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The Mass of Men
How are firefighters made? What does it take to enter a burning building and risk your life to save another? The cadets of Class #64 are about to find out.
Under the stern supervision of their instructors, the students struggle against the relentless pace of their training. As each makes the transition from novice to professional, the relationships they develop take on dimensions of their own.
Sam is headstrong and driven, but as the only female in the group, she has the added burden of fitting in. Her situation is further complicated by the deep platonic bond she shares with a fellow cadet and an evolving connection with their commanding officer.
Ty grew up under the heavy hand of an abusive father. But he comes into his own at the academy, in large part because of the friendship he shares with Sam and the mentoring he receives from a most unlikely source.
And Matt Daniels serves as a rigid disciplinarian over the cadets and staff, yet everything changes when he allows himself the emotional freedom to bond with his students.
Sam, Ty, and Daniels must now navigate an emotional triangle, all the while being bound by the rank structure that defines them.
The Mass of Men takes the reader inside the grueling training of firefighters, revealing the drama, humor, and intensity of an academy. The punishing physical demands are only part of the challenge as the cadets overcome fears and wrestle with conflict, knowing they will one day be responsible for the lives of others.
THE MASS OF MEN by Rachel K. Wentz utilizes complex characters and intricate relationships to portray the intense nature of life in firefighter academy training. Providing an incredibly detailed account of the grueling challenges these cadets face both personally and professionally, the story will pull readers into the rollercoaster of emotions with each turn of the page. -IndieReader 2021 Discovery Awards Review
THE MASS OF MEN is an engrossing story about the training and lives of firefighters, written by an author who has clearly lived through many of the experiences she so vividly describes. - IndieReader
WINNER OF THE FLORIDA AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION SILVER MEDAL PRESIDENT'S AWARD IN GENRE FICTION.
Under the stern supervision of their instructors, the students struggle against the relentless pace of their training. As each makes the transition from novice to professional, the relationships they develop take on dimensions of their own.
Sam is headstrong and driven, but as the only female in the group, she has the added burden of fitting in. Her situation is further complicated by the deep platonic bond she shares with a fellow cadet and an evolving connection with their commanding officer.
Ty grew up under the heavy hand of an abusive father. But he comes into his own at the academy, in large part because of the friendship he shares with Sam and the mentoring he receives from a most unlikely source.
And Matt Daniels serves as a rigid disciplinarian over the cadets and staff, yet everything changes when he allows himself the emotional freedom to bond with his students.
Sam, Ty, and Daniels must now navigate an emotional triangle, all the while being bound by the rank structure that defines them.
The Mass of Men takes the reader inside the grueling training of firefighters, revealing the drama, humor, and intensity of an academy. The punishing physical demands are only part of the challenge as the cadets overcome fears and wrestle with conflict, knowing they will one day be responsible for the lives of others.
THE MASS OF MEN by Rachel K. Wentz utilizes complex characters and intricate relationships to portray the intense nature of life in firefighter academy training. Providing an incredibly detailed account of the grueling challenges these cadets face both personally and professionally, the story will pull readers into the rollercoaster of emotions with each turn of the page. -IndieReader 2021 Discovery Awards Review
THE MASS OF MEN is an engrossing story about the training and lives of firefighters, written by an author who has clearly lived through many of the experiences she so vividly describes. - IndieReader
WINNER OF THE FLORIDA AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION SILVER MEDAL PRESIDENT'S AWARD IN GENRE FICTION.
- GenresFiction
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2013
10 people are currently reading
1723 people want to read
About the author
Rachel K. Wentz
7 books29 followersFollowing a thirteen-year career as a firefighter/paramedic, Dr. Wentz retired from the Orlando Fire Department to pursue advanced degrees in anthropology. She graduated from Florida State University with an MS and PhD in Anthropology, specializing in the analysis of human remains with foci on ancient disease and population health.
Dr. Wentz has done skeletal work in Florida, St. Croix, England, and Ukraine, and obtained experience in forensics at the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory at the University of Florida, Gainesville. She has taught courses in physical anthropology, human osteology, medical anthropology, and forensic anthropology at FSU and her work has been featured on the History Channel, the Weather Channel, and in Archaeology Magazine.
She is the author of seven books. Her first novel, The Mass of Men, won the Florida Authors and Publishers Association Silver Medal President's Award in Genre Fiction and recently made the IndieReader "Best Of" Book List. Her memoir, Let Burn: The Making and Breaking of a Firefighter/Paramedic, also won a FAPA Silver Medal in Memoirs. Her latest book, The Body Blog: Explorations in Science and Culture won the FAPA Silver Medal President's Award in Adult Non-Fiction. Please visit Dr. Wentz' website at rachelwentzbooks.com.
