Search and Destroy

by Dean Hughes

Rick Ward wants to go to war. He doesn't know why. Maybe he's running from his dad, who has an uncontrollable temper. Maybe he's running from a lost love, his high-school sweetheart, who is a stranger to him now. Or maybe he's just running -- to find himself. Desperate to experience real life, Rick enlists in the army with the Charlie Rangers, a special unit in Vietnam. They infiltrate the jungle, kill with precision, and get out quickly. Rick isn't sure he can shoot anyone, but he wants to be tested, like his heroes, Hemingway and Conrad. If he can see the heart of darkness and survive, he'll be a man -- and finally have something to write about. But as Rick discovers, war isn't what anyone -- either the protestors, the politicians, or the writers -- say it is. It's far bigger, scarier, and more complicated than anything he could ever have imagined. Dean Hughes captures the sights and sounds of war -- and the courage of a young soldier fighting to survive.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, War, Historical, Action, Realistic Fiction, Military Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published December 27, 2005

About the author

Dean Hughes is the author of more than eighty books for young readers, including the popular sports series Angel Park All-Stars, the Scrappers series, the Nutty series, the widely acclaimed companion novels Family Pose and Team Picture, and Search and Destroy. Soldier Boys was selected for the 2001 New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age list. Dean Hughes and his wife, Kathleen, have three children and six grandchildren. They live in Midway, Utah.

Reviews

[Amanda Schell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow a perfect book if you like to be put right in the action with the character!!!

[Isaac Barnhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Search and Destroy is a book that had me attached from the beginning to Rick and his adventures to where he ends up. But the story lacks detail at some points and seems kind of rushed. The story is simple and easy to follow along to but its storytelling gets very repetitive in the middle of the book. But it does set an example that war is not all being a hero all the time. It is the most miserable place that anyone can be. Dean Hughes however does a good job of making the details of the war realistic such as the war being unpopular and the soldiers not really fighting for freedom of Vietnam.
When I initially found this book I obviously could tell that it was going to be during the Vietnam war. And it didn't disappoint if you´re looking for a book about war I recommend this. There is some romance that sneaks its way into the book also though which gives it an extra touch of detail. Rick comes into the war trying to figure out who he is. But quickly realizes that he has no place being in Vietnam. Dean Hughes makes Vietnam seem like the most miserable place on the planet which he did a good job with.
There is some bad though however, at times there seems to be some characters rushed into the story while there are some that fit in well and give another point of view of the war. Trang who is from Vietnam becomes good friends with Rick while he is in Vietnam. He gives a point of view of how terrified he thinks the war is and what he really wants. Other characters like Sgt. Overman are rushed into this book because of him just being thrown into a patrol with Rick one day. He really has no backstory and the reader can´t get at least a decent idea of who he is as a person. The parols Rick go on and his visits to town get kind of repetitive throughout the story which I didn't like.
Back to the good Rick is definitely a well constructed character with plenty of detail. His thoughts are always given on a decision or something he was just thinking about. You can almost feel like you are right next to him fighting alongside him at some points. Rick is also just trying to figure out who he is which Dean Hughes well constructs in my opinion.
Search and Destroy does a great job of showing how awful war is and it's not all heroes and everything goes your way. However there is some lacking detail and some constant same things occuring throughout the book. The ending keeps you at the edge of your seat however. This is why I give this book 4 stars. I would recommend this book to a person who enjoys reading wartime novels and books that don't get to heroic

[Elizabeth Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite this book being focused on war, I was very intrigued by it. I enjoyed how this book went over the many different aspects of war. The story went through the main characters reasons for going into war, his arrival and his feelings then, what he encountered during war and then how he felt coming home. This book taught me a lot about the war that I did not know and makes me more interested in this subject. As well the book challenged other conflicts that many others can relate to, not just the war which I enjoyed. Despite not enjoying war books in the past I enjoyed this book very much. I recommend this to students who enjoy a shorter read, war book lovers and people who want to change up the typical genres they read.

