Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good historical fiction book but this just didn't meet up to my expectations or standards. I was initially intrigued by this book because it delves into the Russian Revolution which is a nice break from all those WWI and WWII historical fictions I read so often. However after a few chapters of this book, it became more of a chore than anything to finish this book. The character development was not good, and I just couldn't personally connect with the characters. And that's a big thing! Personal connection is key to a good book and a bestselling book at that. The overall story was really predictable and I personally wouldn't recommend this book however someone else might love it. It's all about personal preference, right?

I chose to read this book because after reading the description and it being over a Russian girl during the first World War, I was intrigued. It sounded really cool to read a book written from that perspective and got me really excited!
After reading a few chapters, I sadly knew that the book wasn't going to exceed my hopes. The writing was bad, there was minimal world building, the characters were very bland and the book was very predictable. I mean very. In the end the plot wasn't really gripping or very interesting, it was more of a chore to read this book than that it was fun. I just wasn't very fond of the main character and her thoughts, she wasn't really special and annoyed me throughout most of the book sadly.

I would not recommend this book, as it was boring and not really interesting. The idea behind it is good, but in my opinion the execution of it was not very convincing.

I have had the privilege of reading this book in successive drafts, and it has only gotten better.

Based on the story of the Women’s Battalion of Death in WWI Russia, it follows Katya, an officer’s daughter who volunteers for the regiment. Amber Lough, the author, is a veteran of the Iraq War and writes clear, compelling battle sequences as well as fleshing out the characters so that their travails break your heart. The friendship between Katya and her buddy Masha, as well as Katya’s relationship with her deserter brother Maxim, stands out as extremely well done, and the historical figure of the regiment’s leader and founder, Maria Bochkareva, becomes a compelling character as well. I had a few quibbles with some of the political setting in terms of the Russian Revolution (as usual, not enough screen-time for non-Bolshevik socialists), but the character of Sergei, a Bolshevik activist who wants Katya to desert for both personal and political reasons, was also very well done.

The ending and the last line broke my heart, as they should have.

I had issues with the book recommendations at the end–Richard Pipes wrote the single worst book on the revolution that I have had the misfortune of reading, and it is recommended here–but Lough’s research is strong. Katya’s political confusion is realistic for the era and her age, although I wasn’t quite sold on some of her contradictory actions.

I want a sequel very badly but also can’t bear the thought of these characters living through the brutal Russian Civil War, so I would say Lough did a great job in both telling a compelling story and attaching me to the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. "Open Fire" will be released on March 3rd, 2020. 

I really must be on a war novel kick right now: the last three books I read (this, "My Long List of Impossible Things," and "The Fountains of Silence" - review of that forthcoming) were all either about a war, or dealt with the aftermath of one. Sadly, "Open Fire" was probably my least favorite of that trilogy - but it still had a lot to offer. 

Summary 

In 1917, Russia is losing the war with Germany, soldiers are deserting in droves, and food shortages on the home front are pushing people to the brink of revolution. Seventeen-year-old Katya is politically conflicted, but she wants Russia to win the war. Working at a munitions factory seems like the most she can do to serve her country—until the government begins recruiting an all-female army battalion. Inspired, Katya enlists. Training with other brave women, she finds camaraderie and a deep sense of purpose. But when the women's battalion heads to the front, Katya has to confront the horrifying realities of war. Faced with heartbreak and disillusionment, she must reevaluate her commitment and decide where she stands.
Review

I have a thing for Russian history that I honestly cannot explain. Since Russian Revolution YA novels are rare birds indeed, I jumped at the chance to read this - and I was surprised to find, after not reading the description very carefully (I saw the word "Russia" and hit download on the spot), that it covered an aspect of the Revolution that I had no knowledge of. It was fascinating to read about the incredible grit that the women of the battalion around which the story centered displayed at a time when they were not given many chances to. I loved that it shone a light on a forgotten part of Russia's recent past, and it was a very educational portrait of the time. But...

I kinda didn't feel anything. 

Though I learned a lot, I never really felt much of an emotional connection to Katya or her comrades-in-arms. There was a sort of flatness to the story and characters that made it hard to feel for them, and though I wish I could say I had, I never really felt drawn into their world. That made it a little hard to "get into," and though I blew through it in a few hours, it wasn't really out of desire to know what happens next to beloved characters. I truly wish I could say otherwise because it's such an interesting story and sheds light on a historical episode that so few people know about, but ultimately it felt a little bit flat to me. The amount of research that clearly went into this was incredible and the time period and setting were incredibly well-drawn, but unfortunately, my final verdict still stands: educational, but bland. 

Rating: 3/5 Befuddled Emu