It's 1974, and 14-year-old Tommy Lothrup has a lot to learn. In fact, what he's about to find at a dilapidated summer camp in East Texas will turn his whole world upside down. It turns out that Buggy Robicheaux really can punch, the King of Camaros rules the woods around Atcheson, and the shackles of racial prejudice can divide brother from brother. Color War is a coming-of-age story, painted in the hues of confusion and longing that color any adolescent’s existence, and quite possibly familiar to anyone who remembers the era of ESP, Evel Knievel, and the works of Erich von Daniken. The story is 25,000 words long, and similar in theme and tone to Stephen King’s "The Body."
Bruce McCandless III is the author of the biography Wonders All Around: The Incredible True Story of Astronaut Bruce McCandless II and the First Free Flight in Space, an Amazon bestseller that was named a Best Book of 2021 by both Men's Journal and Kirkus Reviews. Wonders All Around is first and foremost a relationship story about a family caught up in a father's ambitions, disappointments, and struggle for professional redemption, all as played out against the real-life drama of America's manned space program in the Apollo, Skylab, and early Shuttle years.
A lifelong Texan, Bruce is also the author of the interlinked historical horror novels In the Land of Dead Horses, Sour Lake, and The Black Book of Cyrenaica, as well as a modern fairy tale for pre-teens called Beatrice and the Basilisk. Named Austin's Poet Laureate by the Austin American-Statesman in 2000, he has published poems, stories, and essays in The Seattle Review, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Pleiades, Bayou, and other journals.
With his daughter Carson, Bruce wrote Carson Clare's Trail Guide to Avoiding Death (And Other Unpleasant Consequences), a book of poems for middle-schoolers that Indie Reader gave a perfect 5.0 score and that Kirkus Reviews calls an "amusing and friendly handbook" with "delightful verse and surprisingly useful tips." Bruce and Carson also teamed up to write Beatrice at Bay (2020), a Beatrice sequel that Kirkus touts as "an often thrilling and nuanced fantasy novella."
I received a free copy of Color War by Bruce McCandless in a goodreads give away in exchange for an honest review. Although this was a very short book, I thought the author made several important points. It was a fast read and I enjoyed reading it very much.
The story takes place in 1974 at a summer sleep away camp in Texas. The reader meets Tommy Lothrup, a fourteen year old boy on his way to Camp Alexandra, an all boys camp. It is Tommy's first summer at this camp and he has arrived knowing no one. Fourteen is a very impressionable age and Bruce McCandless does and excellent job incorporating this into the story. Tommy experimented with drinking beer with his new friend Jack Connelly, as many boys this age did. Jack's older brother, Todd, also worked at camp Alex, as everyone called it, as a cabin counselor. Todd was troubled and did not always make good choices. Shortly after Tommy's arrival at Camp Alex, the boys were divided into two teams, the Creeks and the Comanches. Tommy was placed on the Creeks. It was Tommy's misfortune to be chosen to be the one on the Creeks to have to box the Comanches' team member, Buggy Robicheaux. Tommy was out-matched and badly beaten. In front of all his team, not only was he defeated but he vomited all over himself. That is how he found himself in the camp infirmary. It was there that he met Alyssha Sills, a beautiful young black girl working in the kitchen with her aunt. She had come into the infirmary to bring the patients food. Tommy and Alyssha formed a friendship but Tommy, being fourteen developed a crush on Alyssha. As Tommy meets Alyssha secretly, he discovered that Jack and Alyssha have known each other their whole lives. Racial tensions build over the course of the story and impact Tommy, Jack, Todd and Alyssha.
This was a really good read. I loved the ending. Something in everyone's life can influence future decisions and values. I liked the way Bruce McCandless brought this story full circle. I recommend this book and don't think you will be disappointed if you choose to read it.
This book was an excellent slice of Americana. McCandless makes a deep impact in 100 pages. Some readers may be turned off by the fact this book is short, but I assure you it does nothing to hinder the story. McCandless tackles racism, peer pressure, and other various growing pains of a teenage boy in 1970's Texas.
