Sentries

Experimental YA literature was a hit-or-miss proposition for Gary Paulsen. A number of his works fit the category—Tracker, for one, as well as Canyons and The Rifle—but if any Paulsen novel should be called experimental it is Sentries, a highly stylized offering that attempts to be an atom bomb of a......more

Imagine being a teenager and feeling that your entire life as you know it is on the line. This is exactly how four teenagers from four different parts of the country all felt at the same time. Sue, a Native American, is living her life unlike her ancestors. Her dilemma is that her elder grandfather......more

3.5 stars really; surprisingly, David’s character was really well done, as was Laura’s. The war vignettes were surprisingly brutal, and I was a little surprised to see how deeply brutal Paulson was willing to go (although I guess I shouldn’t be based on what I remember from Dogsong). Sue’s chapters......more

Vignettes: Loneliness Times Four This an unusual book--definitely not a novel, for the plot is non-existant. The storyline alternates among 4 teenagers and 3 veterans of different wars--none of whom meet each other. According to the Summary, there is a theme which provides commonality/literary glue,......more

I really liked this book. It was unlike anything I've ever read before, but I was captivated by the intimate personal descriptions and dialogues. Paulsen has a way of getting into the head of a person and spurting out on the page the exact words that person is thinking. The ending is both poignant,......more