Dr. Wentz has done skeletal work in Florida, St. Croix, England, and Ukraine, and obtained experience in forensics at the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory at the University of Florida, Gainesville. She has taught courses in physical anthropology, human osteology, medical anthropology, and forensic anthropology at FSU and her work has been featured on the History Channel, the Weather Channel, and in Archaeology Magazine.
She is the author of seven books. Her first novel, The Mass of Men, won the Florida Authors and Publishers Association Silver Medal President's Award in Genre Fiction and recently made the IndieReader "Best Of" Book List. Her memoir, Let Burn: The Making and Breaking of a Firefighter/Paramedic, also won a FAPA Silver Medal in Memoirs. Her latest book, The Body Blog: Explorations in Science and Culture won the FAPA Silver Medal President's Award in Adult Non-Fiction. Please visit Dr. Wentz' website at rachelwentzbooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 5, 2021
The Mass of Men by Rachel K. Wentz is a fascinating read with great insight into what people need to go through in order to become a firefighter. While the actual story elements are fiction, the rest of it - training at the academy - is true.
Knowing someone who went through the academy and is now a firefighter, I found this book to be pretty relatable, even though I didn't go through it myself. However, Sam, the protagonist, is the only female at the academy. There are issues of sexism in the story as not all of her peers thought she should be there. I was annoyed at these characters but it was done well. Each character had their own ups and downs and struggles and learned to work as a team.
If you know a firefighter in real life or are just interested in seeing what they have to go through, this is a great read.
Knowing someone who went through the academy and is now a firefighter, I found this book to be pretty relatable, even though I didn't go through it myself. However, Sam, the protagonist, is the only female at the academy. There are issues of sexism in the story as not all of her peers thought she should be there. I was annoyed at these characters but it was done well. Each character had their own ups and downs and struggles and learned to work as a team.
If you know a firefighter in real life or are just interested in seeing what they have to go through, this is a great read.
February 14, 2017
Great book
This book was very well written and totally engrossing to read. The characters were very realistic, although some were very endearing and others were not. Very engaging story.
This book was very well written and totally engrossing to read. The characters were very realistic, although some were very endearing and others were not. Very engaging story.
March 2, 2021
Believable characters and story: The book was full of great, believable characters and the events made me feel like I was there with the group of firefighters. The story takes us on a journey of struggle, fun and inequality, which was interesting to read about.
August 21, 2021
Excellent
Well written, good dialogue. Informative and page turning. Will be reading more of this author. Think you should try this one!
Well written, good dialogue. Informative and page turning. Will be reading more of this author. Think you should try this one!
March 1, 2021
Sam is determined to become a firefighter regardless of what it takes. The only complication? She's female and the only woman in the group of cadets. Already dismissed, Sam is resolved to fit in and prove that you don't have to be male to become a firefighter. Along the way, she develops a deep bond with one of the cadets and has a growing connection with the Commander.
The Mass of Men is an emotional, inspirational and immersive book. It's an easy read that will have you reaching to turn the page before you've barely finished the previous one. It's fun, humorous, and very entertaining. The relationships between the characters are realistic and written well. The everyday life of the cadets is endearing and it is interesting to read through what it might be like to train as a firefighter.
The characters themselves are well thought out with very diverse personalities.
The author herself was a firefighter/paramedic which makes this book that much better. From reading the book you know she used her experiences to enhance the novel greatly, which made reading it much more enjoyable.
Overall, this book is a very good read, I recommend it to anyone looking for a light-hearted novel.
The Mass of Men is an emotional, inspirational and immersive book. It's an easy read that will have you reaching to turn the page before you've barely finished the previous one. It's fun, humorous, and very entertaining. The relationships between the characters are realistic and written well. The everyday life of the cadets is endearing and it is interesting to read through what it might be like to train as a firefighter.
The characters themselves are well thought out with very diverse personalities.
The author herself was a firefighter/paramedic which makes this book that much better. From reading the book you know she used her experiences to enhance the novel greatly, which made reading it much more enjoyable.
Overall, this book is a very good read, I recommend it to anyone looking for a light-hearted novel.
June 1, 2022
The book was very well written. I found it very interesting on how firefighters are trained. I had never really thought of all they had to learn. The characters were well thought out. It was very engrossing and hard to put down.
July 29, 2021
I am thankful to have received my Kindle copy from a Goodreads Giveaway Win.
