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Book Review of "Sheltered: When a Boy Becomes a Legend", by Jacob Paul Patchen

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Sheltered: When a Boy Becomes a Legend by Jacob Paul Patchen is a narrative by the protagonist, a 13-year-old boy named James, who becomes the leader of a group of young partisans known as the Risers.  The United States has been attacked by forces that are being resisted by many citizens, including those from small towns, suburbs, and rural areas. People have fled to the hills and woods to conduct guerrilla operations against the invaders. James and his brothers-in-arms are one of the groups who are resisting and are using military tactics, including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, and hit-and-run tactics, to fight the invaders that have infiltrated their area.  It is truly a story about rising to the occasion. It is also a story that makes it very clear when you fight for your country, for your home, for your life, for your freedom – your age makes very little difference.  To survive, you need to kill those who are seeking to kill you.

James falls into the role of leader of his young partisans and feels the added pressure of not only being responsible for his own safety but also that of other teenagers much like himself.  He feels the fear and desperation of fighting an enemy that is much better trained and armed than he and his comrades. However, the Risers have the advantage of fighting for a true cause, their existence, and the knowledge of their surroundings.

 Armed with not much more than hunting rifles, pistols, and bows and arrows, the teens struggle to survive the elements and dodge the enemy's patrols that are hunting for them. They learn to live off the land. James kills a deer with his bow and arrow providing a respite from their diet of Spam and crackers. Eventually, confrontation is inevitable, and Patchen creates some action scenes that are well-crafted and realistic.  It is a harrowing world, and Patchen brings it to life with characters that you'll want to get to know better.

The story is also a study of how James has a love – hate relationship with his father, who had abandoned him and his family. His father was a marine and left James with a lot of knowledge that he didn't at first realize he had in him. That knowledge and the fact that he wants to live up to what his father would like him to be, drives him on.  James wants to be a legend and save the country and return its control back to its citizens. Will the band of young partisans be able to turn back the invasion of the invaders?

This is a story about a boy's unbreakable spirit and indomitable courage in the face of an unimaginable situation and of the horror of war. As James and his comrades burrow deeper into the conflict, they discover the men they hope to become and forge a bond of brotherhood. Sheltered: When a Boy Becomes a Legend is a stunning story of strength, perseverance, and love from Jacob Paul Patchen

 

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