Review by gladys_faith -- A Police Action by A. A. Freda
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gladys_faith
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Review by gladys_faith -- A Police Action by A. A. Freda
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Police Action" by A. A. Freda.]
4 out of 4 stars
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"Police action" is defined as a localized military action undertaken without a formal declaration of war by regular armed forces against parties held to be violators of international peace and order. This was what James Coppi was supposed to be up against when he was ordered to join the U.S. military battle against the North Vietnamese Army. Shortly after he reached their barracks in Colorado Springs, he was immediately recognized by his superiors for his natural talent in military weapons and strategies. His money lending business was also at its peak given the evident desperation of soldiers who would be leaving for Vietnam. With only ten months left in his service, Coppi had his usual cool and carefree self; but not until she met Samantha Powers, a young and beautiful woman at Country Honky-Tonk bar. What he might have thought as a simple one-night stand turned out to be a longer and more complicated relationship that could make his last tour to be a life-changing adventure.
Since I am not an avid fan of the historical fiction genre, I honestly thought that this story would be a bit dull for me; however, it was good to say that I was wrong. I was not able to stop turning pages when I got to know more about James and I became highly engaged with his adventure as a Specialist Fourth Class in the Vietnam-war. It discussed the real-life dangers and impacts of war on a soldier's physical and mental being. The factual military references stated in the book, which I initially thought would bore me out, actually made the storyline interesting and realistic. I even searched for some of the technical terms online and it left me satisfied to learn some trivial things about the military.
My favorite part of the story was the love affair between James and Sam. This romantic narrative was actually one of my favorite short stories so far. It was not cheesy, with no hearts and flowers, but it left my stomach fluttered with butterflies. I am quite sure that female readers out there would also swoon over James, who might be a cunning and cold soldier, but a good-natured man and a great lover nonetheless. His actions spoke louder than his words, and it made me appreciate his character more. Since he was not used to committing and settling with a partner, his relationship with strong-headed Samantha was truly an enjoyable story.
The build-up of other characters in the story was also very effective. The way its main characters, James and Sam, grew and changed their outlook in life as they dealt with their personal issues was smooth and natural. I also appreciated that the supporting roles such as James' comrades and superiors, Sam’s friends, and their families were given the right amount of exposure and justification through their interactions with the main characters. The natural accounts of their physical, psychological and even financial struggles during this merciless war were all exciting, heartwarming, and saddening at the same time.
I am giving A Police Action a perfect rating of 4 out of 4 stars. A.A. Freda deserves all the praise for this wonderful novel. It is well-written and well-edited without any notable errors throughout the whole story. A short-read with just more or less 250 pages, this book is definitely recommendable to anyone who is up for a light read and wants to spend a day relaxing with a good story. Though conservative and too young readers might want to take caution reading the book given its sexual content and its reference to abortion and birth controls, I believe that the story, in general, is really worthwhile.
As the saying goes, “A true soldier fights not because he hates what it is in front of him, but because he loves what it is behind him”. It was very common to read a soldier’s story which focused on one’s patriotism or selfless love. On the other hand, this book unnaturally showcased how it was for the draftees or lifers, who sacrificed their lives for an all-out war, not because they wanted to, but because they needed to. The story would constantly remind readers how soldiers deeply value their families and loved ones as they enter this life-threatening mission which made their sacrifices more valuable.
******
A Police Action
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
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"Police action" is defined as a localized military action undertaken without a formal declaration of war by regular armed forces against parties held to be violators of international peace and order. This was what James Coppi was supposed to be up against when he was ordered to join the U.S. military battle against the North Vietnamese Army. Shortly after he reached their barracks in Colorado Springs, he was immediately recognized by his superiors for his natural talent in military weapons and strategies. His money lending business was also at its peak given the evident desperation of soldiers who would be leaving for Vietnam. With only ten months left in his service, Coppi had his usual cool and carefree self; but not until she met Samantha Powers, a young and beautiful woman at Country Honky-Tonk bar. What he might have thought as a simple one-night stand turned out to be a longer and more complicated relationship that could make his last tour to be a life-changing adventure.
Since I am not an avid fan of the historical fiction genre, I honestly thought that this story would be a bit dull for me; however, it was good to say that I was wrong. I was not able to stop turning pages when I got to know more about James and I became highly engaged with his adventure as a Specialist Fourth Class in the Vietnam-war. It discussed the real-life dangers and impacts of war on a soldier's physical and mental being. The factual military references stated in the book, which I initially thought would bore me out, actually made the storyline interesting and realistic. I even searched for some of the technical terms online and it left me satisfied to learn some trivial things about the military.
My favorite part of the story was the love affair between James and Sam. This romantic narrative was actually one of my favorite short stories so far. It was not cheesy, with no hearts and flowers, but it left my stomach fluttered with butterflies. I am quite sure that female readers out there would also swoon over James, who might be a cunning and cold soldier, but a good-natured man and a great lover nonetheless. His actions spoke louder than his words, and it made me appreciate his character more. Since he was not used to committing and settling with a partner, his relationship with strong-headed Samantha was truly an enjoyable story.
The build-up of other characters in the story was also very effective. The way its main characters, James and Sam, grew and changed their outlook in life as they dealt with their personal issues was smooth and natural. I also appreciated that the supporting roles such as James' comrades and superiors, Sam’s friends, and their families were given the right amount of exposure and justification through their interactions with the main characters. The natural accounts of their physical, psychological and even financial struggles during this merciless war were all exciting, heartwarming, and saddening at the same time.
I am giving A Police Action a perfect rating of 4 out of 4 stars. A.A. Freda deserves all the praise for this wonderful novel. It is well-written and well-edited without any notable errors throughout the whole story. A short-read with just more or less 250 pages, this book is definitely recommendable to anyone who is up for a light read and wants to spend a day relaxing with a good story. Though conservative and too young readers might want to take caution reading the book given its sexual content and its reference to abortion and birth controls, I believe that the story, in general, is really worthwhile.
As the saying goes, “A true soldier fights not because he hates what it is in front of him, but because he loves what it is behind him”. It was very common to read a soldier’s story which focused on one’s patriotism or selfless love. On the other hand, this book unnaturally showcased how it was for the draftees or lifers, who sacrificed their lives for an all-out war, not because they wanted to, but because they needed to. The story would constantly remind readers how soldiers deeply value their families and loved ones as they enter this life-threatening mission which made their sacrifices more valuable.
******
A Police Action
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Days of the Giants by RJ Petrella
