Battle Dress - Softcover

Efaw, Amy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0142413976 ISBN 13: 9780142413975

Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group, 2010

Synopsis

Based on the authorÕs own experiences as a cadet at the exclusive United States Military Academy at West Point, Battle Dress is the brutally honest tale of seventeen-year-old Andi Davis, who views her acceptance at West Point as a chance to escape her dysfunctional family and prove to herself that she has what it takes to survive ÒThe Beast,Ó insider terminology for Basic Training. But nothing could have prepared Andi for the rigors that followÑor for the inner strength that she will need to succeed as a woman in a nearly all-male society. Compelling and powerful, but never militaristic, this is a tale of triumph that wonÕt fail to move readers.

About this title

About the Author

Amy Efaw is a former Army officer and freelance journalist. She lives with her family in Denver, Colorado.

From Publishers Weekly

In this insider account of a female cadet's first summer at West Point, readers are given a potent dose of military life. Andi Davis is eager to escape her unstable family when she enrolls at "Woo Poo U," but she is not prepared to be humiliated and bombarded with confusing commands during the first few days of "Beast," the six weeks of basic training. As she is alternately whipped into shape (Will she ever master regulation push-ups?) and methodically stripped of her civilian habits (not to mention her $65 perm and her unauthorized deck shoes), she is plagued by self-doubt; the taunts of the upperclassmen echo the verbal abuse dished out by her mother. And as one of only two females in the platoon, Andi is determined not to be the "weak link." First-novelist Efaw, a graduate of West Point, does not question the grueling training tactics, much less the philosophies girding a military academy. She focuses squarely on Andi's personal struggle to conform to rigid, exacting standards. The dialogue is strongAthe upperclassmen's insults, the new cadets' awkward responses and private conversations create a thick, believable atmosphere. Even readers who disagree with Andi's values will be pulling for her. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0142413976
• ISBN 13: 9780142413975
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 304