Review of the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait
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Sara Whipple
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- Latest Review: the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait by Ray Dyer
Review of the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait
[Following is a volunteer review of "the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait" by Ray Dyer.]
The REMF, Hurry Up and Wait by Ray Dyer and Stephen Dwyer is a moving account of the complete mental and physical breakdown of a Vietnam War veteran named Gary Dyson. This story is written in a way that it could have been a biography of someone who really went through this experience: it is very well written, descriptive, and appears to be a realistic account of a veteran during that time period. Initially working as a mechanic, Dyson was offered the opportunity for a place as a gunner on one of the attack helicopters. This would allow him to be more directly involved in the war itself, making his experience much more dangerous and traumatic. The story follows life on a military base, the relationships and bonds between soldiers, and depicts the struggle and feelings of hopelessness they experienced surrounded by death and despair. The slow pace of this story further contributes to these themes. Following the horrors of war, Dyson turns to drugs and alcohol, which the ending portion of the book deals with his recovery from these addictions. He struggles with PTSD brought on by the experiences of war and death, frequently having nightmares and flashbacks to his time in the military. These struggles are very real for the majority of, if not all, veterans. During their time in combat, they would be spending their days worrying about the very real possibility of death and the reality of people they have become close to being killed. This suffering extends well beyond the war, as veterans are often plagued with these horrible memories. Many would turn to drugs and alcohol to cope, which could only hurt more than heal. The character of Gary Dyson is shown to deal with addiction, divorce, and even homelessness. The ending of the book is dedicated to his eventual recovery after being left emotionally scarred for life.
I would rate this book a 3 out of 4 due to its apparent lack of professional editing. The book contains quite a few grammatical and spelling errors. One example of this that I noticed is an occurrence of two characters' names being switched up, making the scene a bit confusing to follow. If this book were to be correctly edited, I would give it a perfect score. I would recommend The REMF, Hurry Up and Wait to anyone who is interested in historical fiction and war stories. There is frequent profanity and violent or disturbing scenes, so this is definitely not a book fit for children or those sensitive to such topics. The copy I read included a glossary, which was very helpful to have as I am not familiar with terms related to war and the military. At times a hard read, I found myself anticipating what would happen next and feeling sympathetic for what these people went through. Although the book is fiction, it portrays a very real account of the Vietnam War.
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the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The REMF, Hurry Up and Wait by Ray Dyer and Stephen Dwyer is a moving account of the complete mental and physical breakdown of a Vietnam War veteran named Gary Dyson. This story is written in a way that it could have been a biography of someone who really went through this experience: it is very well written, descriptive, and appears to be a realistic account of a veteran during that time period. Initially working as a mechanic, Dyson was offered the opportunity for a place as a gunner on one of the attack helicopters. This would allow him to be more directly involved in the war itself, making his experience much more dangerous and traumatic. The story follows life on a military base, the relationships and bonds between soldiers, and depicts the struggle and feelings of hopelessness they experienced surrounded by death and despair. The slow pace of this story further contributes to these themes. Following the horrors of war, Dyson turns to drugs and alcohol, which the ending portion of the book deals with his recovery from these addictions. He struggles with PTSD brought on by the experiences of war and death, frequently having nightmares and flashbacks to his time in the military. These struggles are very real for the majority of, if not all, veterans. During their time in combat, they would be spending their days worrying about the very real possibility of death and the reality of people they have become close to being killed. This suffering extends well beyond the war, as veterans are often plagued with these horrible memories. Many would turn to drugs and alcohol to cope, which could only hurt more than heal. The character of Gary Dyson is shown to deal with addiction, divorce, and even homelessness. The ending of the book is dedicated to his eventual recovery after being left emotionally scarred for life.
I would rate this book a 3 out of 4 due to its apparent lack of professional editing. The book contains quite a few grammatical and spelling errors. One example of this that I noticed is an occurrence of two characters' names being switched up, making the scene a bit confusing to follow. If this book were to be correctly edited, I would give it a perfect score. I would recommend The REMF, Hurry Up and Wait to anyone who is interested in historical fiction and war stories. There is frequent profanity and violent or disturbing scenes, so this is definitely not a book fit for children or those sensitive to such topics. The copy I read included a glossary, which was very helpful to have as I am not familiar with terms related to war and the military. At times a hard read, I found myself anticipating what would happen next and feeling sympathetic for what these people went through. Although the book is fiction, it portrays a very real account of the Vietnam War.
******
the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: the REMF, Hurry Up and Wait by Ray Dyer
