Review by Nate_long -- The Bronze Bear
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Nate_long
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- Latest Review: The Bronze Bear by Jerry A. Greenberg
Review by Nate_long -- The Bronze Bear
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Bronze Bear" by Jerry A. Greenberg.]
The Bronze Bear by Jerry A. Greenberg is a historical fiction novel that follows, Fred Warrenton, the main character through his childhood in Hope Ohio until his is drafted into World War I. We hear about his shyness, passion for literature and friendship with a girl named Martha Kay who also shares his love for reading. He is too timid to tell her how he feels about her before being drafted into the army, but we do see him stick up for her against a schoolyard bully. Once he is sent to boot camp, we see his scholarly personality get him into some trouble with the drill instructor, but eventually he learns how to be a soldier and is able to build friendships and feel more self-confident. They are sent to France to fight in the trenches and as the best shot in the unit he is promoted to sniper. We witness the tragedies of war as some of his closest friends die in his time on the front lines, but an elderly French woman meets him on leave and gifts him the statue of the Bronze Bear. He is skeptical if this charm is really significant but as we read, we meet the Great Spirit Bear contained in the statue. Only Fred is able to speak with it, but it still greatly comforts him in the trenches and enables him to mature and feel even more confident in his self. We also follow Fred back home to the states where he now feels confident enough to pursue his literary interests and share with Martha Kay his true feelings for her.
I think this book is well written and simple enough for young adult readers to enjoy. Most young people attempting to follow their dreams and establish themselves as an adult would relate to this book. We see the challenges of becoming a soldier fresh out of high school, and the inner strength it takes to trust yourself when things aren’t easy. The communication with the Great Spirit Bear is a unique look at what that takes and offers insight into the challenges most young people face. In addition, this book also describes what life was like one hundred years ago, but the style in which the book is written makes it easy to see the connection between their life back then and our modern lifestyle. I think that being able to see the relationship between the life of a young man in World War I and his return to civilian life, helps exemplify the similar choices we must make as we mature into adults. I would rate this book 4 out of 4 because of the great story and parallels to challenges every young person faces. There weren’t any typos or mistakes and this novel looks professionally edited. I would recommend this book to people of any age who enjoy history, romance, combat, or inspiration. There was less than 10 curse words in the whole book, so it would be appropriate for a high school classroom setting. There was one instance of sexual talk, and it was very mild. There was very little description and I would label that scene very mildly indecent so even that would be appropriate for most young adults and teens.
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The Bronze Bear
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Bronze Bear by Jerry A. Greenberg is a historical fiction novel that follows, Fred Warrenton, the main character through his childhood in Hope Ohio until his is drafted into World War I. We hear about his shyness, passion for literature and friendship with a girl named Martha Kay who also shares his love for reading. He is too timid to tell her how he feels about her before being drafted into the army, but we do see him stick up for her against a schoolyard bully. Once he is sent to boot camp, we see his scholarly personality get him into some trouble with the drill instructor, but eventually he learns how to be a soldier and is able to build friendships and feel more self-confident. They are sent to France to fight in the trenches and as the best shot in the unit he is promoted to sniper. We witness the tragedies of war as some of his closest friends die in his time on the front lines, but an elderly French woman meets him on leave and gifts him the statue of the Bronze Bear. He is skeptical if this charm is really significant but as we read, we meet the Great Spirit Bear contained in the statue. Only Fred is able to speak with it, but it still greatly comforts him in the trenches and enables him to mature and feel even more confident in his self. We also follow Fred back home to the states where he now feels confident enough to pursue his literary interests and share with Martha Kay his true feelings for her.
I think this book is well written and simple enough for young adult readers to enjoy. Most young people attempting to follow their dreams and establish themselves as an adult would relate to this book. We see the challenges of becoming a soldier fresh out of high school, and the inner strength it takes to trust yourself when things aren’t easy. The communication with the Great Spirit Bear is a unique look at what that takes and offers insight into the challenges most young people face. In addition, this book also describes what life was like one hundred years ago, but the style in which the book is written makes it easy to see the connection between their life back then and our modern lifestyle. I think that being able to see the relationship between the life of a young man in World War I and his return to civilian life, helps exemplify the similar choices we must make as we mature into adults. I would rate this book 4 out of 4 because of the great story and parallels to challenges every young person faces. There weren’t any typos or mistakes and this novel looks professionally edited. I would recommend this book to people of any age who enjoy history, romance, combat, or inspiration. There was less than 10 curse words in the whole book, so it would be appropriate for a high school classroom setting. There was one instance of sexual talk, and it was very mild. There was very little description and I would label that scene very mildly indecent so even that would be appropriate for most young adults and teens.
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The Bronze Bear
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Bronze Bear by Jerry A. Greenberg
