From School Library Journal Gr 8 Up-Invasion tells of the events of D-Day and the weeks immediately following from the perspective of Josiah Wedgewood, a young soldier in the U.S. Army's 29th infantry. Woody and his fellow battalion mates are only vaguely aware of what will be happening when they arrive at Omaha Beach. The landing, as history knows, is horrendous. Woody watches as dozens of his companions are killed. Immediately after, the men begin to fight their way inland. The action is nonstop and the losses are heartbreaking. The segregation of the U.S. Army is only lightly touched upon, as Woody runs into an African American he knew from his hometown; the majority of the novel is the 29th infantry's push across the French countryside. Myers eloquently conveys how exhausting war is physically and emotionally. He writes simple sentences that are often short, sharp, and blunt. The language is somewhat innocent, a bit gentler than what readers are used to now; but since it is a novel about war, there are some F-bombs and some earthy talk about bodies. Woody and his mates are thinking of home, while trying not to think in general. There is a subtle bit of reader manipulation; although the book is written in the past tense, the D-Day landing chapter is in present tense, adding to its tension. With the constant forward momentum of the soldiers, and the continuous battles they fight, this novel can be hard to read, but it is also hard to put down.-Geri Diorio, Ridgefield Library, CTα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Read more From Booklist *Starred Review* It’s June 6, 1944, D-Day, and 19-year-old Josiah “Woody” Wedgewood is part of the Allied invasion, huddled up with a group of other men against the cliffs on Omaha Beach. “We are in a killing zone,” he thinks in agony, “and we are dying.” All around him is a scene from hell: the beach filled with the dead and dying; more soldiers being mercilessly shot by the Germans as they attempt to land on the beach; the noise of war— shots and explosions—so loud that Woody can’t hear the screams all around him. “I will never be the same again,” he thinks. Myers’ excellent prequel to his two other war novels, Fallen Angels (1988) and Sunrise over Fallujah (2008), charts the course of war in the month following the invasion as Woody, who tells the compelling story in his own first-person voice, and his comrades continue to fight through the countryside in pursuit of the Germans. The reader sees the fear, confusion, horror, and brutality of war through Woody’s eyes. In a subplot involving Woody and his African American friend Marcus, the reader is also acquainted with the ugly segregation that was a daily fact of life during WWII. In this novel, Myers has done peace an inestimable service by showing so vividly what a truly terrible idea war is. Grades 9-12. --Michael Cart Read more Review Praise for FALLEN ANGELS[star] "War-story fans will find enough action here, though it isn't glorified . . . Readers will be haunted." -- KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review[star] "A riveting account of the Vietnam War." -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review[star] "This gut-wrenching Vietnam War novel . . . breaks uncharted ground." -- BOOKLIST, starred reviewPraise for SUNRISE OVER FALLUJAH"Astonishing." -- THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW"Superb." -- SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLEPraise for THE GLORY FIELD[star] "This series of resonant stories shows how each generation comes of age by taking a stand against oppression. In his typically taut, economic prose, Myers illuminates shadowy corners of history." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review[star] "A stunning novel . . . a must read for absolutely everyone." -- KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review"When Josiah “Woody” Wedgwood enlists in the army, he is immediately sent to England to prepare for the Normandy invasion, harboring only vague ideas about the nature of war. But when he lands on the beach in France, the reality of battle hits him. “We are at the water’s edge. A soldier runs past us onto the sand. Suddenly he falls to his knees and clutches his belly. As his body bends forward, I see the bullets rip into his bowed back. We move away from him. Move away from the terrible bullets.” Facing terror, Woody questions what he’s doing, makes desperate pleas to God, and worries about when and where to go to the bathroom. The brutal battle scenes and wartime musings are vividly told. But there’s also a sense of the times, such as the naive feelings Woody has for a girl back home or the racist and xenophobic attitudes among his fellow soldiers in the 29th Infantry Division. These Myers delivers, along with his themes, subtly through Woody’s matter-of-fact observations as his ragged battalion fights its way through Normandy. Woody, who is white, volunteered with hometown acquaintance (and important wartime friend) Marcus Perry, Robin Perry’s grandfather in Sunrise over Fallujah (rev. 5/08) and Richard Perry’s uncle in Fallen Angels (rev. 7/88). Marcus, a black soldier, faces grave danger driving a truck but doesn’t participate in direct combat (although the book jacket art seems to belie this fact); in 1944, troops were segregated and menial jobs frequently relegated to black soldiers. And this was the Good War." - Betty Carter, Hornbook Magazine starred reviewBooklist Starred ReviewIt’s June 6, 1944, D-Day, and 19-year-old Josiah (Woody) Wedgewood is part of the Allied Invasion, huddled up with a group of other men against the cliffs on Omaha Beach. “We are in a killing zone,” he thinks in agony, “and we are dying.” All around him is a scene from hell: the beach filled with the dead and dying; more soldiers being mercilessly shot by the Germans as they attempt to land on the beach; the noise of war, shots and explosions ,so loud that Woody can’t hear the screams all around him. “I will never be the same again,” he thinks. Myers’ excellent prequel to his two other