I am well aware of recent American history, but can identify with the Millennial mentioned at the end of the story. She was aware of hateful and racist events like those occurring earlier in the novel, but not personally experiencing them, had a hard time solidifying them as tangible and deeply emotional experiences. This story serves as a good reminder of the fact real people were and are effected by such hate...and we all have a choice in how we respond to it.
***I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
If this book wasn't autobiographical, it sure could be. Extremely well-written, and giving a fascinating glimpse into life in the early 70s, I couldn't put this one down. While many of the characters were not very likable, they were very real, and this is something I could appreciate. The book is short, coming it at just over 100 pages, but it was so packed with emotion and character development that I didn't find that to be a hindrance. At least it didn't ramble! While I may not like everything that has happened in our society over the last 40 or so years, I do hope that, at least, we are no longer in the grip of such horrid racism. We may not be where we should be, but we're getting better. And this book, while not shying away from the awfulness of the past, does give hope for the future. Highly recommended for adults and older teens.
I wont his book as part of a Goodreads giveaway, but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are 100% my own.
It only took me a couple of hours to read this, and they were hours well spent! I'm not sure who the target audience for this book is - male protagonist, early teens, quick read - seems like maybe a middle school audience? But with the violence at the end, and the averted attack of a teenage girl, maybe not? As an adult, I enjoyed it, and it was quite thought-provoking. My husband is 10 years older than I am, and he would be the exact age of the main character. He is also named Tom and raised in the South. So reading this book gives me some insight into the attitudes and prejudices that he may have grown up around. Being 10 years younger and growing up in the North, I had a very different experience, and it shows in our different views and biases. Adults can read this to remember how things were, and to see how things have changed (not enough, that's for sure!). Younger readers would gain perspective into what the times were like when their parents or grandparents were growing up. However, the younger readers may have a hard time with the references to music and other pop culture of the time, such as the bands and the beautiful black women who are mentioned. In this book, the parents of the main character work for NASA, and being aware now (thanks to Hidden Figures) of the important role played by black women in the space program, it is easier to see why his perspective would be different from those of his peers.
Tom is going to camp. It is 1974, ten years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and he is almost (self-claimed) 16 years old; time to get on with life. (note: He is 14). Besides that, he has to live somewhere while his scientist parents are on a trip to Russia. At a restaurant/diner he is picked up by Davis, a counselor at the camp. The ride to the camp is in the dark, at night, in a pick-up truck, so we have the possibility of pedophilia. Occupants of a passing vehicle throw a beer at the truck while screaming the “n” word, so we have racism, as in “Color War.”
Mac MacKenzie, director of Camp Alex, divides camp attendees into two groups, the Creek and the Comanches. Competition between the two teams drives the stories throughout the novel. There is a love interest when Tom is hospitalized after being on the losing side in a boxing match. Alyssha is a character the reader will have fun figuring out. Early in the book, she seems to speak in non-sequiturs. Immediately after meeting Alyssha, there is this interesting line: “And that, really, is how the rest of the story started.” [p. 24]
Jack Connelly is Tom’s best friend. The Connelly name defines class in the area, not just at Camp Alex. The Connellys are the biggest landowners all around Camp Alex. Jack’s brother, Tom has a personality of broken potential, and he is not happy about it. His rebellion will lead to near criminal activity on more than one occasion. Jack may have had a puppy love crush of Alyssha, or vice-versa. This is what McCandless steers us to believe.
There is quite a bit of physical injury to all the campers as a result of exuberant roughhousing. Because campers and counselors are different ages, but all participate in the same activities, sometimes things seem to go a bit far.
Chapter fifteen, titled “Remembrance” relates anecdotes about camp participants from the view of Tom, who is now fifty years old. Things not clear at the time of their event in camp are explained. Life after camp is filled in as campers grew to be adults.
This is a great coming of age story about dealing with racism. McCandless uses vocabulary appropriate to the time as his characters play their roles. I will recommend my teen-age son read this novel.
