The Challenge Factory discussion

Delitealex, Krissy & Denise - Front Lines

Checking in! I'll be listening to the audiobook

I've got a paperback copy from the library ready to go. Any ideas on when you want to start?

I got my audiobook from Hoopla so I'm good to go.

Have mine and ready to start :)

So when are we getting started on this?

I can start today or tomorrow trying to finish up what I'm reading now.

I'll start later today

Cool. It'll be tomorrow for me, I've got a bunch of things to finish up too.

Progress: 18%, Chapter 6, audio 1:51

So far it's okay. I'm not very far in but the author still managed to squeeze in a lot. (view spoiler)[Crap ton of characters, 2 deaths, a fire, uexpected pregnancy (hide spoiler)]. I predict poor Aryeh isn't going to make it back home. And can you imagine trying to live on $597 a year?!! Crazy times. I assume all these girls' stories are going to collide together at some point.

I finally managed to get started on this yesterday (I'm reading a ton of things at once again), 5 chapters in so far. I can only assume that a lot must be going on in chapter 6 then according to your comment, because so far I'm finding it fairly slow. I'll continue today, let's see.

I agree. It's really slow.

Finished chapter 10. We may maybe possibly perhaps finally be getting somewhere. At least in one of the storylines. So far, I find Rainy's story and character most interesting, and it looks like she's going to be getting into the action soon.

Progress: 33%, Chapter 12, audio 3:48

Still just okay. The shower scene was good though. Private Richlin's Willie Hunt made me laugh. But good for her standing up for herself.

Hopefully things pick up more soon.

Another five chapters done. We're almost 200 pages in and nobody's anywhere near a front line yet. So sloooow... *sigh* Where's the action? Gimme some action!
Yup, Private Richlin's Willie Hunt cracked me up too. Pretty much the high point of the book so far.

Progress: 65%, Chapter 24, audio 7:48

We are finally getting some action. We have our first secondary character fatality. So I'm guessing the book will move along quickly from this point on.

Side note: I like Jack more than Strand. Which means he'll probably die :/ We shall see

I'm not quite that far yet, just finished part one, so end of chapter 20. Definitely looking forward to getting into the action. I'm not overly fond of Strand either, what with his "playing soldier" comments and such...
Rainy's still the character I'm most interested in, I wish she had more chapters.

I actually like Frangie's story most. Especially once the fighting starts. But it seems like Rio gets way more page time than the other 2.

I'm almost done. I have an hour and some change left of the audio. Rainy and Rio are finally together and things aren't looking great. And poor Frangie is (view spoiler)[a POW (hide spoiler)].

Finished! I'll wait until you catch up :)

Chapt 1-8

Starting out pretty slow not much going on yet. So far I'm liking Frangie and Rainy the most. It's interesting to see all the different reasons each character has for enlisting.

Finished chapter 25, should get through the rest tomorrow. We all seem to agree that Rio's story is kind of the least interesting part... she's just so girl-next-door generic, which I always tend to think of as a euphemism for "boring". I'd much prefer to spend more time with the others instead. Definitely glad to finally get some action. Things are finally getting more interesting.

Chapt 9-14

I'm ready to see what happens with Rainy she did so well at intelligence training. Rio has so many chapters. Things are starting to get more interesting with Frangie and Rio meeting up. I'm really not liking all the insults against Frangie I hope her sergeants blackmail keeps the Captain away. I liked how Rio stood up for herself against Greer. I'm ready to see what happens when they actually go to war.

Finished!
I'll just put all of this under a spoiler tag so Delitealex can catch up before reading it. :)
(view spoiler)[I like that we finally got Rio, Rainy and Frangie all on the page together, all three of them actually interacting. All in all, I found the second part of the book a lot more interesting, the first was just too excruciatingly slow. I kinda wish it hadn't been revealed yet that Rio survives, it'll take some of the suspense out of the next book to know that she'll make it through whatever dangerous situations and battles she ends up in. Who do you think the writer in the hospital in 1945 is? Definitely not Rio, we know that much, but do you think it'll be revealed at some point later in the series or that they'll just remain an anonymous voice?
Generally, I would have like a little more depth in the characters, and a more even distribution of the amount of time we spend with each of the three main characters. And maybe a little less preoccupation with romance, especially with Rio...
Also, may I just note my objection to the utterly ridiculous (and, one would hope, unrealistic) notion of dragging a kitten out into combat? Poor little thing. WTF. (hide spoiler)]

Chapt 15-19

I'm glad Frangie got away from the drunk soldier that was a bad situation to be in. It's good to see her get at least 1 thing she wanted the Medic training will be good for her.

Haven't seen enough of Rainy she gets so few chapters. I liked Halev I wonder if we will see him again.

20-25
Things are finally happening now. They are getting a taste of what war means. I really want to know whats going on with Rainy too. I'm really not liking Strand either.

The rest of the book moves pretty quickly

Finally finished :) things really didn't get going till they were in the fighting.(view spoiler)[ I liked when all of them were together. I was worried when Frangie got captured. So who do you all think the writer is we know it's not Rio. The writer described her as battle hardened. She must have been in the thick of things in later battles. (hide spoiler)]

I will be continuing I definitely want to know what happens next.

Do you plan to read the short stories?

I might. And I picked up the second book from the library along with the fírst one, so I'll definitely be reading that.

I didn't really pick up any clues who the writer could be. Did you all?

Not really, I was trying to see if I could figure it out, but no success there. Though I suppose that was the intention. Maybe it'll become clearer in the next book?

I'm not sure if I enjoyed the book enough to read more. It was okay and the last little bit was exciting but that's it.