[Silo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's pretty decent. I think the characters and the actual plot is a pretty solid read. The actual prose is pretty A to B, and I do wish we got more descriptions of the locations in Vietnam, but I enjoyed it well enough. I feel like Rick's justification for his choices throughout the book aren't great though, like he apparently disagrees with the war on some level, but also signs up for the special forces group that has the sole mission of killing their enemies, even though he's supposedly conflicted.

[Max Beuvelet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Search and Destroy was the first book i read on Vietnam and it was very fun to read. The realism and gruesomeness really pushed the point of how soldiers thought about the war and how they had to deal with it. I recommend this book to anybody who is interested in the Vietnam war.

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good. It is about the Vietnam war. There is lots of detail. I would think other people should read it.

[Anllir Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Search and Destroy is one of those books about war that immerse you with the character and leaves the reader with a sort of respect towards the characters growth and new take on life. The Book starts out with a respectable and satisfying prewar life description, the author takes the reality of what problems a young adult may be facing soon after high school, and in the age of war the country is in. He is able to establish an understanding of why Rick Ward would want to go to war and through doing so this establishes a point or rising action, in which the main character finalizes his quest/path towards growth and a new understanding of the characters life. Through his tour in Vietnam Rick Ward is baptized in blood, sacrifice, and pain. The book delivers throughout the stage of war a cold hard truth that our main character Rick Ward can die at any given point in this said part of his journey. While the author does take the readers along for all of Rick Wards experiences in war, he delivers more by allowing access to Ricks personal journal delivering a more deepening post battle after effect. In the end when Rick Ward returns home nothing is the same, our heros life has changed. His journey delivered its promise of growth and a new understanding of life, just one that only his brothers in arms will see and the rest of his world will be blind to, now he will have to go on with a harder journey. Living in a world only a few see and the rest shut their eyes to.

[Nacho Arismendis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Search And Destroy by Dean Hughes is a book that makes you think. This book is well written, it describe the situation of vietnam and its so descriptive that you visualize in your head whats vietnam like. The hot and humid weather and how Rick suffered during being in war. If you like war books this wood be a book for you

[Branden Schuman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean Hughes book, Search and Destroy makes the reader think about how they act like how mature they are. The main Character Rick Ward was dumped by his girlfriend because she said that he needed to mature. She didn't believe in anything that he would do and she had no hope for him.
19 year old Rick Ward quit his job because his boss was being a jerk to him and he couldn’t take it anymore. His dad found out about it so he kicked him out of the house. He went and stayed at his friend Renny’s house for a few days. He decided he needed to do something to mature so he signed up for Vietnam. They accepted him and once he got in everyone was picking on him because he was new and didn't know what he was doing. All of the other troops were calling him a noob and the lieutenant was calling him “Girly” because he liked to write in his journal and he wrote about how he missed his ex Judy. Rick was the lieutenants favorite because he was the best one there but the lieutenant still liked to pick on him and call him names.
Characters:Rick Ward had just graduated high school and he signed up to volunteer for Vietnam. He is really nervous to experience war in person. I really liked reading about him because he was very interesting. Kent Richards was Rick’s closest friend in Vietnam. He was nicknamed “Preacher” because he went on mission trips in Africa and he talks about his home every once in awhile. He was a really good character and he was a nice guy. Whiley was another one of Rick’s friends in Vietnam. He was almost killed and rick got him to the hospital just in time otherwise he could of died. He was in some type of shock and he could barely talk and walk for a couple of days. I think he was a really neat guy to read about. J.D. was a pretty good friend of Rick’s but he always picked on Rick when he was new in Vietnam. He still makes fun of him sometimes but now it is as a joke. J.D. was shot in the end and he did not survive and that made rick devastated for a while. I didn’t like him too much, i don't know why but I just didn’t like him that much.
Plot:Rick’s dad gets really mad at him and kicks him out of the house then his girlfriend breaks up with him and that makes him want to go to Vietnam to mature and I don’t feel like that is fair. He gets picked on a lot by all of the other people for writing in his journal and that makes him embarrassed and that does not seem like something that they should be allowed to do. Rick killed his first person in Vietnam and he regretted it because he felt shocked and that bugged him for a while and I think that he should not feel that way because that is what happens in Vietnam. Whiley got shot and was bleeding out and then rick grabbed him out of the water and started to run back to retreat and he got shot in the leg but he still got whiley back to safety. I think that was really brave of him and he did a good thing.
Conflict: There is a lot of fighting going on around Rick. There are people everyday that are getting injured and killed. Rick doesn’t think that war is as fun as he thought it would be. Rick starts to finally turn into a man because he saved his friend’s life and he is always watching people get injured and he gets injured as well.
What I Learned: From reading this I have learned to not listen to what others have to say about you and do not let their opinion get to you. I recommend this book to others because it gives you a look at what it is like to be in Vietnam. It would change the opinion that you have on Vietnam.

