What do readers think of Blue Stars by Emily Gray Tedrowe? Write your own review.

I really wanted to like this book, and in some ways I did. Tedrowe's writing style is unique and spontaneous. I could hear the characters speaking as I read. The story line is also compelling: two families, two lifestyles, two soldiers, and two stories.

I also commend the author's research on the struggles of military life for both the soldiers away and their families at home.

Yet, after 100 pages or so, nothing much had happened. I was not empathizing with the characters at all. The story plodded along a somewhat predictable path with no real surprises.

Psychologists tell us that under stress, we become more of who we are, not less. This story is a testament to that theory. As the two women retreat into their own defenses, they become tedious and less likable.

I still have another 50 pages to go. I'm not sure I'll finish.

Told from two points of view about two very different women and families, the story definitely depicted the difficult life of a military wife and/or mother -- physical, financial, sexual and emotional. But I couldn't get involved with the main characters -- one seemed smug in her educational high-mindedness and the other was so self-absorbed and at times self-destructive. I seem to be in the minority and I really tried to like it, but I just didn't. I felt there was definitely a political agenda being put forward. That may not be the intention, but that is how I felt while reading. I'm very sure that there will be an audience for this book, and book clubs will have a great deal to discuss -- pro and con -- about the characters and the events that occur. In my opinion, "You Know When The Men Are Gone," by Siobhan Fallon is a much better picture of contemporary military life.