Soldier X by Don Wulffson

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Scholastic
Publishing year: 2001
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Erik Brandt barely knows what Germany is fighting for when he is drafted into Hitler's army in 1944. Sent to the killing fields of the Eastern Front, he is surrounded by unimaginable sights, more horrific than he ever thought possible. It's kill or be killed, and it seems clear that Erik's days are numbered. Until, covered in blood and seriously injured, he conceives of another way to survive. Filled with gritty and visceral detail, Soldier X will change the way every reader thinks about the reality of war.

 Review:
This book took me by surprise in a wonderful fashion. I initially chose it because its a short book and because I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year I don't have a lot of time to read. Couple that with a need for some bloody historical fiction and I have to say I picked a winner. The action was fast paced and scarily realistic. The main character ends up scarred for life and no character is untouched by the war.

What I really liked about this book in comparison to others say, The Berlin Boxing Club, for example was that it showed multiple sides of the war and didn't pull any punches. It shows us the side of Germany we often glance over in these books, because after all, not every German soldier was a Nazi. A fact I strangely don't remember my history teachers ever mentioning ...hmm. And it shows us both the good and bad sides of Russia as well. Violence and slaughter abound and I think this book very accurately portrays the war and it's affect on soldiers and civilians of every nationality.

What I didn't see coming was the romance. I thought it was a coming of age story, which it was, bit the synopsis gave me no hint that there would be love between the pages of this novel. And what a love! It wasn't overdone or sappy but light, poignant, and expertly written. A Russian and a German from opposing sides falling in love, I absolutely adored it.

Question: If placed in a life or death situation could you desert a duty you had pledged yourself to? Why is it that being branded a deserter wasn't a heavy concern in Erik's mind?