Soldier X

     Soldier X by Don L. Wulffson

     As World War II rages, sixteen-year-old Erik Brandt finds himself on a train traveling to Russia. He's one of the hundreds of thousands of German boys being sent to the Eastern Front by Hitler-since no men are left to fight. Trained as an interpreter and not a soldier, Erik manages to survive the combat, but only by slipping into a dead enemy's uniform, and posing as a wounded Russian. Now the young German must keep up his charade....

     Soldier X is based on a conversation author Don Wulffson had with a German war survivor. The result is a thoughtful and compelling novel that takes readers inside the mind of a boy who must fight and even die for a war he doesn't believe in.


     Ages 12-14


      Soldier X illustrates the dramatic tale of a young boy thrown into the midst of battle and lost behind enemy lines...As a member of HJ, or, more commonly known as the Hitler Youth. 


     I have always been a WWII buff, and I'll literally do anything to get my hands on a piece f literature relating to it, but, sadly, this one didn't meet my expectations. 


     In my opinion, you wait and wait, and you expect something big to happen, then it just...doesn't. Every one goes home, and nothing really actually happens. Though the beginning of the novel held such promise.


      I don't really have much to add to this, but, if you do enjoy War fiction, this just might wet your appetite, and, I also wouldn't rule it out for Junior readers. As a young adult, things like this (written simply without much graphics), just don't hold my attention. If you're schooling your children, or sixth grade class about the Holocaust, and want a unique perspective of Germany's feeling on the war, this is perfect for you. As a matter of fact, my youngest brother absolutely loves this, and your younger children probably will too.  


Vision-  3 stars
Originality- 3 stars
Technique- 4 stars
Imagination- 3 stars    


Overall Value- 4 stars