war novels, Fallen Angels (1988) and Sunrise over Fallujah (2008), charts the course of war in the month following the invasion as Woody, who tells the compelling story in his own first-person voice, and his comrades continue to fight through the countryside in pursuit of the Germans. The reader sees the fear, confusion, horror, and brutality of war through Woody’s eyes. In a subplot involving Woody and his African American friend Marcus, the reader is also acquainted with the ugly segregation that was a daily fact of life during WW II. In Invasion, Meyrs has done peace an inestimable service by showing so vividly what a truly terrible idea war is. Read more About the Author Walter Dean Myers is the 2012 - 2013 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. He is the critically acclaimed NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author an award-winning body of work which includes SOMEWHERE IN THE DARKNESS, SLAM!, and MONSTER. Mr. Myers has received two Newbery Honor medals, five Coretta Scott King Author Book Awards, and three National Book Award Finalist citations. In addition, he is the winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey. Read more
S**X
Realistic novel about World War II
This is the third novel in a loosely-connected series of war stories by Walter Dean Myers. Marcus Perry, one of the lead characters in this novel, is father to Richie Perry ("Fallen Angels"). Richie is Uncle to Robin Perry of "Sunrise in Fallujah". Marcus Perry is not the main character in this novel, however. Josiah Wedgewood (Woody) is his hometown friend who fights in the infantry, and most of this book centers around Woody's experiences with war. "Invasion" deals with the storming of Omaha beach and fighting the Germans in Normandy. The action in this novel is graphic and realistic. The language is explicit, but not out of place, considering the events of the book. With every battle, more and more of Woody's fellow soldiers are killed. The deaths take their toll on everyone and everyone has a different way of coping (or not coping) with the experience. The author's note at the end of the novel is excellent and helps to put this novel in context. Although I didn't like this book as much as "Fallen Angels", I would definitely recommend it.
M**N
Five Stars
Great book! I lover reading about wwll.
K**6
Great book
It was a good book. It kept you on edge wondering what was going to happen next and made the book interesting.
E**O
interesting
Very interesting
M**B
AWESOME STORY
I had a very good time reading this book, It was good and never boring. If you order this book, you will not be disappointed.
S**N
Poorly written, does not portray the time period accurately
This is not a good book. It is set during World War II but the attitudes and lingo are too contemporary and feel out of place.
B**8
A review from Bookworm1858
Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.I've seen a lot of works by this author but have never tried any of his works for myself. I was a bit nervous to read that Invasion is a prequel to two previous works by Myers but after conducting a bit of research, I realized they aren't really related. One character in this book is the ancestor of characters in the other two but they are set in much later time periods while this one looks closely at D-Day and the invasion of Normandy.I've read some outstanding examples of WWII fiction (um, Elizabeth Wein anyone?) but lately it has been looking more at a female perspective rather than the male soldier perspective so I was excited for a different take. From the summary, I thought it might explore segregation during this period in addition to looking at war's tragedies. That's not really true. Though main character Josiah Wedgewood does briefly mention segregation (not officially ended until an Executive Order in 1948) and how that might make his friend feel, never mind how he feels about it, it does not play an important role. Instead there are long descriptions of the fighting and killing and towards the end, the story becomes more poignant with Josiah pondering how he'll continue.After getting over my disappointment that this book isn't really about Josiah and Marcus Perry's interracial friendship (and really doesn't the cover kind of suggest that?), I really struggled with this book. It reminded me of "Saving Private Ryan" with its incredible visuals that are much harder to read. I found the reading very dull. However it did improve for me toward the end particularly with Josiah's comrade Mink quoting poetry, juxtaposing those beautiful lines against the barbarous circumstances and his musings on war. In the author's note, Myers shares his own experiences with his son serving and also discusses the books this one precedes chronologically. While I liked these moments, they weren't enough to make up for my lack of connection to the story and especially to Josiah. I think it is very well-written and will certainly be a powerful read for some, just not me.Overall: May be a good read for those who are already fans of this author and who really love World War II fiction; I just didn't connect with the characters or storytelling.
T**D
Thoughtful, Visceral Novel
Walter Dean Myers turns out books so quickly and of such quality that I'm beginning to think he's a writing cyborg. "Invasion" is an accessible novel for teens, even if their knowledge of WWII is negligible. The novel is well-researched (with the exception of a few phrases that don't fit the time period - the main character talks about "zoning out" and that something "sucked"). Myers has the gift of creating characters in a few short sentences, a talent that is appreciated in his war novels where there are many soldiers in the outfits who need to be differentiated. Myers captures the tedium of war and the horror of war, once again using an ordinary soldier as our narrator and tour guide to the insanity. As an English teacher, I'm glad to have a readable book of historical fiction to recommend to my students.
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