Official Review: The Ghosts of Saratoga

[Miller56]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Ghosts of Saratoga" by David R. Ossont and David Dampf.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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When you kill in war, do you become a murderer? Is it wrong to eventually like killing during war? Roland (Rollie) McCaffray struggled with these thoughts as a scout in the American Revolution. At seventeen, Rollie shot his first man while trying to get away from British scouts. His dreams are filled with the men he has killed during the war. He thinks about what their families are like and hears their ghosts speaking to him in his sleep. The Ghosts of Saratoga by David R. Ossont and David Dampf takes the reader on the trail of the British, led by General Burgoyne, and the Americans, led by General St. Clair, as they fight for control along the Hudson River, starting at Fort Ticonderoga. It also describes the Hessians that fought with the British, led by Baron von Riedesel. This book is historical fiction.

The main characters of the book are Roland McCaffrey and Caleb O’Connor. Caleb is Roland’s Sergeant. I could picture them in my mind as I was reading. The authors did a great job of describing the characters. I could envision the area where the battles took place. I liked both characters. Caleb was a very protective man towards Roland. He always put him first and tried to keep him safe. Roland was young and often needed a fatherly figure. Caleb provided that.

Some of the dialog in this book are difficult to read. However, when you think of the time period, the wording makes sense. Many of the characters were raised in the country and worked hard but had little education. Roland was one of the few who could read and was often asked to read letters to the soldiers. This book could use editing to ensure the grammar and punctuation are correct. There are sentences that are missing words or the wrong words have been used.

I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The story kept me engaged even with the editing errors. I took away one star because of the editing. Sometimes the errors disrupted the flow of the story. The book was written for preteen to young adults and focuses on the Battle of Saratoga during the Revolutionary War. This battle was an important turning point in the American Revolution for the Colonial Army. This novel is an excellent book to bring history to life and make it interesting for those who don’t really enjoy history.

I recommend this book for preteen and teen readers. It is a short book that is action packed and provides a great look at a specific historical battle. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys history. I think adults would enjoy this book as an easy to read, rainy day novel.

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The Ghosts of Saratoga
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[shadow-reborn]

I like the story cause i have the same thought and now that thought is got answered by this book

[Miller56]

I like the story cause i have the same thought and now that thought is got answered by this book

These were questions I never really thought about. However, I can see where war can change your thought processes and make you question who you are. Thanks for stopping by.