Official Review: Model Marine by Sondra Sykes Meek

Post by **kandscreeley** » 22 Feb 2018, 15:41

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Model Marine" by Sondra Sykes Meek.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Emotional. Compelling. Intense. Brilliant. All words I would use to describe Model Marine by Sondra Sykes Meek. Classified as other fiction, I highly recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys a spellbinding read.

Molly Monroe enjoys acting on stage; her mother has had her in beauty pageants since she was a toddler. She and her best friend Beth are planning on attending the North Carolina School of the Arts together. Molly surprises everyone the summer after graduation, though, when she enters the Marine Corps.

Her mother is furious and refuses to talk to her. But life in the military is good for Molly. Stationed in Afghanistan as a Combat Camera Marine, she takes photographs and writes articles for publication. She only wishes that she would be allowed outside the wire once in a while.

Molly's story is told in flashes much as the pictures she takes with her camera. The author skillfully weaves the plot together going backward and forward in time at will. Rather than be confusing, this adds a hint of mystery as the reader pieces together what has happened. I was so enthralled with the glimpses of information I was getting that I couldn't stop reading until I assembled the whole picture. Ms. Meek does so well at letting the reader know who is speaking and giving clues about the time frame that at no point did I get lost.

I also appreciated the author's handling of military terms; as a civilian I often get bogged down by abbreviations, acronyms and slang. I didn't feel that way in Model Marine. The occasional unfamiliar term is mentioned, but the author leaves enough clues to understand what's happening without googling every other word. Thus, my focus was entirely on the story instead of on simply trying to figure out what was being said.

If you are at all familiar with my past reviews, you may know that I'm a stickler when it comes to editing. Nothing is worse than a great story that's riddled with errors as this takes away from the flow of the book. I'm thrilled to say that this book was very well edited. More than that, though, the story is so captivating that I found myself not even looking for errors. For me, that is entirely out of character, but that's how well-written this is.

There is no hesitation or uncertainty in my rating of this book. I rate Model Marine a solid 4 out of 4 stars. I honestly can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book other than perhaps those who suffer from PTSD (as it might bring back unpleasant memories.) To end my review, I'd like to leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book. It takes place when four female Marines (including Molly) are discussing their friendship.

We're like gumbo, ya know? A unique dish, enriched by our diverse cultural influences, served together, to produce a most satisfying result.

******
Model Marine
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Post by **Vickie Noel** » 23 Feb 2018, 07:38

Quick, sign me up! The sudden switch from the 'dolls kingdom' to the 'fast and furious' world of the military would be something of a head-spinner; they're so far apart. I'm very curious to know what was going on in Molly's head when she made that decision. So, I'm definitely in! Bonus points for being error-spotless too. Thanks for this engaging review, kandscreeley, with just enough juice to whet my appetite into reading the book.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 23 Feb 2018, 08:48

Vickie Noel wrote: ↑23 Feb 2018, 07:38 Quick, sign me up! The sudden switch from the 'dolls kingdom' to the 'fast and furious' world of the military would be something of a head-spinner; they're so far apart. I'm very curious to know what was going on in Molly's head when she made that decision. So, I'm definitely in! Bonus points for being error-spotless too. Thanks for this engaging review, kandscreeley, with just enough juice to whet my appetite into reading the book.

Thanks for your comments! It really is worth a read. I felt unworthy just to write the review of such a wonderful book!

Rosemary Okoko · Post by **Rosemary Okoko** » 23 Feb 2018, 11:18

Good to know that you enjoyed reading this book. I'm not into military but the quote makes me think otherwise. Sounds interesting.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 23 Feb 2018, 12:07

Rosemary Okoko wrote: ↑23 Feb 2018, 11:18 Good to know that you enjoyed reading this book. I'm not into military but the quote makes me think otherwise. Sounds interesting.

It's more human interest than military. I'd recommend it even if you aren't normally a military fan.

polar_palm_tree · Post by **polar_palm_tree** » 23 Feb 2018, 14:28

I really enjoyed reading your review. I have not read Model Marine, but after reading your review, I am heading over to Amazon to pick up a copy. Thanks!

Arrigo_Lupori · Post by **Arrigo_Lupori** » 23 Feb 2018, 15:06

Seems to be worth a read. I love stories related to photography.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 23 Feb 2018, 15:30

It's a good one for sure! Thanks for commenting.

Izesicle · Post by **Izesicle** » 23 Feb 2018, 16:25

Great cover and your review makes the book even more intriguing. I want to piece together the pieces too!

Thanks for stopping by my review.

Rusty_Nails · Post by **Rusty_Nails** » 23 Feb 2018, 17:25

It's about passion rather than just wanting to be a military..good book to read for sure..

MrsCatInTheHat · Post by **MrsCatInTheHat** » 23 Feb 2018, 18:04

This sounds like it might be an inspirational choice for high school girls, who are getting ready to make big choices. There are many ways this could be a benefit to them, from inspiration to seeing how it's okay to make decisions based on our desires, rather than our family's desires.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 23 Feb 2018, 18:46

CatInTheHat wrote: ↑23 Feb 2018, 18:04 This sounds like it might be an inspirational choice for high school girls, who are getting ready to make big choices. There are many ways this could be a benefit to them, from inspiration to seeing how it's okay to make decisions based on our desires, rather than our family's desires.

Absolutely. There's a wide audience here. Thanks.

CommMayo · Post by **CommMayo** » 24 Feb 2018, 14:52

I'm really glad that this book was so enjoyable. I almost selected it to review, but it was snatched up before I got my last review done! I love the idea of seeing the Marines from a woman's point of view and I'm so very happy that she seemed to have done this book justice.

Jkhorner · Post by **Jkhorner** » 24 Feb 2018, 17:06

You've hit on the three things I always want to know before starting a book: will the settings confuse me? will I have to google a bunch of unfamiliar terms? and did the editor do a good job? I'd love to dive into this book and learn Molly's story!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 24 Feb 2018, 17:24

CommMayo wrote: ↑24 Feb 2018, 14:52 I'm really glad that this book was so enjoyable. I almost selected it to review, but it was snatched up before I got my last review done! I love the idea of seeing the Marines from a woman's point of view and I'm so very happy that she seemed to have done this book justice.

Me too. The author is a retired marine so I think that helped make the book realistic! Thanks for the comment.