Perhaps I found this book to be a flat read because I grew up at the same time as his characters. I found that the plot was too predictable and not terribly interesting. I will not be reading the next six books in the series.

I try to be be positive with everything I read, as there is always something to learn from a book, but this just did not grab me. The title and description sounded great with historical fiction and especially being a planned 7 part saga being something that I look forward to. There was a lot of dialogue between the 4 main characters but somewhere early on in this book I became very uninterested. And I pushed myself through this as I really don't like to give up on any book, unless its a sinker, and this was headed in that direction. Thanks for allowing me to read this, even though its not something I enjoyed

I genuinely try never to give outright negative reviews and always try to temper any criticism with positive feedback. I regret that I will not be able to do that in this case, as I genuinely can not honestly give you anything positive about this book.

Some of the things I struggled with, to name only a few, are:

• An extremely demeaning physical description of a teacher as fat, ugly and with facial hair
• Country accents in upstate New York with forced dialect in the writing
• A bizarre section with Black people depicted as lazy and dangerous and not at all relevant to the story
• The descriptions in great detail of preteens in acts of foreplay
• The extremely non-consensual depictions
• Descriptions of teen boys and their bodily fluids
• Most of the characters are unlikeable
• Offensive descriptions of young preteen girls’ female anatomy
• Honestly despised the main character who I believe is intended to be likeable
• Entirely too much description that just went on and on and required major skimming
• Way too much skimming. So much skimming.

I’m sorry to say that I skimmed the entire last half of this book and stopped caring at all way before that. Normally I would have simply not finished, but I was offered this book in exchange for an honest review, so I pushed through.

I’m immensely sorry to say that I could not recommend this book to anyone. It’s my first and only one-star review.

My thanks to NetGalley and Big City Press for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this more than I did. I loved the characters and the overall concept for the book but the dialogue just did not grab as it should have. Like another reviewer said, I could definitely see this as a move adaptation. Overall, this book falls somewhere in the middle with how I liked it, not for me but still recommended for other readers.

Thanks to Netgalley, Mike Bond and Big City Press Author Buzz for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/4/21

A terrific childhood adventure !

Two boys bump into each other,
exchange heart-felt punches,
and become fast best friends.

In the spirit of a modern day
Huck and Tom, their quest begins.

Very much enjoyed this novel,
and eagerly await more from
this master storyteller.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Reading some of the negative reviews, my expectations were not too high. The story of Mick, Troy and Tara grabbed me initially. Mick is growing up on a farm in Rockland County, NY with his parents and sister Tara. He befriends Troy, an orphan, who escaped from a boy’s home for and he convinces his family to take Troy in.
This is not only the story of America in the late 50’s and 60’s, it is also the coming of age story of the three protagonists and also Daisy, Mick’s first girlfriend. The novel follows the 4 from their preteen years to their early 20’s.
I liked the first half of the book much more, than the second half.
The latter half jumped around too much, some events described in too much detail, other important events just briefly mentioned ( e.g. the Kennedy assassination) . It’s all here, the sexual revolution, pot parties, the Beatles, Vietnam in varying details. There was too much philosophy in the second half too my liking, too much emphasis on sex and less on the story itself. Overall, 3 stars for me.
Reading the first chapter of the second book made me end this series with this first novel.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.

I loved the writing. The characters are well developed. This is now a top favorite of mine. I give this book 5 stars and a strong recommendation!

I can see the made for movie now. The book was a good story with everything in it. But I thought it was a little to wordie

Like other reviewers, I was intrigued by the time period and premise of the novel. I hadn't heard of Mike Bond before, though he has quite a publication list. I'm sorry to say that I only made it four chapters in. When the description said it followed the lives of 4 young people, I assumed that meant young adults just out of high school in the 1960s. Instead, it appears that these are elementary students in the 1950s. The opening chapters weren't compelling enough to keep me reading, especially because I'm not a big fan of dialect, and the dialogue was filled with it. I wanted to like it more than I did.

America is the first book in what is expected to be a seven-part series by author, poet, journalist Mike Bond. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. Thanks to the author and Big City Press as well.

