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Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Vietnam War Novel in Haiku Makes Me Feel Every One Of Its 16, 592 Syllables
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
For 17-year-old Ashe Douglas, 1968 is a year of confusion, fear, and anxiety. With war raging in Vietnam, killing hundreds of U.S. soldiers every day, it's difficult to feel hope about the country's future. At home, his parents' constant battles are escalating. Ashe's mother is a peace-loving protester, while his father's fierce patriotism manifests itself in hot-blooded, racist outbursts. They're opposites, still married for the sake of their only child. Not only does Ashe worry about their increasing eruptions at home, but he's terrified of being drafted into a violent conflict of which he wants no part.
When a pretty new girl walks into Ashe's Tempe, Arizona, high school, things start looking up. The blonde "goddess" has her own war woes, but together, she and Ashe might be able to make it through their challenges.
Then, a new crisis bombs Ashe's family. This time, he fears total destruction. With things coming to a head both at home and abroad, Ashe will have to make some very, very tough decisions about life, love, and what it truly means to be a hero.
Then, a new crisis bombs Ashe's family. This time, he fears total destruction. With things coming to a head both at home and abroad, Ashe will have to make some very, very tough decisions about life, love, and what it truly means to be a hero.

(Readalikes: Hm, I can't really think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs), violence, and references to sex and illegal drug use
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Death Coming Up the Hill from the generous folks at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Thank you!
4 comments:
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I agree on all counts! A beautiful, heart-rending book that's not gimmicky at all. Gorgeously written and the last few lines get you right in the gut. But I was also left with the feeling that Ashe had other choices rather than signing up for the army at the end. Maybe I misread it. Would love to discuss in person sometime!
ReplyDeleteHis decision WAS pretty abrupt and extreme, but it also seemed inevitable -- the kind of grand, not necessarily well thought out decision an anxious, desperate teenage kid would make.
DeleteI might have to read this one. Chris Crowe is from Tempe but went to McClintock High. As you know, I went to McClintock for two years and then Tempe High for the last two. High school and the Viet Nam War are all intermixed in my memories from that time period. There were indeed Tempe High grads who died in Nam. It was real as you so readily know. I also went along when some of those young men were dropped off at Sky Harbor to catch their flight to military service having lost the draft number raffle.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the novel's format, it's a quick read. Depressing, but also thought-provoking and real. I liked it. You're welcome to borrow my copy next time you're in town.
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