Review of The Faces of War

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Annelore Trujillo
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Review of The Faces of War

Post by Annelore Trujillo »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Faces of War" by jane f mccarthy.]
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2 out of 4 stars
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The Faces of War by Jane F. McCarthy is a historical fiction novel that takes place during World War II. It follows the stories of John and Karl. John is a young American who graduates from high school early on in the war. His brother died in the attack on Pearl Harbor, so he felt the call to serve his country. Karl is a young German who lives on his parents’ farm. He is skipped over for the draft because the farm feeds the German soldiers. Many other characters weave in and out of these two stories as we learn about their journeys throughout the war.

I loved the way all of the stories intertwined. This was my favorite part of the book. I found it particularly interesting that the two main characters were on opposite sides of the war. This made the overlapping stories even better. The author did a great job weaving all of the paths together and creating a story that kept me engaged. There were just enough twists and turns to make me wonder what was going to happen next without feeling like I was able to predict the storyline.

While the story itself was great, several aspects of the writing could use some improvement. For example, the timeline could have been described more clearly. When going back and forth between different characters, it wasn’t always clear where we were at in the timeline. The story also jumped ahead without warning or clear transitions. This could easily be fixed by adding the location and date at the beginning of chapters and before setting changes.

Another downfall was that the writing was kind of bland. It stated what was happening and moved through the plot without much description. I did get used to this style and didn’t mind it as much toward the end. However, I would still suggest a change in style. It just left so much to be desired. The final big con was that book was not professionally edited. There were several errors throughout that were distracting.

I give this book 2 out of 4 stars. I couldn’t justify giving it a higher rating since there were so many cons and not as many pros. I didn’t give it just one star because I did enjoy the story even though the writing could use some work. I would love to see a revised copy of this book, and I would definitely consider increasing the rating if changes were made! I would recommend it to readers who can look past the cons mentioned above and who enjoy reading about World War II.

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The Faces of War
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Brett Linette
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Post by Brett Linette »

anneloretrujillo wrote: 06 Mar 2022, 23:24 There were several errors throughout that were distracting.
This book sounds so intriguing that I might have to try and overlook the errors.

Thank you for the review, Anne.

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Post by Blessing Odii »

It would be lovely to read John and Karl's story in World War II. Nice book.
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Mbenma Esther 080
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Post by Mbenma Esther 080 »

An in-depth review with an exposure of what makes the book interesting. Thanks for the review.
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Post by Emmy page »

Books set in war zones always make for good reading. That this book is set in the greatest war in history raises my curiosity and desire to see, feel, and imagine myself in real action-that is if it is written and woven with a vivid descriptive style that arouses my senses .From this review, I think this book can get me turning pages-I like war stories.
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Post by Reading_Jack »

I thank the reviewer for an honest review. The book has an interesting storyline.
Ndagire Hassifah
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Post by Ndagire Hassifah »

I like books about war and this is definitely a must-read. Thanks for the review.
Aisha Yakub
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Post by Aisha Yakub »

Hopefully the corrections are taken because the seems like a great read.
Ruth Frances A
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Post by Ruth Frances A »

I like the storyline. I agree with the reviewer that there is great potential in this book because of the two main characters. I have not yet read it but war stories are touching. Because I am curious anyway, I hope to check it out someday.
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