I won this book from a goodreads.com first reads giveaway. Let me say first that I absolutely LOVED this book. The triumph and terror these young boys faced during the civil war is unimaginable. I found myself cheering them on, almost crying for them. My heart broke, I laughed out loud and I was filled with anger and rage throughout the story. Not too many books can have people go through all those emotions and back again, but this one did. It was a great story of survival, the best of friends beating the odds together and growing into young men, proud young men. It reaffirms the fact that race is only skin deep and underneath, the blood still runs red in everyone. No matter what side you are on, we all still want the same goal...peace and happiness. Kudos to these characters for never giving up on their dreams. Amazing story. So glad I was lucky enough to read it.