Review of Under Another Sun

[Ema-Florence Boisvert]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Under Another Sun" by David Lewis and Dana Welch.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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64 days in-country. That's precisely how long Tom Grey, a young journalist working for the Public Information Office (PIO) during the Vietnam War, had left before returning to the world—America. Commissioned to cover a peaceful event in the heart of a village to demonstrate Vietnam's reconstruction and prosperity for his last days of service, Grey is eager to be released and catch the first flight out of Vietnam. But just when he thought he was out of the woods, his reputation as a war reporter managed to catch up with him. And so, he finds himself back in the field. Having seen his share of combat, his hopes of getting out of Vietnam alive begin to crumble before his very eyes. Meanwhile, Mike Haynes, a private first class stationed at the front, is trying to survive one day at a time. As he navigates the dense jungle of Vietnam and the dynamics of his squad, his skills as a soldier and his confidence in his teammates gradually improve. As the war against the Viet Cong rages on, Grey and Haynes' paths cross, bringing the two longtime friends together under less-than-ideal circumstances. The more days Grey marks off his calendar, the more he and Haynes find themselves in the thick of battle. Will the two friends leave the jungle with their lives, or never get the chance to see another sun again?

Under Another Sun is a military fiction novel describing the lives of two American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Although the book is written in the third person, I particularly appreciated the fact that it includes two characters, each with a different story, who eventually meet and, in so doing, merge their stories to create a coherent and complex main story. This gave me access to different perspectives to better understand the lives of American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Indeed, although this is a fictional novel, the authors have skillfully included factual details about the daily lives of American soldiers during the Vietnam War.

In my opinion, the book contains too much background description in the early chapters and not enough dialogue. To better understand the characters, I need to know how they interact with the other characters; a good way to find this out is through dialogue. So, I had to motivate and push myself at the beginning of my reading to be able to get more attached to the characters. If this book had been as descriptive as the first few chapters throughout the story, I would have found it hard to read because of the heaviness that description brought to the story. Fortunately, the authors were able to lighten the descriptions and include interesting dialogues in the second half of the book.

Because of the potential of Grey and Haynes' perspectives and backgrounds, my expectations for the story's plot were high. Indeed, throughout my reading, I kept imagining different possible scenarios. I found that there were many possibilities of interesting events that the authors could have explored in this novel to further fuel my interest in the story. Thus, I would give this book a rating of 3 out of 5 because, although it was a promising novel, I was disappointed by the lack of creativity and depth in the story's plot. What's more, the end of the book let me down. I felt that the direction and purpose of the last chapter were unclear, which was disappointing. I would have liked the ending to have been more in keeping with the main story. At least the epilogue managed to provide some redemption, but the fact is that not everyone reads book epilogues, so this part could easily be disregarded by readers.

So, I would recommend this book to people interested in descriptive, action-packed novels based on the US military.

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Under Another Sun
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[erick luan]

Under Another Sun is a historical novel set during the Vietnam War, focusing on the journey of two American soldiers: Thomas Grey, a war correspondent, and an infantry soldier. The narrative culminates in the intense Battle of Dong Ap Bia, also known as Hamburger Hill, exploring the horrors of war and the psychological impact on those involved.

[Kibet Hillary]

The merging of the two different stories would definitely make the story more interesting and I believe this is one of the aspects that may make a reader expect more as well. I am an ardent reader of historical fiction and hence I would enjoy following Grey and Haynes in the mission. Thanks for the review, @Ema-Florence Boisvert.

[Ami Sanghavi]

I really appreciated how you pointed out the shift from heavy description to more engaging dialogue in the second half; it’s helpful to know what to expect. The dual perspective of Grey and Haynes sounds like a strong point, and I can see how their reunion under pressure would be compelling. Your honest take on the ending and missed potential gave a well-rounded view; thank you for that!