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Reviewed by:
  • Minesweeper by Chris Lynch
  • Elizabeth Bush

Lynch, Chris Minesweeper. Scholastic, 2019 [192p] (Special Forces) Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-545-86165-6 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-545-86166-3 $11.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 7-10

It's not that recent high school grad Fergus Frew lacks direction; it's just that his [End Page 176] only direction leads straight into the California surf, where he spends all his time riding waves or earning gas money lifeguarding. He's beginning to suspect that this isn't quite a life plan, and when a fellow surfer serving in the Marines lures him into considering military service, Fergus slowly comes around. World War II is already four years past, the military seems to be in a state of calm, and it's a great time to see the world onboard a ship. Fergus's comfort and skills in the ocean parlay into special ops training in the Navy, and the proximity of like-minded aquaphiles opens him up to, if not friendship, at least to sociability. World peace proves an illusion, though, and when the North Korean offensive draws the United States into hostilities once again, Fergus and his team of select underwater demolition experts deploy to blow up bridges, sweep mines, and otherwise prepare the ground for the U.S. landing. Although this trim novel delivers plenty of military action (and a fair amount of dive schooling), it shares with the first Special Forces title (Unconventional Warfare, BCCB 11/18) serious consideration of the motivations behind enlistment, as well as the satisfying challenges and painfully high costs of excelling on a mission.

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