Comment

"I am Private First Class Daniel Christopher Wright, I am seventeen years old, and I fired the shot that ended the United States of America." This book has a great cover and an amazing hook. I knew I wanted to read it as soon as I started looking at it as one of our new books. The rest of the hook: "When I enlisted in the Idaho Army National Guard, I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the state of Idaho against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I swore that I would obey the orders of the president of the United States and the governor of Idaho, as well as the orders from officers appointed over me, according to the law and regulations. "But what could I do when my president and my governor called each other domestic enemies and both issued me lawful orders to fight against the other? When both claimed to support the Constitution? When the Army was ordered to fight against the Army and no place was safe? "I swore to obey the orders of my president and of my governor. I swore to defend the Constitution. I swore these things before God. "May God forgive me. May God in Heaven forgive us all." Considering the expectations that created, I was impressed by how gradually and believably the situation developed. Almost too believably, really, because what develops seems scarily close to reality and a potential near future for the actual United States. I should qualify that comment as being about the political situation and overall story arc. Protagonist Danny and those he encounters are basically believable as well--I may not have always like them or their decisions, but I recognized them as real people similar to many I've known. Some of the details and specifics of Danny's story, at times the dialogue and the descriptions, the "action sequences," the roles characters sometimes assume as types when debating with each other to keep a balanced, widely-represented perspective to the proceedings . . . they were sufficient vehicles to allow the story play out, but kept it from being an overall stellar package. Still, this is a gripping, thoughtful, powerful story, one deserving of many thoughtful readers interested in considering how a nation might very easily come apart as seen through the eyes of a young man during his descent from respectable patriot to accidental terrorist--or rise to hero, depending on which side of the state line one stands.