This saga begins in a small farming community in the northeastern United States and features the O’Brien family: Dad, Mom, Mick, and Tara. Along comes Troy, an 11-year-old kid escaping from an area orphanage. It’s his second escape, and after he and Mick go on a walkabout that has the parents worried sick, Troy becomes part of the family for good.

This is the late 50s. Bond covers the political scene with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon. He quotes parts of Kennedy’s speeches during his debates with Nixon, and the kids, now in high school, feel the hope and passion that have taken over the nation.

There’s a whole ‘nother kind of passion going on in this book too. This is the 60s now! Young people everywhere are rejecting the older generation’s idea that sex is only for married folks, and Mick, especially, and his girlfriend, Daisy, are children of the 60s. When Daisy’s father, who is not a good man, moves the family to Iowa, Mick finds another girl. And another, and another...Troy and Tara are late bloomers, but that doesn’t mean they’re celibate. At times, it seemed that raging hormones was the theme of this story.

It’s not the only story, however. I liked the character development, even though I didn’t always like their actions or ideas. They are young people in turbulent, exciting, challenging times. Kennedy is elected, then assassinated. The country is on the brink of going to war in Vietnam. There are changes in the O’Brien family, too, as the kids grow up. Will their different experiences, goals, and outlook on life pull them apart, or will their common roots hold them together?

Aside from the characters’ obsession with sex as a minor negative, I was a bit disappointed that there was not more emphasis on the Kennedy phenomenon, his election and assassination. However, it leads to at least two of the characters thinking about life more seriously. I also would have liked to have known the parents a bit more. These were people who adopted Troy, without question. Who were they? The dad seemed very level-headed and fair; the mom was hard-working and practical.

Overall, America held my interest. It didn’t evoke any strong particularly strong emotions, but I was curious to see how the characters searched for meaning in their lives and in the world, where they travelled, and who they met. Yes, there are some big names and real events thrown in here; that’s part of a historical fiction. And Mr. Bond has done a lot, seen a lot himself. This series seems like a mammoth effort, and he’s made a respectable start.

3.5 stars rounded to 4
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I thought this book sounded interesting from the description. I generally love historical fiction and I have heard people compare what is happening today to the craziness of the 1960s so I was curious to learn more about that time period. By the time I finished this book, I wasn't really sure what I was feeling so I read a few other reviews and realized I wasn't the only one who struggled with it. Some parts droned on and left me wondering what the point was. By the end, I can't say I was rooting for any of the characters which is unusual for me. I normally get invested in at least some of them. Through much of it, I looked forward to being done with it.

I received a ARC of this book from NetGalley but the opinions stated are all my own.

If your like me and like to learn history through a story this is the book for you. Some parts of the book were dry but the story all in all was pretty good. Even though this book was a little before the time that I could remember it did hit upon some things I was told but in a different light.

“America” by Mike Bond is the first book of an ambitious series that will look at America from the time after the end World War II until the end of the 20th century. Four characters come of age in this book and show us their growing pains and the massive growing pains of their country.

The book begins with Mick and Tara O’Brien, and Troy, all about 10 years old, growing up in rural New Jersey in the 1950’s. This is a time that we now think of as the idyllic “Happy Days” in America. And in some ways it was. For Mick, it was a time to learn to love nature and to tame his free-wheeling style. Troy had a sad past to overcome as he is welcomed into the O’Brien family. Tara, Mick’s sister dreams of a life of music. Mick’s girlfriend Daisy is also part of the story. Life seems safe on their family farm and small town. But as they enter high school they sense that their country is changing-from the joy of peace after a world war, to a darker time of searching for what America should stand for.

The writing of author Mike Bond features lovely descriptions of nature and the scenes in the book. Each of the main characters are well-developed and engaging. Many of the adventures and events in the books are exciting to read about. But, as the story moves from the 1950’s to the incredible 1960’s, there is a lot of thinking and musing about the meaning of life and politics from each of the four main characters that slows the story down.

“America” reminded me of James Michener’s book “The Drifters”. Thanks to NetGalley and Big City Press for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.

