The Always War Book Response

Book Title: The Always War
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Year of Publication: 2011
Number of Pages: 197
Ar Points: 6

II. Literary Elements
A. Narrator- Third Person "We were next door neighbors," Tessa said. p.3
B. Protagonist- Tessa- She used to be a next door neighbor to Gideon Thrall, who was a war hero, until he decided to refuse the award. Then, Tessa needed to find out why. She followed Gideon and ended up into enemy territory. She becomes the person that needs to be carried through everything and is a pain to have with him. "What are we going to do?" Tessa asked. "What is it," Tessa asked. p.151-152
C. Antagonist- The war- The country has been at war for a very long time. They get on a plane that takes them into enemy territory, but it's not like Gideon remembered. The war has been over for years but no one knows about it. Tessa and Gideon struggle to find out the answers. "That was the war," the computer voice said harshly. p. 171
D. Setting- "There was, actually, very little in sight. Very little except for a vast field of grass, stretching out in all directions. Or--was this still what you would call grass? In Tessa's experience grass was tufts of muddied green blades that tried to spring up in bare patches of dirt, when people didn't trample it too badly. She'd seen pictures in books of expansive lawns trimmed to almost scientific perfection in the luxurious, prodigal era before the war began. But that had always seemed too fantastical to believe, like gazing at drawings of unicorns or fairies or trolls." p. 99-100 The setting creates a feeling that we have it pretty good the way we are living now.
E. Conflict- Man v. Society - The government hasn't been telling the public what is really happening with the war. "I deserve answers," Gideon said, standing up, "No more lies. What's really going on here? Why doesn't the war zone look like the satellite footage? Why don't the bombs fall when you say they're going to? What happened out there?" p. 144-145
F. Theme- Don't believe everything people tell you, some things will be exaggerated or a lie. "Delusional," the general muttered. "Irrational. All three of them are out of their minds." p. 145
G. Historical Content- The world was a much better place before the war. "There was, actually, very little in sight. Very little except for a vast field of grass, stretching out in all directions. Or--was this still what you would call grass? In Tessa's experience grass was tufts of muddied green blades that tried to spring up in bare patches of dirt, when people didn't trample it too badly. She'd seen pictures in books of expansive lawns trimmed to almost scientific perfection in the luxurious, prodigal era before the war began. But that had always seemed too fantastical to believe, like gazing at drawings of unicorns or fairies or trolls." p. 99-100

III. Reflection
I liked the book because it combined two things I like to read about, war and utopian societies. I don't think I could relate to any characters because I have never been in any of the situations as those in the book. I think it would make a great movie because the action is never ending. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fast paced books about war and futuristic worlds. I didn't end the way I thought it would, but I wouldn't change the way it did end.