A boy coming of age book during the Civil War. There are some striking descriptions of battle violence. I don't know if it's because I read this while having a head-cold but I was strangely unmoved by the characters and by the physical descriptions of violence and mutilation. I suspect 14 year old Robey is experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome and becomes unfeeling and amoral. The feeling latched on to me and I became unfeeling for the characters which all seemed strangely wooden—even though they obviously suffered, I felt little sympathy.

Don't know if the blanket feeling of depression covering this novel was the intent of the author as he wrote about the horrors of the Civil War since I have yet to read any other of his novels—or as I stated, it may have been the effect of my sinus congestion.

The author has an ongoing debate about the existence of God and seems to conclude that if there is one, He's sadistic, but there probably isn't one anyway. Atheist writers leave me feeling let-down and disappointed because they settle for less.

One particular description in the opening pages I loved—when Robey grows an inch in the night—he wakes up feeling stretched and yells out. I also enjoyed the description of the birth of the twins in the rushing stream. Robey takes lives in the novel but he also saves two innocent lives. I also liked the descriptions of the horses, their moods and loyalties—the horses seem more human than the people.