This is a somewhat rambling story of a collection of people growing up in the 50s and 60s. At times I was very interested in the characters and the challenges they faced. But at other times I just wanted to skim through to find the next interesting bit. The ending left things hanging so that the next book in the series has plenty to work with.

Bond writes well and his books are generally a good bet. I liked this overall. The characters are well crafted and the plot is solid. This one is uneven at times and some of the character's stories seemed incomplete, but that's also a good hook for the next in the series.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

This is the first book in a series the has captured the feelings and turmoil of the 1950-1960s. The characters reminded me of people I grew up with. The conflicts of that time had faded for me but this story brought back a lot of memories- both good and bad. I could not put it down- looking forward to book 2.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. I loved it.
America is the first of seven books that is a sweeping story of four different people growing up in the 1950s and the second half of the twentieth century. This first book introduces us to all four characters and takes them to 1965. when one of them graduates college. I graduated college in 1969. So I loved the description of the times. So many people have romanticized the hippie era of the 60s and 70s that I was afraid the story would be a much mushy. It's not. The characters are real and, because Bond began each story when these people were almost just babies, we either like them or not as they reach adulthood. I liked them.
Bond had some events at the wrong dates but many authors take "poetic priviledge"if it benefits the story. The need for each of the characters to respond and relate to the growing number of unacceptable events in the 60s said to me that Bond's moving some times around was fine with me. I was there, I know what happened when.
I am really looking forward to the next book in this saga.

Very mixed feeling upon reading this book. I really enjoyed the beginning as the characters of the two boys are developed, Mick and Troy. Suddenly we are years ahead and lots of things are happening to drive them apart or, at least, impact on their friendship. The women along the way, Tara and Daisy, appear to be often afterthoughts as not much time is spent on them and they appear more as a way to bring in a different history than what we are experiencing with Troy and Mick. As I lived through most of the events that are depicted in this book, it really hit home for me. A worthwhile read and I will get the next in the series as I really want to know what happens to these four characters and hope Tara and Daisy get more development as the series continues.

I had a mixed reaction to Mike Bond's latest novel, America. This is my first book from Bond, but I see he is quite prolific and popular. I liked his writing style.

This is the first installment in what will be a seven-novel series. In America, we're introduced to four characters, Troy, Mick and his sister Tara, and Daisy. At the beginning in the 1950's, Troy is an orphan who meets Mick when he runs away from his orphanage. The two are fast friends, and together they hop a train intending to head south to Florida. When they're caught and returned home, Mick convinces his parents to let Troy stay with them and they agree. Still tight, the two boys take different paths as they leave high school and enter the real world. Troy heads to the Air Force Academy, and Mick starts at a small private college. But Mick can't stand the routine of college life and ends up leaving for a year to travel to Europe and Asia.

Meanwhile, Tara heads to Berkley after high school, and ends up pursuing life as a jazz singer. Daisy, who was the love of Mick's life in college, has moved to Iowa, and becomes very socially involved. In the sixties, Daisy is part of a group that heads to the south to register Blacks to vote. It's the era of Medgar Evers. As the novel comes to an end, are all on very different paths in life.

Overall, I enjoyed America, and will definitely read the second installment in the series. However, for me, the pacing of this novel was off. For the first half of the book, it's like taking a drive along the scenic route. It's slow but pleasant, and the reader really gets to know Mick and Troy. In the second half of the book, it's like speeding down the highway. The book's timeline speeds up dramatically as we see the characters head off in different directions. It's only in the second half that truly delves into historical fiction as the characters react to current events -- the Vietnam War, politics, racial injustice, the age of Aquarius, etc. The characters of Mick and Troy are well developed, but not so for Tara and Daisy. In fact, Daisy is mostly an afterthought for the bulk of the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley, Mike Bond, and Big City Press for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm intrigued enough to at least read the second novel in the series to see if character development becomes more essential.

I received a copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for a review. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting when I started this book, but it definitely was not what I got. I seriously thought there was a mix up and the wrong book was delivered to my Kindle until I was over half way through. I ended up skimming the last few chapters as I had stopped caring about what happened to any of the characters by then. I would not recommend this to anyone.