What about the stories we never heard about? We hear of the heroism of brave (and usually white) men in WW2. But what would WW2 have been like if women were allowed to fight alongside men? What would it have been like for the women who were enlisted or signed up? And what would it have been like for black soldiers (in general, but women especially.)? When I started this book, I was expecting (although maybe I shouldn't have had any expectations, as I've never read any Michael Grant before) action, less dialogue, very little feminism, just girls fighting in WW2. How wrong could I have been? This is amazing. It's completely pro-feminism, and anti-segregation/racism. We follow 3 girls: Rio (and her friend Jenou), who enlist to be a part of something big; Rainy who is an Jewish American who would personally like to kill Adolf Hitler if the opportunity were to arise; and Frangie Marr, a black girl from Tulsa, who enlists to save money for her struggling family, and to become a medic for black soldiers. We follow them right from the start as they enlist, right up until the end of a huge battle (the results of which I'm not going to spoil)! It was completely eye-opening. Women were not allowed to enlist in WW2, so this is obviously an alternate reality, but it shows that woman are just as capable as men, (if not better somtimes ;) ) in any given situation, and that gender should not matter. It also however gives an insight into the opinions and attitudes of the time - there is a lot of gesticulation and sexual comments made towards the girls, and an awful lot of "War is no place for a woman." even from people they love. (Which shows how far we've come!) More interestingly (to me, at least) it showed the attitudes and frankly disgusting views of white soldiers towards their black counterparts. This was interesting because we never, ever hear about black soldiers or their stories and the injustices they faced even alongside their own 'allies', plainly because of the colour of their skin. It made me feel sick. And finally, it doesn't hide or shoo away from the horrors of war. They are illustrated very realisticly, and very vividly. You will feel uncomfortable (and potentially nauseated at times). It shows us that we need as a world to stop glamourising war (because we do) and the harsh realities of everyday warfare. For the last 150+ pages I would dread coming to the end of the less harrowing chapters because I knew more horrors were in store. I knew it was going to make me very uneasy. This is by far one of the best books I've read so far this year, and I'm definitely going to read more of Michael Grant's work!

Predominantly following three women; Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr and Rainy Schulterman Front Lines shows an alternative history where women were eligible to fight, in combat, in World War II. This first instalment shows the three women enlisting in the United States army, their training and fist mission and action in 1942. Firstly, Front Lines is incredibly gripping and features all the common elements one would expect when reading something centred within a war - brutal training, young men and women putting their lives at risk without fully knowing what they were up against, guns, bombs, blood, death, tanks, warfare. All that good stuff. But, the one thing Michael Grant chooses to focus on the sexism, racism and other social injustices of the time that many people seem to draw a blind-eye to. It is a recurring theme throughout the book and is handled and written very well. Something that I love is that all three main women are different. Not only in their personality or behaviours, but in race and religion as well. Rio Richlin is white from a small town in California. Frangie Marr is an African-American from Oklahoma and Rainy Schulterman is a Jewish New Yorker. It's nice to see diversity across the women and it helps show that sexism and racism are different for all woman. I found all three relatable in ways and I think any woman who reads this book can find a female character to relate to. The comradery between the women and some of the men is nice to see. It's different and incredibly pleasing as a female reader to read a book where the women don't hate each other on first glance. It was nice to see the some of the male characters being friendly to be friendly. They weren't trying to get something out of it. Also seeing the change in some of the men's attitudes towards the women before training, during training and then during and after the missions. I like that you can tell the men are supporting characters in this story. You notice them and learn things but its only what the characters choose to say rather than being explained in narration. This is my first Michael Grant novel but I adore the way her characterises each woman in this book. You can tell that they are all going to go through some serious character development over the course of the books and it is something I am greatly looking forward to. He also gives a sense of realism with the use of the slurs. He doesn't shy away from all the prejudice of the time and gives you constant reminders of it throughout. He pays good attention to detail and you learn a lot about our three leads before they even sign up for the war. Some were eager to prove themselves and fight Hitler, where others just needed an army paycheck. However, there are a couple a nagging things I have in the back of my head that I need to get off my chest. Firstly, I had a great hint of annoyance when I saw that this book was considered "alternate history". There were in fact, women fighting and drafted in both World War II and World War I. It shouldn't be alternative because women were there they weren't just at home and I hate the fact that this book basically ignores that and makes women fighting in WW I & II sound completely fictitious. Plus, Grant, so far, has only stated American women were drafted to fight. There is diversity in this book but it doesn't change the fact that all, bar two, of the characters are American. It would have been nice to see women from other countries being represented too especially since America had only just joined the war effort. Maybe we'll see women from other nations as the we progress, or at least I hope we will. Secondly, I couldn't get rid of the feeling that this book is clearly written by a man. I'm sure Grant had the best intentions, but he conveniently never mentions certain things about women. Mainly a little something that lasts a couple of days each month. Just saying. Pretty sure a woman's cycle wouldn't stop just because there's a war on. Maybe I'm nit-picking, but as a female reader, reading a book about women, that's written by a man, these are things I notice and look for. Thirdly, as relatable as the women are, they each seem to have only one main personality trait. Rainy is the smart one. Jenou is the flirt. Frangie is kind. Women can be more than one is all I'm saying. In addition, it's war. I don't think many women would be sat in a hole with a rifle thinking about boys. I noticed in the GoodReads, Popular Answered Questions about this book someone said there wasn't much romance. I would definitely say there isn't romance but there is almost a constant reference to men. All three of the girls seem to conveniently have a potential male in their peripheral vision and even though is isn't something that is mentioned directly, it's there. I noticed it and I find it pointless in the grand scheme of things. I wouldn't say any of these are major issues. Particularly the last few since they are common in most books. It's the first one that irritates me the most. I wouldn't say any of it is criticism exactly, more so things I noticed along the way and just had to mention. Overall, I found Front Lines to be a gritty and fierce take on one of the darkest parts of history. It is definitely a slow-build. You are over half-way through the book before any of the girls see any action, so if you are reading this for action side then you will need to persist and be patient. But, what you get in that build and after is a realistic and historically accurate take on many types of social prejudice. I'm looking forward to seeing how the characters progress further in the next book.