I would rate this historical fiction a 5/5 stars. I would do this because the book uses a lot of adjectives which really helped me visualize the terrific story. Mr. Walters included a lot of drama and cliffhangers in this book which made it impossible to put down. He made the characters do very creative actions, while at the same time being very realistic. The book had a very nice flow to it and wasn't like a start stop sort of book. This book is a historical fiction books that include plenty of detail even when not needed. While making the story interesting and giving detail, he also made it very realistic. The only thing that could make this book any better is to make it longer. The main character in this story is thirteen year old Thomas Roberts. His only wish is to fight in the war with his father. Since he is only thirteen, he has to work on the farm for many more years. On the farm, him his mom, brother, and twin sisters work very hard to maintain the crops. He thinks quickly in tight situations to take care of himself. He is also so courageous that he disregards his own safety to help others survive. Later in the story, he meets Lt James Fitzgibbon. He is the brave leader of the Green Tigers. The Green tigers are a group of selected men who are always feared by the Americans. Fitzgibbon fearlessly leads his men into battle. He is very creative which helps him ensure the safety of his men. He finds his way out of sticky situations by being very tactical. He is an amazing person who was very important in the outcome of the war of 1812. The story takes place mainly in Queenston Ontario. Queenston is a small town with many farms. They had one mill which was owned by Mr and Mrs DeCew. There was only one store which had bare shelves because there was not enough items to go around. They had a main road and some other small roads. The roads were all made of dirt. American cavalry patrolled the streets in their shining blue uniforms. You can see Fort George in the distance because it is so big. The smell of smoke is in the air from burning farmhouses. Queenston is on the edge of the forest which is where the bully boys camp sometimes. The camp is at a clearing in the forest. At the camp, there is a big circle of tents surrounding some logs standing up. The logs are all occupied by men sitting, talking and eating. In the middle of the camp, there is a huge fire with a big bowl of stew on top. Of to the side, there are makeshift bowls and spoons to eat out of. At the edge of the tents, there are horses hitched to trees. The men have set up camp when this is done.
This book is called "BULLY BOYS." It was written by Eric Walters. In this book, Thomas Roberts, a fourteen year old boy wants to be a part of the war of 1812 and fight beside his father against the American troops, but he is only fourteen and too young to fight in the Canadian militia. Luckily, he gets his wish when he is in a general store when some American soldiers try to steal from it. At that point, Lieutenant Fitzgibbon comes across this scene and quickly rushes to help. Thomas hit one of the American soldiers with an axe and quickly leaves with Fitzgibbon to safety and ends up fighting for his country later on in the book. One of the best things about this book is that it is action packed and doesn't get boring. As a reader, I was entertained throughout the whole book and it was exiting to read. I don't think there was a bad part of the book, but at times it seemed predictable and I knew what would happen next.
What do You think about The Bully Boys (2015)?
Tom is left at home when his father goes to war. Then, when he helps defeat American soldiers who are robbing the general store, Tom is swept up in the war of 1812. This was a really good, exciting book. The characters were great, and they seemed real in a way. This was a really good passage:Piiiiinnnggg! I wondered who was coming in. Maybe it was somebody I knew. I turned aroud quickly... and saw the blue uniform of an American soldier! Before the door could close a second soldier came in behind him. They both looked so dirty and dusty. All of a sudden, I didn't feel so brave. I moved slightly off to side so a bank of the shelves hid them from my view-and me from theirs.
—Nisha
In the beginning, Thomas wanted to be a soldier; and fight with his father in the war. He's a smart boy so I know he knows that during war time there are casualties. After shooting a man to save Fitzgibbon he gets frightened; and declares he is meant to be and will always be a farmer.No plot twists or anything to keep you interested. I guess its a good book, just not for me.
—Brianna Bachan