I received Color War by Bruce McCandless from Ninth Planet Press in exchange for a review. Set in the summer of 1974 at a summer camp in Texas, Color War tells the story of Tommy and the other campers. The book is a coming of age tale with themes of racial hatred and family secrets. I started the book with high hopes as it had the perfect set up to be a favorite of mine: camp, the '70's, and drama. But, very quickly I was disappointed. The characters were poorly introduced and I felt thrown into the middle of the book. Though it did get better towards the end, I never fully got into the book. Every description seemed to be a metaphor and I soon tired of hearing about "veins the size of electrical cords" and "hands as light as leaves." Overall, it was a good idea with a poor execution.
The longer I read this book, the more I enjoyed it. I got a certain tone in my head the longer it went on and it made the narration more enjoyable. That said, I felt very disconnected from the story. I barely got to know any of the characters. I didn't really care about them or about what they were doing. I understood the point and what the author was trying to tell us but it didn't have enough time, enough pages, or enough words to tell any of it in a developed manner.
This is far from a bad read (I have read way worse) but there is room to grow with this story and it kind of felt slapped together and underwhelming.
I received this book as a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I personally did not like this book. I feel that it did not get interesting until the last 10 pages and I feel that it was just pretty boring. It had a couple of interesting topics that were discussed in the book, but it was overall dry and un-amusing. I would not recommend this book.
It's about more than the color of the camp teams. A lot more. I never went to camp, so I don't know the experience first hand. Doesn't matter. The story is set quite a few years before my time. Doesn't matter. That I was a teenage boy does. People rarely know what they'll grow up to be. When you're grown, you wonder how you got here so fast and marvel at some of the things you've done - good and bad - smart and dumb.
Color War is not a long story, but it is a complete one. More serious, deeper that it first appears. It's a slice of a past I surely remember when prejudice was closer to the surface, more out in the open; when ignorance was not as apparent. It makes me wonder how it today's 14 year old would see it. It's worth the read for any age. I'm glad I did.
I received this books as part of good reads firstreads giveaway.
Although the front cover indicates the book to be a Novel, I would have considered it more of a Novelette. But for those few of us who never went to summer camp, reading even a Novelette about those who did have that opportunity gives us a vicarious thrill...even if we are females and the summer camp was for boys. So once again, I enjoyed finding out some of the fun, and yes, not so fun, things about summer camps.
McCandless writes a good account of his 14 year old fictional character, Thomas Lothrup's three week experience. The teams, the rivalry, the activities. And while I don't want to give away the story line, I would note that the plot was thin.
This short, 100 page novel, is set in 1970's Texas/Louisiana. The characters are young men 14 to 21 years old at a summer camp. The campers are divided into two groups, the Comanches and the Creeks. The two groups compete to see which is superior. The real story, however, is what happens between one of the boys and a half-black (half-white) girl who works in the kitchen.
The story makes me realize that, as a society, we divide kids up early to compete against others. This may be where the story of division begins in our country...
I enjoyed this fast paced book about the adventures of a teen age boy at summer camp. Although I never went to camp I could relate to the interaction of teenagers in competitive situations. My husband did go to camp and he remembers the color wars he had at camp in upstate NY. He claimed he was one of the best campers but his nickname was The Terrible Terror! The book tells of lots of fun and friendship but also terrible vindictiveness. It is a true capsule of the experiences of summer camp.
If you haven't read this book already, I highly recommend it. I've been to many summer camps in the past and a lot like this one (Camp Alexandra), so reading Color War really brought back some great memories. Also, its story line was really creative tying in other issues during that time period such as racism. Full of new friendships and adventure, Color War is sure to please audiences of all ages. What a great summer read!
I'm really not sure what to say about this book... It's so short that there is little time for character development. At the end of the book I was still confusing the names of the two brothers. There is a very healthy plot twist at the end that I did enjoy and did not see coming. I think I enjoyed the last chapter more than I enjoyed the rest of the book as it is written in such a way that you have to infer a lot and I'm just not very good at that.
