reader at the edge of his or her seat at all times. It teaches us about how horrible World War II was, and it also leaves the reader with a new respect for the soldiers who fought in the war.