The Reception of Byzantium in European Culture Since 1500
Przemyslaw Marciniak and Dion C. Smythe
Book
Studies on the reception of the classical tradition are an indispensable part of classical studies....
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Book
If it is true that great art comes from great suffering, then the art of Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821 -...
Kerio Operator Softphone
Productivity and Utilities
App
Kerio Operator Softphone is a software-based phone client that lets you make and receive calls on...
Wiki Offline 2 — Take Wikipedia With You
Reference and Productivity
App
Wiki Offline is a beautiful Wikipedia™ reader that does not require internet. It has been lovingly...
Perception
Video Game Watch
Perception is a tense psychological thriller where players must uncover the mysteries of a sinister...
action adventure
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Among the Red Stars in Books
Dec 21, 2018
I though the plot and world building were excellent! The story for Among the Red Stars is mostly told through letters written by Valka, the main character, and her childhood friend, Pasha. Set in Russia during World War II, Pasha was drafted and had no choice but to join, and Valka voluntarily joined because she had been wanting to be a pilot since she was young. The all female bomber regiment isn't taken seriously at first since they are all young and female, but soon enough, it because apparent that these female pilots are the real deal and just as good as their male counterparts. Among the Red Stars is also based in some fact too which made the book that much more interesting. My emotions were all over the place reading this book. I kept on hoping the outcome of the story would be a good one. Among the Red Stars answered all the questions I had, and I would suggest reading the Author's Note at the end of the book because it will give you more insight into the all female Russian bomber regiment. I found it very interesting. The only thing that bothered me was that Valka's parents weren't really mentioned throughout the book. I would have thought that Valka's parents would have written to their daughter during the war. If they didn't want to, it would have been nice to have an explanation as to why they didn't want to write to their daughter. I just found it a bit strange that Valka's parents weren't mentioned at all during the book except for briefly towards the end.
The characters were written very well in Among the Red Stars. It was interesting to learn that many of the characters mentioned in Among the Red Stars were based on actual people who served in World War II. As I've said before, a lot of the story is based on fact which made this book that much more enjoyable. I loved seeing Pasha and Valka grow throughout their letters. I was always hoping they'd be reunited soon because it was obvious how much they really cared about each other. I also loved the relationship between Valka and her cousin Iskra. It was refreshing to read about the love between them. I admired Galya's and Lilya's spirit throughout the war, and I loved how awesome Vera and Tanya were. All the females in Among the Red Stars were amazing, and I admired each and every one of them. I loved the camaraderie between all the girls. I will admit that sometimes it was hard to keep up with who was who during the book due to the Russian names, but I still thoroughly enjoyed every character. If you read the Author's Note at the end of the book, you can learn more about each character that was actually a real person. I loved that Gwen C. Katz added all that information.
The pacing for Among the Red Stars grabs you by the hand and never lets go! Never once did I grow bored of the story. The story never got too fast paced for me where I was confused with what was happening. The pacing was fantastic!
Trigger warnings for Among the Red Stars include violence, death, injuries, war, and sexism.
All in all, Among the Red Stars was a fantastic, thrilling read. I never wanted to put it down. This book had everything from a great group of characters to a fantastic plot. I would definitely recommend Among the Red Stars by Gwen C. Katz to everyone aged 14+. It's such an interesting book as well as an interesting way to learn about a piece of important history.
--
(A special thank you to the author for providing me with a paperback of Among the Red Stars in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Translate Free - Language Translator & Dictionary
Travel and Reference
App
myLanguage Translator Free is a robust and comprehensive free translation solution that has a great...
Live Translator Pro - Speech and Text Translation
Business and Productivity
App
Live Translator Pro is the smartest translation tool on your iPhone and iPad. Instantly translate...
Secret Files: Tunguska
Games and Entertainment
App
[ FULL GAME! NO EPISODES! The award-winning point and click adventure returns on the App Store,...
Mind Games Pro
Education and Games
App
Exercise Your Brain! This is the unlimited, ad-free, version of the hit brain training app. Mind...