This was a good story and I really enjoyed it. I loved this story so much and I am going to give this book to my son when he will grow up. 'Color War' is about a process of becoming a man,about courage and friendship,overcoming prejudices,formation of life values. I give 5 stars to this book and highly recommend putting it in your to-read list.
Bruce McCandless’s Color War is a deceptively compact but emotionally resonant coming-of-age novel that captures both the light-hearted spirit and the buried tensions of adolescence. Set in a 1970s East Texas summer camp, the story follows Tommy Lothrup, a boy caught between innocent fun and the more sobering realities of a racially divided world. On the surface, it’s about cabins, team competitions, and the quirky rituals of summer camp, but underneath lies a powerful meditation on prejudice, loneliness, and personal awakening. McCandless conjures the nostalgic energy of youth with humor and warmth, but never shies away from the hard truths that define his characters' growth.
What makes Color War stand out is its ability to feel deeply personal while tackling universal themes. For those who’ve attended summer camp, the setting may evoke wistful memories of carefree days; for others, it offers a poignant lens into a time when childhood innocence collided with societal fractures. The racial tension—subtle yet ever-present—is expertly woven into the story's fabric, culminating in moments that are both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. Tommy’s secret relationship, forged in emotional vulnerability, becomes the flashpoint for examining loyalty, shame, and the cost of nonconformity. The fallout is as much internal as it is external, forcing the protagonist to reckon with his own moral shortcomings.
McCandless delivers all this in prose that is clear, restrained, and emotionally grounded. The dialogue rings true, the characters are vividly drawn, and the emotional stakes rise naturally as the story progresses. While brief, the novel’s impact lingers—an unflinching portrait of adolescence shadowed by injustice, but also lit by moments of growth and reflection. Color War deserves its place among modern coming-of-age classics, offering a haunting yet hopeful exploration of how boys become men, and how those early experiences shape the way we navigate truth, identity, and compassion.
Tommy Lothrup is a fourteen-year-old in 1974, and is attending summer camp while his parents are in Europe. As a bit of an odd one out, Tommy learns to navigate camp and find friends. In the midst of this, racial hatred makes its presence known with hidden secrets and detestable behaviour. Tommy inadvertently finds himself in the middle.
Color War is a well-written coming-of-age story that is nostalgic and showcases the highlights of adolescence, as well as the process of finding one's place in the world. The story is set in the 1970s, a decade after the Civil Rights Act. So tensions are high, and there's a divide between races. So, on the cusp of change, we see changing perceptions, yet also the obstinate refusal to adapt.
The concept of this story is intriguing and artfully written. It has the perfect blend of nostalgia and light-heartedness. Yet does well to simultaneously explore the realities of racism. This is done through the characters, who are diverse in both personalities and race, which allows for the exploration of the book's themes seamlessly. The characters felt life-like and accurate to the time setting.
Color War is a great read that is thought-provoking and reflective. It also makes you look back in time and see how the world has changed.
Color War is a fast-paced novella that is deceptively simple, but incredibly thoughtful and complex. The writing is extraordinary, but it was a bit rushed. I wish the author had given us a more insight and background on the main characters, so I could feel more of an emotional attachment to them. As a female adult reader, the book provided a secret look into the "guy code," which still exists today. The story gives the reader an understanding of the teenage yearning to belong, bond, and be a part of a group.
I won this book in a giveaway. I found this novel to be confusing and having an undeveloped, basic plot and characters, too many really to keep track of.
This unique coming-of-age story blends familiar concepts like adolescence and the summer camping trip all boys go through, with McCandless’ unique storytelling. We follow Tommy, a young boy who wants to be older than he currently is, on his journey through summer camp as he forms new bonds and relationships while also learning the harsh realities of life in his era- particularly the racism that permeated it.
Color War perfectly captures the essence of youth while delivering difficult lessons. I would recommend it to teenage boys everywhere.