Review: Soldier Hill by Phil Rossi

Title: Soldier Hill Author: Phil Rossi Publication Date: June 24, 2012
Synopsis:
In 1983, two high school friends set out to honor a fallen soldier from the Vietnam War. A coming of age story about honor and sacrifice.
My Thoughts:
It's 1983 and Eddie, a teenage slacker, takes notice of a memorial tree for the first time at his high school. They are rebuilding and the tree is set for demolition. Eddie is curious to just who the tree was planted for, as the plaque does not yield many hints. What follows is Eddie's search for the fallen soldier and his quest to set things right.
I really enjoyed this story for many reasons. I liked Eddie, he seemed like a typical teenager. He wasn't really sure where he was going with his life and honestly, what kid in their early teens is? Because of this, his teachers and other adults have categorized him as a kid who isn't going to amount to much. In fact, he isn't given the same opportunities at school as the "smart" kids are and even when he attempts to prove himself, he is laughed at. 
I liked that this story took place in the early 80s before the internet. This forces Eddie to actually go out and put in serious leg work to find out who the fallen soldier was. He couldn't just go online and read about it. That made the story much more interesting because it showed how much Eddie actually cared about saving this unknown boy's memorial. 
I will admit that I did struggle with the slang. Even though I was born in 1980, I was still too young to pick up on some of the terms used in the story. It was hard to follow at first, but eventually the story really took off and the slang just became part of it. It gave Eddie a sense of realism and helped you remember that this story takes place decades ago. 
Beyond the search for the fallen soldier's identity, there is much more going on with this story. There is some bullying, and not only at the hands of the students. As I said before, Eddie is categorized by his teachers as no good. There is nothing he can do to change their minds no matter how hard he tries. He is constantly laughed at and picked on. I felt sorry for him. I found this part of the story very important. Even though he was treated this way, Eddie didn't give up. He knew that destroying the memorial was not right and he was going to do something about it. I think this was a great lesson for teenagers. Even if it seems the world may be against you, you can always count on yourself. Do the right thing and the reward will be great. Never believe the negativity thrown at you and keep moving forward.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I didn't know very much about the Vietnam War going into this story and I learned a lot. I recommend this to anyone who loves a good coming of age story and also enjoys shorter stories as this one comes in at about 100 pages. 

For more about Phil Rossi and Soldier Hill, please visit his website here. Also, be sure to stop by tomorrow for an interview with Phil and a chance to win your own copy of Soldier Hill!

*I received this book for free in exchange of my honest review. This did not influence my opinion in any way and all views and opinions expressed are 100% my own.