September Book & DVD Reviews

Jeff Shaara, acclaimed military fiction author, has written an excellent novel about the final defeat of the Japanese in World War II.

Most of the novel deals with the battle of Okinawa. Located only 350 miles from mainland Japan, Okinawa was to serve as a main advance base for the upcoming U.S. invasion of Japan. Told through the eyes of Private Clay Adams and the rest of his group of Marines, Shaara takes the reader directly into this bloody battle.

Throughout the course of the book, the reader follows Adams and his fellow Marines as they try to dig out the Japanese. Shaara also does a fine job of discussing the battle from the Japanese perspective, and he includes many prominent Japanese participants as well. The reader gets the full effect of the battle, including Adams having to deal with the loss of comrades and the relentless attacks from the fanatical Japanese.

As the book progresses and the battle for Okinawa finally ends, Shaara turns his attention to the atomic bombing mission over Hiroshima. Staying with the earlier format, Shaara introduces the reader to real-life characters, including General Curtis LeMay, Col. Paul Tibbetts, and President Harry S. Truman. The afterword contains a brief synopsis of each true-life character included in the book.

I've read several nonfiction accounts of the battle of Okinawa, but this is the first novel I've read about it, and I must say that I may have learned more from "The Final Storm" than some of the works of nonfiction. Shaara has a wonderful talent for blending fiction with real-life events, as is so greatly displayed in this book. I enjoyed following the conversations and interactions among the participants, and I also enjoyed reading Shaara's interesting narratives.

I give this great book my highest recommendation. This is the first book by Jeff Shaara that I've read, but it won't be the last.

Review written by Jeffrey T. Munson
Library Director

Years ago, young Josh (Patrick Wilson) suffered from night terrors; intense dreams that left the young boy terrified and screaming. Now, years have passed and Josh has his own family. Josh, along with his wife Renai (Rose Byrne) and their three children have moved into a new home. Everything is fine for a while until the oldest son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) suffers a fall in the attic. After the fall, Dalton slips into a coma. The trouble is that the doctors cannot explain why he is in the coma.

After Dalton's fall, Renai begins seeing strange apparitions and hearing noises. Josh, while somewhat skeptical, believes his wife and, thinking that somehow the house is haunted, the family moves a new home. Although settled in their new home, the mysterious apparitions and noises didn't disappear with the move. Soon, Josh, Renai, and the children are running out of options. With seemingly nowhere else to turn, Renai enlists the help of a trained psychic (Lin Shaye) to determine the problem. Upon her investigation, she determines that Dalton has the ability of astral projection, and his spirit has been corrupted by evil and he's now imprisoned in a dimension known as "The Further". Only Josh, himself also able to astral project, can save his son from the demons who wish to possess him. Will he succeed before its too late?

This is an excellent movie. There's no blood and gore here, only truly terrifying psychological terror. The story line is well-conceived, and the acting is very good. I watched the movie twice, and I jumped each time I saw it. Be sure to watch very closely, because there are some hidden clues throughout the course of the film. The ending is totally unexpected, too. You'll definitely be scared watching "Insidious". Highly recommended.

Review written by Jeffrey T. Munson
Library Director