Official Review: Guardians In Blue by Ken Bangs

[Joy Boudreau]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Guardians In Blue" by Ken Bangs.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Although Guardians in Blue by Ken Bangs is categorized as historical fiction, it was difficult for me to tell for sure how much is fiction and how much is historical. It’s written in a style similar to that of an autobiography or a memoir. The main character’s name is Ken Bangs, who goes by K.W. An epilogue giving outcomes to situations detailed in the book also provides the feel that Guardians in Blue might be more historical than fiction, although names may certainly have been changed.

While Ken Bangs was struggling through a difficult childhood, he received special attention from a police officer. After a traumatic event in his childhood, the town fathers of Plano, TX took Ken under their wing and provided for him opportunities that he would otherwise have not received. Because of these experiences, Ken wanted nothing more than to grow up and become a police officer—a guardian. Fast forward through police academy, Ken—now known as K.W.—attains his childhood dream of joining the police force. Guardians in Blue takes the reader through the life of a police officer. Departmental politics, “good” cops, “bad” cops, nerve-wracking stakeouts, arrests, wins, and losses are all part of the story.

I struggled at first to become involved in the story, as it is written in a rather detached manner. Facts come easily to the author, but the emotions are also stated factually rather than allowing the reader to live the emotions through the book. Perhaps this is wise, as some of the material covered is delicate and could be difficult to deal with if the raw emotions were constantly present. When I was further into the book, the facts themselves drew me in, as I was gaining a view of a world that I know very little about. I have never been desperate for drugs or in a position that would make robbing a store the natural next choice in my life. I have never watched a co-worker breathe out the last breath due to being murdered during a robbery. I have never looked into the face of evil.

I wondered why the author felt compelled to tell this story. Perhaps he wrote for a therapy exercise since he had dealt with so many rough situations, or perhaps he wrote this to justify the actions of police officers in this time when cops are so quickly vilified. Perhaps the author wishes to show the world that all cops are not bad or to acknowledge that the police force does struggle with race and equality issues. It is not easy to do the right thing in tense situations that are happening faster than one can think. Each of the criminals discussed in the book was allowed a humanity that we don’t often see in the struggle of “good vs. bad.” Based on that, I also wondered if this was a philosophical exercise to show the path behind destructive choices that are made, to show that criminals are people just like anyone else, only they have been placed in poor situations and have made poor choices.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, despite it being a different style of writing than I am used to in a fiction book. I felt the author treated the characters fairly, showing both negative and positive traits of both criminals and police officers. Wrong choices were not glossed over or given a sugar coating. I would recommend this to anyone who is struggling internally about the current state of affairs with Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter, and other such current social issues. I do not promise it will change anyone’s mind about the police force, but it should open eyes to a “behind the scenes” glimpse of what goes on during the average workday for officers.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I was tempted to give it a 3 star rating due to the unemotional style of writing, but after thinking this through, I feel this is the best way to handle this type of content. The topic is timely. As stated earlier, the lines between historical fiction and memoir are fuzzy, so that is one consideration when someone is choosing to read this book. I also give a warning that there may be triggers in this book for anyone who has dealt personally with any form of police violence. Read with caution.

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Guardians In Blue
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Like greenstripedgiraffe's review? Post a comment saying so!

[MarisaRose]

Thanks for an honest review! Although this book sounds interesting, I too think I would be put off by the unemotional style of the writing.

[LivreAmour217]

I really enjoyed reading your review, and I'm strongly considering giving his book a go! The detached manner of the writing makes me believe that much of it could be based on actual events. People who have dealt with psychological trauma often become emotionally flat when discussing it, so I'm wondering if this book was at least partially a therapeutic endeavor for the author. I am also interested in getting the insider's view of the justice system from the perspectives of cops and perpetrators. Given recent events in the U.S., I'm sure that this book will be eye-opening. Thanks again for a great review!

[kimmyschemy06]

That was a very insightful review. The book sounds not only very interesting but also very informative. And I would agree with LivreAmour217, I think 'this book will be eye-opening'. Great job on the review. Congratulations to Ken Bangs on such an obviously well written book.