Coastwatcher

by David Hill

It's 1943, and 19-year-old radio operator Frank Benson is shipped out to an enemy-occupied island in the Solomons with two other soldiers. Their mission is to spy on the Japanese.
In dense jungle they meet a Solomon Islander who says he has information that will shatter Japanese defences. But he could be working for the enemy. What if it's a trap to get them killed? No training could have prepared Frank for this decision. Their lives - and Operation Pacific depend on his next move.

Genres: War, Adventure, Historical Fiction

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 3, 2021

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Claude's Bookzone]

3.5 Stars
A slower paced war novel that focuses on the soldiers tasked with monitoring the coastlines to check for possible enemy invasion. The characters were relatively interesting but this is not an action packed war novel. It has a quiet tension about it that will engage teens with the different aspects or war time.

[K.]

Trigger warnings: war, violence, gun violence, blood, death, animal death, discussion of tuberculosis, bombing, racial slurs.

3.5 stars.

I was intrigued by the concept of this from the second I read the blurb because I know a little bit about coast watchers but not as mucha s I would like, and a YA novel seemed like the perfect way to learn more. For the most part, this was a very compelling read, and Hill painted a fantastic picture of the jungle the characters are living in and trekking through.

The second half in particular was extremely tense reading, and I flew through it. The ending, however, was a little TOO abrupt for my liking and I would have liked another chapter or so wrapping things up and giving us at least a hint of where the characters will be going next on their journey. But on the whole, it was a fantastic way to tick off The Solomon Islands for a read around the world challenge!

[Sara Neville]

It would have been great to have read how A'ata's village and A'ata got on as well as if Frank ever made it back. A good story, not fast paced, enjoyed the NZ/Aussie relationship.

[Library]

My favorite summer read. Loved the tension and the people dynamics

[Rennai]

I enjoyed this but it was a little slow-paced. The book covers a piece of war history (WWII and the fight with the Japanese in the Pacific islands) that the target audience probably knows next to nothing about and is definitely worth a read. I just wish the author made it more of a page-turner to ensure he captures and keeps his young audience.

[Trish]

An exciting adventure set in the Solomon Islands during the second world war. Frank, Wally and Les are Coastwatchers - observing Bougainville Island to report Japanese movements. When they meet A'ata, a young islander, who takes them back to Bougainville to meet his village elders, the adventures become even more dangerous. Great story, I will be recommending it to my students.

[Rochelle]

Very realistic portrayal of tropical pacific in WW2, great ending, kept me on my toes, likeable characters, good school library addition

[Melinda Szymanik]

A great read! Review to follow

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism & racial slurs
Tuberculous
Bombing
Gun violence
World War Two (theme)
Animal death

[Isa Rive]

I’ve grown up hearing the story of my grandfather stuck on a tiny island in the Pacific with two other men, keeping watch during WW2. So I was looking forward to this adventure based on New Zealanders tasked with coastwatching in the Solomon Islands. Frank, a Pakeha TB survivor has somehow convinced the army to let him enlist, training as a signaller. After a mix up, Frank finds himself landing with rifle in hand along with the 3rd Platoon advance. He’s paired up with the strong affable Māori soldier Wally, who he teaches to operate the wireless radio. But when the relief for 3 coastwatchers doesn’t arrive, he and Wally find themselves ‘volunteered’ for the job. Teamed with an abrasive Aussi tasked with protecting them, the US navy drops them on a tiny island offshore from Bougainville, where Frank feels like he won’t get a chance to prove himself. But things are just about to get interesting.
Slow start for the first 8 chapters and then the story starts to really grip you. What a great adventure with interesting characters and themes of war, racism, living with TB, trust, and heroism. I found the dips into Franks thoughts about Betty and his father got a bit repetitive. But I loved the bravery of the Solomon Islanders and felt it would have benefitted from the addition of an epilogue about the characters post war and how they might have potentially stayed connected.
3.5-4 stars- probably most enjoyed by 10-14 year olds.