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rick Ward breaks up with his girlfriend Judy who wants to go and change the world and help kids in Africa, while he wants to write but does not know what to write yet. He wants to do something with his life and considers enlisting in the army. After quitting his job, he enlists in the army with the Charlie Rangers, which is a special unit in Vietnam. They have to infiltrate the jungle and kill with precision, and then get out as fast as possible. Rick does not know if he can bear to shoot anyone, but he wants to be tested like his heroes and finally have something to write about. Rick soon learns that war is not easy or what anyone says it is, it is huge and scary and way more complicated than he ever thought.

The theme of the novel is war is bad and can really change people. Rick Ward signed up for the army hoping to get inspiration and experience that he can write about, but war is much worse than he can ever imagine. He has to go into the jungle with his squad and kill people and then get out alive. One incident is where they are in the jungle and one of the squad steps on a landmine, and Rick has to come to terms with war and life.

In my opinion, Search and Destroy by Dean Hughes is a good book about a boy just out of high school who goes to war. It shows a side of war that most people don't see. I see how Rick matures over time and realizes what war really is, and I recommend anyone who wants know about war to read it.

[Tae Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should believe what your friends tell you. In Search and Destroy, a historical fiction book by Dean Hughes, everyone has their own opinion of the war in Vietnam, but what is really happening? After breaking up with his girlfriend and quitting his job; Rick Ward decides he needs a change in his lifestyle. Just after graduating high school, Rick enlists in the army to find out what is really going on the other side of the world. As a reader, you will connect with relatable emotions and enjoy reading descriptive information throughout the book.
This book is geared towards teens and young adults who want to build deeper knowledge in relation to being on different sides/views of the Vietnam War. Throughout the book, the plot continuously grows and changes. With the trauma that characters in the book experience; a detailed understanding of the chronological effect of mental disorder is given. Many people are against the Vietnam War, and this opinion is also given some insight through the early and late parts of the book. Both views on the war help pull the book together and give the reader an elaborate but also full comprehension of the Vietnam War era.
The detail put into this book makes for a well-written story. The deeper you get into the text, the more you feel connected to Rick and the emotions he has. The realistic difficulties of this story are really what makes it worth reading. Can Rick Ward carry out his miss

