This Life, This Death by Michael P. Graham

This novel is set in the fictional South American country of Asturia. David Bridgeman is a former United States fighter pilot ace from World War II. He lives a peaceful life with his girlfriend and her daughter until his friend at the mail company he flies for gets shot down. This incident is the first evidence of the threat that is to arise, an overthrow of Asturia's new democracy by one of the former brutal rulers. David Bridgeman is chosen to train new fighter pilots in preparation for the attack and lead them when the time comes. However, he is distrusted for being from the United States. He must gain the other pilots' trust before he can teach them. The story focuses on the aspects of flying a fighter plane and the tactics involved.

I did not care for the book. It was too focused on the fighting scenes and different planes, at the expense of character development and relationships. The fight scenes were long, drawn out, and confusing to follow. Also, the story often jumped between different characters' viewpoints. This made it hard to really get to know and like any character. I personally had trouble keeping the different characters, sides of the war, and airplanes straight due to the confusing manner in which the chapters jumped from one area and perspective to another. It was a dull read because of the confusion, and I would only recommend it to someone interested in fighter planes and aerial warfare.

The story contained sex, violence, and death.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Royersford, PA United States