Front Lines (Front Lines #1) by Michael Grant - Restarting August 15th 2017

[Abi]

1942. World War II. The most terrible war in human history. Millions are dead; millions more are still to die. The Nazis rampage across Europe and eye far-off America.

The green, untested American army is going up against the greatest fighting force ever assembled—the armed forces of Nazi Germany.

But something has changed. A court decision makes females subject to the draft and eligible for service. So in this World War II, women and girls fight, too.

As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, three girls sign up to fight. Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr, and Rainy Schulterman are average girls, girls with dreams and aspirations, at the start of their lives, at the start of their loves. Each has her own reasons for volunteering. Not one expects to see actual combat. Not one expects to be on the front lines.

Rio, Frangie, and Rainy will play their parts in the war to defeat evil and save the human race. They will fear and they will rage; they will suffer and they will inflict suffering; they will hate and they will love. They will fight the greatest war the world has ever known.

[Rachel]

I'll be starting soon :)

[Maddie]

Wish I could read this with you but I'm just too bogged down at the moment :/

[Sully]

I'll join you on this one tomorrow =)

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date Changed. Restarting August 15th 2017. Happy Reading ☺

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[Maddie]

Thanks.

[Carolyn]

5% Didn't get much reading in yesterday. Pages vii-31 (view spoiler)[ The Prologue talks about women joking the war. It's kinda boring, in my opinion. The first 31 pages are looking at Rio Richlin. She just got noticed that her sister died in war which was really sad. I put myself in her place if my sister was killed in war. Her friend is thinking about fighting on the war which pressures Rio to do the same. She hasn't enlisted yet, though. It about 4 stars, so far. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Awesome :)

[Carolyn]

13%. A bit better. Still about 4 stars. pages 32-76 (view spoiler)[ What has happened so far:
• Frangie Marr decides to enlist and became a medic in the war.
• Rio goes in her date with Strand.
• Rio watches Stamp Man's house burn down.
• Rainy Schulterman has enlisted in the war as part of the intelligence department thing.
• Rainy's brother is marrying a non-Jewish girl who he got pregnant.

I'm sort of enjoying it. I'm really liking all the girls, but I just got to meet them all, so I can't choose who I like better. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

I'm debating whether to read Stealing Snow next or pick this one up. I'm trying to catch up on all of my reads before starting any current ones. What should I do?

[Carolyn]

Stealing Snow, definitely. It won't take you long to read it.

[Carolyn]

27% done. Still about 4 stars. Pages 77-161 (view spoiler)[ What has happened so far:
• Frangie enlisted in the army. Pages 77-85
• Rio and Jenou enlisted in the army. Pages 86-100
•Rainy leaves to go to military intelligence school. Pages 101-115
•Rio arrives to Camp Maron for training. Pages 116-135
•Rainy gets promoted to sergeant and is going to a job for Captain. Pages 136-147
•Rio does 25 push-ups and presents fear in her fellow soldiers. Pages 148-161

I'm starting to like Rio better than Rainy. I really don't know much about Frangie, so I cannot form a opinion on her yet. Rio is brave and strong, strong-headed. Rainy is brave, strong, and independent. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Alrighty :) Starting on that today then.

[Carolyn]

42%!😀 Still about 4 stars. Pages 162-242 (view spoiler)[ What has happened so far:
•All girls writes letters to loved ones 162-166
•Rio learns how to shoot a rifle. Pages 167-181
•Frangie does not do well in military camp and is threatens to kick her out. Pages 182-196
•Rio and Frangie do a game. Pages 197-212
•Frangie gets to go home but is threatened by a drunk NCO and stays at the barracks. Pages 213-220
•Rio gets her assignment. She is a rifleman in the 119th division. Pages 221-232
•Rainy saves a Jewish man from getting beat up by three drunk sailors. Pages 233-242

I like Frangie. She is really cool. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

You're on a roll! Awesome!

[Carolyn]

I'm just so determined to finish this book! My team needs the points. You're starting Stealing Snow?

[Maddie]

I'm waiting to hear back from a challenge to see which books will count, so I'm just going to read a little novella for now haha. But I'll definitely count it next few days

[Carolyn]

I might put another update tonight.

[Maddie]

Alright cool :)

[Carolyn]

50%. Still 4 stars. Pages 243-292 (view spoiler)[
What Has Happened So Far:
•Rio goes home and tells her parents about how she is going to be a rifleman. Her father gets mad. I feel like it's not up to her father to get mad for doing something she feels the need to do. She goes on a date with Strand. So cute! 😊Pages 243-265
•Frangie gets a doctor manual and gets help from a doctor. I really think she'll become a good medic. Pages 266-276
•Rio goes aboard the Queen Mary. Many of the men on the boat make horrible comments to the girls. Rio sees Strand and they get together. Pages 277-292
End of Part 1

I don't like how the author puts Rio a lot and Rainy or Frangie very little. I do like all the girls. Rio is my favourite because I know the most about her. I feel like I can't make an attaching to the girls because of the so little details. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

4 stars is pretty good.

I'm really excited to read this one, as I'm a fan of Grant's. Will you be reading the second one too? I still need to buy it.

[Carolyn]

Yeah. The only problem is that I forget that it is WW2. I keep thinking its present time. It is pretty good. There's no language, some romance, and tons of action. I'm really enjoying it.

[Maddie]

How can you forget it's WWII?

I love my historical fiction haha. That's why I'm really pleased to read this one, because Grant's a favourite author of mine, and historical's also a favourite.

[Carolyn]

I don't know. It's just different. It seems so modern but so not.

[Carolyn]

I need to read now. I've been slacking all day.

[Maddie]

Alright haha. I need to read more too.

[Carolyn]

62%. 3 1/2 stars. Pages 295-357. I'm on page 361, but I'm in the middle of a chapter. (view spoiler)[ What Has Happened So Far:
-background about the war Pages 295-301
-Letters are sent home Pages 302-306
-Rio gets drunk off whiskey and kisses Jack. I had a feeling this would happen. It didn't really surprise me. Pages 307-315
- Frangie got a letter from her family telling her that she can come home now because her dad got a job. That surprised me. I thought her dad was crippled and wasn't able to work. That's the whole reason she enlisted. And she can't go back now. She enlisted into the army. No going back. Frangie helps Sergeant Green repair a bunch of injured solider. I feel like something is going to happen between Frangie and Sergeant Green. I feel like they will fall in love. Pages 316-321
- Rainy shoots down (not literally) a sailor trying to hit on her. Pages 321-322
-Rio's squad boards a ship to go on a commando mission. Rio tries to squish the feelings she has for Jack down and tries to focus on Strand and the task ahead of her. Rio was stupid for kissing Jack, but I don't blame her. Pages 323-336
-Rio is afraid that she won't get off the boat when the time comes. A day later, they see a German airplane fly over ahead. Their ship has to go a different direction. Once they get to the beach, someone starts to shoot and they have to fight back? I don't know. It's really vague. All I know is that Kerwin Cassel gets shot in the neck and chest and dies. It's really sad, but this is a war book. I feel like it's the black troops shooting at them. But I don't know. Pages 337-357 (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Oh no it went downhill :(

[Carolyn]

I'm getting bored. Let me finish the chapter. Then, I'll post an update.

[Maddie]

Have you read his BZRK series? I read that a few years ago, the first one, and I was sooo confused. I'd never been more confused in a book. So I need to give that a revisit.

[Carolyn]

What's the first book called?

[Maddie]

Just BZRK.

[Carolyn]

Okay. I'll look it up.

[Carolyn]

78%. 4 stars. Pages 358-450. (view spoiler)[ What Has Happened So Far:
• Frangie's group gets hit by a grenade and her friend from home, Doon Acey, dies with intestines coming out of his body. I found this chapter really sad and disgusting. I have a really weak stomach and can't really take disgusting things like this that much. Pages 358-373
•Rio has to face the fact that Kerwin died and she watched it all happened. I felt bad for her there. It turns out that they were on the wrong part of the beach. When they get to the right part, Rio is behind Geer who is at point. I would scared if I was her, and she IS scared. Sergeant Cole tells Geer to fall back and let Rio take point. Rio sees a man who is a Frenchman. She and the Sergeant have brandy with him and are going to take him as prisoner. Jenou calls out to say there is tanks. Pages 374-396
•Rio shoots two Italians, kills one and wounds the other. Sergeant tells them to retreat. Pages 397-414
•Rainy translates German radio intercepts for a Sergeant Lieutenant. Pages 415-425
•Rio and her squad are running away from the enemy as a retreat. A German plane swoops down at them. Pages 426-433
• Rainy volunteers herself as a runner to get to the troops and must jump from an airplane. Pages 434-439
•Frangie helps wounded soldiers and when her troop decides to leave, she stays to comfort her dying patient. Pages 440-450 (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Carolyn]

87%! 3.75 stars. Pages 451-506 (view spoiler)[ What Has Happened So Far:
•Rainy freaks out about jumping out of an airplane which I do not blame her about. I would freak out, too. She gets pushed out the airplane by her pilot which causes the pilot to crash and causes Rainy to feel guilty about his death. I feel like she should feel guilty. He could have survived the war if she wouldn't have freak out, but I still don't blame. Put in the situation, I would have freaked out, too. Pages 451-458
•Frangie gets beat up and captured by German soldiers. She is getting used as a medic for them at the end of the chapter. I'm sad that Frangie got captured. I liked her so much. She is gentle and conflicted, but also determined and brave. I felt like we made a connection. Pages 459-467
•After running away, Rio's troop is ridiculed by the British commandos. A jeep pulls up and Rainy jumps out to deliver the message that they must do this mission. As they walk, they come to a mine field and the jeep blows up. Pages 468-482
•I'm confused about what happens in this chapter. It's vague or I just don't understand it. I know that Rio, Jack, and Stick see dead people and dead people body parts. Pages 483-494
•Rio's troops shoots at the Germans. Pages 495-506 (hide spoiler)]

[Carolyn]

100%.

[Maddie]

What's the overall rating??

[Carolyn]

3 stars.

[Maddie]

Oh wow went down.

[Carolyn]

Yeah. When are you starting?

[Maddie]

Not sure but don't worry I'll get to it. And I'll definitely let you know when I do start.

[Carolyn]

👍