[Andrew Samrock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Search and Destroy by Dean Hughes. I liked how the author made Rick a very relatable character because just like him, we are all trying to find ourselves and have new experiences. I also liked how historically accurate the book was. I don’t know all that much about the Vietnam war, but the author cites many sources to back up his information and uses this information well. He even included code names that soldiers used for weapons and gear in the Vietnam war. I also enjoyed the fact that the reader gets to see how Rick changes throughout the story. The reader constantly lets us know how Rick is feeling and what his thought process is. This helps us understand why Rick does things and helps us appreciate the story as a whole.
Overall, I would recommend this book. If you enjoy books about war, you will probably enjoy this, although the focus of the story is more about Rick than the war itself. I would also recommend this to younger people because it isn’t a challenging read and is easy to follow. If you already know a lot about the Vietnam war, you won’t learn anything new, so this probably isn’t the best book for you. I liked this book a lot, and I’m sure you will too.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although, I felt the book Soldier boys was superior, this book was still a good read. The book goes into a lot of the horrific things that had happened in the Vietnam War. Some of the things can be disturbing but I found it kind of interesting knowing what these men had to go through in order to survive and how they counted down the days until they were able to leave. The book also gave me insight on how a lot of the men hated fighting the war but had to do it in order to survive knowing that once they came back they wouldn't welcome back like the soldiers in the World Wars.

I high recommend this book to people who have a interest in Vietnam because you get to see all the horrors that these men had to go through and unlike other soldiers know of these guys were welcomed back since people always called them baby killers. Overall, This was a very good book to read on this topic.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd read another book by this author and impressed. Even though war is not my favorite genre to read, the story kept me going. I finished the book in a single afternoon.

I also felt connected. Most of my uncles (Uncle Meme, Uncle Tero, Uncle Quate, Uncle Epi, Uncle Chuy, and Uncle Bob) all served in Vietnam. They were all about 18 when they went over. They never talked about it in front of me (although they all remained entirely too interested in M80s during 4th of July celebrations for my aunts' comfort) but I remember when they came back.

I'll never ask them about their experiences but this book helped me understand what they may have gone through.

Most importantly, I want to read more from this author.

[Armando · Rating 5 out of 5]

Search and Destroy by Dean Hughes is a great portrayal of the Vietnam War, earning a solid 5 out of 5 stars. Hughes takes you right into the thick of things with Rick Ward, showing the real deal of combat and the tough choices. It's not just about war, its about the feelings and the emotions that happen when your in war. Hughes keeps it real with historical facts, which immerses you in the story. The characters, especially Rick, grow on you, and you start to see how way affects life in the battlefield and at home. Search and Destroy is a powerful and immersive read that nails the Vietnam War experience.

[Jace Volvo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about a young man who really didn't know want to do with his life. When he quit his job and his dad kicked him out of the house, he decided to join the military. He thought that he could get new experiences, maybe wright about what happened over in Vietnam. For months he trained and having to put up with COs. Eventually he tryouts for the Charlie rangers, a special unit of teams up go six men, basically their job is to search and destroy.

[Xander Stover · Rating 4 out of 5]

The genre of This book is historical fiction. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to know that the Vietnam war wasn't always big battles and that every day was not as extreme as Tet. There is a lot of waiting in this book and you can almost see what is going on when you read this book. I like this genre because I am into history and wars and that kind of thing.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

"For a long time I didn't think I'd learned anything from being in Nam, but maybe I have. If a guy's in the river, bleeding, you pull him out, even if it costs you something. Not everyone back home understands that. Not even everyone over here understands it. But it's what I want to remember when I get back. There are people facedown in rivers back in the world, too."

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve read a book quite like this one, not on any war. It seems to say a lot from the perspective of a kid who doesn’t know what he’s going to do after high school & then volunteers to go to Vietnam to find out who he is.

[Kiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this on the recommendation of my teenage son. He loved it and I can see why. I think it's a great book showing the complexities of being a soldier in the Vietnam War.

[Sawyer Kons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a very good book, and the character development was probably one of the best things about the book.

[Mallory · Rating 2 out of 5]

forced to read this why did he want to go to war what the hell you don’t need to go to war to mature go do yoga or something

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m reading books that I can add to a high school library. I thought this book shows feelings from a soldiers point of view.