Maybe I review a little more harshly than most people, because although I thought this was a good story I didn't think it was a great story. I'd give 3.5 if that was an option but it just wasn't as gripping a story for me to round up to 4. I liked the characters, well, most of them and most of the time. There was some emotional ups and downs and it's pretty eye opening to the training involved in becoming a fireman and makes you see what these men and women go through. I'm not sure if I liked the romance part of it, sometimes I kind of thought it was a cheesy part of the story that wasn't really needed but other times it seemed to kind of fit in to the story. I loved the friendship of Ty and Sam but there were times when I thought, "oh please, really?" and then of course there was one time (won't tell for spoilers sake) that had me on the edge of my seat. Overall, I think it's a good read.
Maybe I review a little more harshly than most people, because although I thought this was a good story I didn't think it was a great story. I'd give 3.5 if that was an option but it just wasn't as gripping a story for me to round up to 4. I liked the characters, well, most of them and most of the time. There was some emotional ups and downs and it's pretty eye opening to the training involved in becoming a fireman and makes you see what these men and women go through. I'm not sure if I liked the romance part of it, sometimes I kind of thought it was a cheesy part of the story that wasn't really needed but other times it seemed to kind of fit in to the story. I loved the friendship of Ty and Sam but there were times when I thought, "oh please, really?" and then of course there was one time (won't tell for spoilers sake) that had me on the edge of my seat. Overall, I think it's a good read.
April 9, 2017
I have read several books by this author but the ones I read were about her career as an bioarcheological anthropologist. I have read exerts of her dissertation for her PhD in regards to the skeletons found at the archaeological dig at Windover. However, I had never read anything about her adventures and career as a fireman for the Orlando Fire Dept. Although she states that the book is a work of fiction, I'm sure she based much of the book on the people she met and the scenarios that occurred during her time while she was a cadet studying for the certification.
I enjoyed the book and learned a lot about fire fighting , a topic new to me. I would highly recommend the author and her books.
I enjoyed the book and learned a lot about fire fighting , a topic new to me. I would highly recommend the author and her books.
December 14, 2021
Not a book I would've chosen since I'm a book cover person. I think the cover could have reflected the story better than it does. With that said, the book itself is spectacular. Very well written and pulled me right into the story. Who knew what it takes to be a fireman? Full of emotion, inspiration, and page turning action, I highly recommend.
My thanks to goodreads and the book’s giveaway sponsors for gifting me this book.
My thanks to goodreads and the book’s giveaway sponsors for gifting me this book.
June 25, 2021
The Mass of Men provided for a well written, captivating and very satisfying read. Personable characters, realistic relationships and situations, all provide for a worthwhile and fulfilling reading journey. 5 stars.
My thanks to goodreads and the book’s giveaway sponsors for the opportunity to obtain and read a copy of this book.
My thanks to goodreads and the book’s giveaway sponsors for the opportunity to obtain and read a copy of this book.
July 5, 2021
Won this one in a Goodreads giveaway. Probably would not have read it otherwise. Didn't find it engaging as much as others apparently have, but to each their own. YMMV.
March 15, 2022
I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
A good, engrossing read. At times the POV and flow of the story are confusing, but even then it is able to captivate the reader.
A good, engrossing read. At times the POV and flow of the story are confusing, but even then it is able to captivate the reader.
April 8, 2022
This was an easy book to love. It had loveable characters, characters meant to "hate", romantic tension and friend tension. Being about a female becoming a fire-fighter made it even better.
April 3, 2024
I only had a base idea about the book and was afraid it may be a bit of a dry read. I was pleasantly surprised to be extremely wrong.
Though there were many details about the training involved in becoming a firefighter, it was written in such a way that the reader doesn't even realize they are learning.
Mix into that the relationships between Sam, Ty and Daniel's and you have an even better book. You root for the characters, cheer for their wins and feel sadness/anger for losses and wrongdoing.
All in all, I was impressed with this book.
Though there were many details about the training involved in becoming a firefighter, it was written in such a way that the reader doesn't even realize they are learning.
Mix into that the relationships between Sam, Ty and Daniel's and you have an even better book. You root for the characters, cheer for their wins and feel sadness/anger for losses and wrongdoing.
All in all, I was impressed with this book.
June 20, 2025
I actually really enjoyed how detailed this book was. The author knows what she’s talking about but doesn’t make it boring like a text book. She immerses us in the firefighting program while keeping the facts wrapped in drama.
May 4, 2023
Hard book to put down
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews