66. The Dark Skies: A WWII Thriller. Deron R. Hicks. 2024. 336 pages. [Source: Library] [MG Fiction, MG Historical Fiction, MG Mystery] [3 stars]
First sentence: It was almost time. Henry Hamilton plopped down on the well-worn braided rug that occupied most of the floor in his family's living room.
Premise/plot: Henry Hamilton, our twelve-year-old narrator, works for his school paper as a reporter. He is fascinated with journalism--particularly high-stakes war journalism. As he follows the clues in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, he might just find himself in great danger from an outside threat. And he might not be at home in time for his banana pudding.
This one is a middle grade mystery set in 1942 on the American homefront.
My thoughts: I am so conflicted. On the one hand, I enjoy mysteries, most of the time. I enjoy historical fiction, most of the time. I love middle grade fiction. World War II is one of my favorite time periods to read about. On paper--in theory--this one should have been a great match for me. On the other hand, Henry Hamilton does hundreds of things that could lead to his death. And if he's dead, there's no story to be told, no warning message to get out to the proper authorities. He doesn't really have a plan on how to escape all the dangerous situations he finds himself in. He's twelve and invincible? I suppose that's the theory? I don't know that the target audience would have the same concerns I did. Probably not.
© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment