Review by V-20 -- Back to Serve

[V-20]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Back to Serve" by CW3 Cesare Giannetti U.S. Army (Ret.).]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Serving, in many ways, is a selfless act since you are prioritizing other's sake before yours. Back to Serve: Return of a Soldier by CW3 Cesare Giannetti U.S. Army (Ret.) is a memoir about a retired soldier named Nico Corretti, who is looking forward to living his life with his family after serving his country for a long time. Being with the army for years, Nico learned to be alert and to observe his surroundings wherever he went.

One day, on his way back home, he met a lady at the bar and told him that his life is in danger. Nadya, a Russian lady whom Nico met, tries to help him by warning him about the danger that lies ahead. But can he trust this lady? How did she know that Nico was in that bar? Is it really true that being a soldier never stops? Learn the answer to these questions by reading this book.

The author played with me as I was reading his story. I was bored at the first half because of the slow turning of events, but I was thrilled and excited when I got to the second half of the book. It was well-written and easy to understand although there were Italian phrases and Russian accents used. It was funny every time I read the dialogue of the Russian characters since it was written how Russian speaks the language.

I noticed that some scene does not suit Nico's character because since he is a retired soldier, he was expected to be smart every time he meets new people, but it was too easy for him to believe and follow a lady whom he just met. He even let others control his fate by allowing them to take care of the important decisions about his life. I also don't like that the back story is too long during Nico's road trip. This was the slow-paced part since it took three chapters to end. I think the book lacks focus on some scenes.

What I liked the most about the book is how the author highlights the value of family. I even added this to the list of books that made me cry. I appreciate some of the photos posted inside the book because it gave me a picture of the scenes in my head. The author also fed my imagination well since the story is too detailed. The ending is satisfying for me, and I still want more of the story. It was also a treat from the author to the readers for giving us a bit of military history.

I recommend this book to retired soldiers, baseball, and action story lovers who are in high school and older since the book has some profanity. There were minor erotic scenes and minimal errors found in this book.

In conclusion, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It will give motivation and inspiration to the readers and will also make them think about their purpose in life.

******
Back to Serve
View: on Bookshelves

[Bigwig1973]

I hadn't been keeping up with the news when this book was written, so I had a hard time focusing on the plot! There is so much information in this book! I also think I fell in love with Nico's dad; he seems like such a sweet guy! I also wondered how they knew he'd be in that particular bar I like how you use questions in your review to entice readers!