[Marley P]

It was ok. not the best i've read.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

War is complicated, especially what it does to everyone. This novel does a great job presenting those complications. A great story.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a tumultuous time. Dean Hughes captured the times of the Vietnam era in a great book.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing!!!!! I loved how real Hughes made the characters.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had its ups and downs but overall I really enjoyed this book. Some parts were pretty boring but some others I could really get at. The brotherhood of this book is what I really liked. As a guy myself, this book made me understand more of what these guys might have thought of or been through while fighting in wars. Overall, I really liked this book, I do think it gets slow in some parts though but that's alright.

[Gwen P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[Zuberg]

Search and Destroy: written by Dean Hughes, set in 1969, during the civil protests of America and the cold war, within the fighting of Vietnam.
We meet main character Rick Ward, who's personality is wide and diverse. First, he's young and free, yearning to have fun at every chance he gets (p.1+2). He is also very nervous and anxious, beginning to fear both himself, his peers, and the war itself (p.50-63). He then goes on to being generous to a vietnamese man named Trent, whom gives money to to help get him back on his feet, literally (p.108+196). Nearing the end of the book, Rick becomes a very brave soul (p.178-181). In the beginning of the book, Rick had just lost his girlfriend, friends, family, and job because of his choice to join the Vietnam War. He does it in the hopes of experience to write later on in life, and possibly just find himself. When in boot camp,he thinks poorly of his peers, giving him a bad reputation. When he finally makes it to Vietnam, he meets his squad. Zeller, Sparks, Whiley, and J.D. As a team, they all come together, however most pass away.

This story is in the third person, jumping to first person in Rick's journal entries. Despite being in the third person, we never actually leave Rick, with the book always focusing on him. The theme for this book is, "Warriors do not care about politics. They care about doing their job, and, if the call comes, they will take a bullet for the greater good." Another theme is, "People will risk their life to save another." Two mood words are Peace and risk. There are many scenes in the book where Rick and his best friend Kent go to help a wounded vietnamese man, injured by american troops. This shows that Rick and Kent are trying to form peace with the citizens. Risk is shown throughout the book, by many troops risking their lives to save another. "It feels like we have to hate them all, doesn't it? After a while, they all seem like the enemy no matter what the politicians tell us. But we can't just think this way." This quote comes from page 136. What this quote means to me is that many soldiers were against the war, and didn't want to kill or antagonize anybody. What this might mean to other characters is the war was tiring, and they didn't want to be hated any longer.

One connection between me and the main character is that we both enjoy writing. As stated it page 13, "then I'll write stuff that will blow Judy away."
This book was surprisingly very good. From the front cover, you might think it's just another run of the mill war book with a redundant amount of pew pews. This book is not that. It goes into both the protests of the war, to soldiers just doing their job, and doing beautiful things, like risking their lives to save others. However though what I didn't like, was some of the high school fling in the beginning. It was a required thing, showing the war protests at the time, but many of it felt very cliche. The breaking up of Rick's girlfriend Judy, to him quitting his job. Boot camp could have been longer, and more vulgar to simulate the time troops had to face at boot camp. Overall I give book a 8/10. If you enjoy war or adventure genres this is the book for you.

SPOILER ALERT



The climax is heartbreaking for Rick. After seeing most of his friends die in brutal ways, and going out to save his best friend Kent, whom had lost his foot was heartfelt experience. However though, when Whiley is shot up by the Vietcong Rick forces himself to save him. He is wounded in the process, losing his calf and getting injured in his ribs. He watches J.D die in front of him, after escorting Whiley to the helicopter.
The resolution was very warm, and both cold. Rick goes back to boot camp, and says goodbye. He then visits Trang, and gives him all the money he could to help him relieve his wounds. When he goes back to the states, he has PTSD issues. Despite this he still meets Judy. After seeing what both she and his friends had become, he no longer wants to see them. He calls Kent, who says is walking like a pro with his wooden foot, and discuss moving in and going to the same college together. It was a happy ending for the two of them.